Foundational Components

Mission Statement and Focus:

Motto: Helping students create an anchor for life.

Mission: The MISD counselors are a diverse group of service oriented professionals who believe in connecting our students, parents, schools and community with tools and resources for academic, social, and emotional success.

Beliefs: MISD Counselors champion the core beliefs of MISD through a focus on: Individualized success, Social connections, Respect & Responsibility, Emotional well-being and personal growth, Academic achievement and planning for the future.

The McKinney ISD comprehensive guidance and counseling program is designed to support the learning experience in each of these areas for all students. Our program follows the Texas Model for Comprehensive School Counseling Programs as well as elements of the ASCA model to fulfill the requirements in TEC 33.006 and TEC 33.007.

Definition: The Caldwell Elementary School Counseling Program strives to empower all students and encourage growth in the areas of academic, social and emotional learning. The school counselor works closely with teachers, parents and the community in order to foster an environment where students reach their highest potential.

Rationale: The Caldwell Elementary School Counseling program wants all students to have the tools to grow academically, socially and emotionally. By using the character strong curriculum during morning meetings, the school counselor is hopeful that students will use the skills and tools they learned to exhibit all character traits. 

Assumptions: For the Caldwell Comprehensive School Counseling Program to be fully effective and successfully implemented, the following conditions and resources are essential:

• Certified School Counselor.

• Administrative Support.

• Needs assessment from all stakeholders (staff, parents and students).

• All students have access to the school counseling program resources and the delivery of the four delivery components: individual planning, guidance curriculum, responsive services, and system support.

• Minimal non-guidance responsibilities and other administrative/clerical duties/504 duties.

• School administrators and staff understand, support and respect the school counseling program.

• The use of a time tracking tool for school counseling program.

• Adequate counselor-to-student ratio.

• Adequate budget and school counseling materials.

The school counselor conducts program evaluations by seeking feedback from teachers, students, parents, and the community. The data and feedback are gathered through needs assessments conducted throughout the school year in order to dentify students' specific needs. Once these needs are identified, the counselor takes action by providing guidance lessons, forming small groups, and making referrals to the IMPACT Counselor as necessary. 

During the 2022/2023 school year, the counselor administered a needs assessment to fourth and fifth-grade students. The highest need identified, which was at 33.9% was making and keeping friends. The next highest-need, at 20.9% pertained to assistance in developing effective study habits and organizational skills. 

On the teachers' side, the needs assessment indicated that conflict resolution and the fostering of self-regulation (managing feelings) were the most observed needs. This insightful data equips the counselor to evaluate the counseling program and make the necessary adjustments for the upcoming school year, ensuring that students' needs are effectively addressed.