The Counseling Master Plan for Pleasanton Unified incorporates the components of what all students at all PUSD schools will receive from the support of a school counselor. The Counseling Master Plan moves school counseling from a responsive service provided for some students to a program for every student. The goal is to help all students improve academic achievement, navigate social and emotional development and plan for successful post-secondary education and careers.
Counselors facilitate grade level classroom lessons that are developmental in nature and results-orientated. Using a proactive approach, the Counseling Master Plan will provide consistency in the delivery of the school counseling curriculum within elementary, middle and high school levels. Parents and guardians are key partners in this program. Communication with parents, along with follow up opportunities at home will be provided with each lesson.
The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) has a national model for school counseling which has establish college, career and life readiness standards and mindsets which are applied across the three academic, career and social/emotional domains. School counselors deliver curriculum to each classroom Tk-12 within PUSD to target these standards yearly through their elementary years.
College & Career Readiness: The College Board National Office of School Counselor Advocacy (NOSCA) offers eight components of college and career readiness to target for student success. Lessons K-12 are based on teaching these eight components with age appropriate lessons. The college and career readiness lessons target the following - - Transitional Kindergarten: Friendship Skills, Kindergarten: Whole Body Listening, 1st Grade: Self-Control, 2nd Grade: Importance of Rules & Team Work, 3rd Grade: Conflict Resolution, 4th Grade: Career Exploration, 5th Grade: Career Interest Inventory.
Link to the NOSCA Elementary School Counselors Guide
Social & Emotional Development: All grades will receive support targeting coping skills with age appropriate teaching from the school counselor based on the ASCA standards and mindsets. The the social/emotional lessons target the following - - Transitional Kindergarten: Feelings Exploration, Kindergarten: An Introduction to Coping Skills, People Safety & Body Safety, 1st Grade: Positive Self-Talk, 2nd Grade: Managing Big Emotions, 3rd Grade: Understanding the Brain Stress Response, 4th Grade: How Do You Cope Best, 5th Grade: Building Confidence & Self-Esteem.
Academic: All grades will received support targeting executive functioning skills with age appropriate teaching from the school counselor based on the ASCA standards and mindsets. The the academic lessons target the following - - Transitional Kindergarten: Listening & Focus, Kindergarten: An Introduction to Growth Mindset, 1st Grade: Havign A Growth Mindset, 2nd Grade: Perseverance, 3rd Grade: Flexible Thinking Skills, 4th Grade: Looking At Exectuive Functioning Skills, 5th Grade: Academic Success skills (which include study and organization skills).
Additional Support: Teachers may also request additional lessons based on a classroom's specific needs. Some topics may include (and are not limited to): growth mindset, conflict resolution, self advocacy, respecting each other as learners, respecting differences, inclusion, classroom climate, joking vs. teasing, how to join in and play, inclusion (anti-bullying), problem solving, and empathy.