Section III

Program Definition, Rationale, and Assumptions

Programs at HHS9 are developed based on the following:

Definition: The HHS9 Counseling Department’s definition mimics that of the LISD Counseling Department mission statement. The HHS9 school counselors and student assistance counselor work in conjunction with building leadership, faculty, and staff to facilitate learning and provide students with the necessary skills to demonstrate academic success, personal-social-emotional wellness, and future readiness as a result of a developmentally appropriate and organized program. Program development and purpose is shared with HHS9 stakeholders in each Building Leadership Team meeting.

Rationale: The HHS9 Counseling Department is comprised of certified school counselors trained to meet the social/emotional, academic, and future readiness needs of the students. The counselors work together along with the staff to guide students to make healthy choices throughout their high school career in order to obtain their post high school goals. Programs developed at HHS9 are created based on feedback gained through student, teacher, and parent surveys. HHS9 counselors deliver their programs through individual and group counseling as well as large group guidance and presentations. Specific interventions are targeted within each program. Each year the HHS9 Counseling department along with the leadership team will evaluate the programs and interventions to determine success as well as areas of growth. HHS9 students consistently reflect a need for future readiness guidance. Strategies for achieving academic success and developing appropriate post high school goals are paramount in current program development.

Assumptions: Successful implementation of the HHS9 Counseling programs is based upon the following assumptions:

• All HHS9 students, parents, teachers, and other recipients of school counseling program resources have equal access to the program regardless of cultural background, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, learning ability level, native language, race, religious or spiritual preference, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status.

• Parents will be full partners with educators in the education of their children.

• School counselors are provided with adequate physical, attitudinal, and technological resources to be able to make their unique contributions to the education program.

• School administrators understand and support the school counseling program’s priorities and its demands.

• An adequate school counseling department budget is established and provided each year to support initiatives, basic resources, and updates to technology

With all of the above in mind, HHS9 Counseling Department goals are developed in a variety of ways. Each year different types of surveys are conducted in order to obtain student, teacher, and community feedback. Samples of our surveys can be found below. Understanding the needs of our campus is vital when creating or improving programs. Our BLT meetings is also another opportunity to gain feedback from our stakeholders. In BLT meetings teachers, students, and community members may share areas of growth as well as strengths not only in our counseling department, but in all departments throughout the building. Data from the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR), Nelson Denny, grades in courses, etc. are also used to develop campus goals used to meet academic and social/emotional needs of our students.