The Texas Model for Comprehensive School Counseling Programs encompasses four general curricular content areas:

Interpersonal Effectiveness

Intrapersonal Effectiveness

Personal Health and Safety

Postsecondary Education and Career Readiness

The following sections will highlight the practices to promote the four curricular content areas that integrate the Weslaco ISD Emotional Intelligence Framework focused on the core competencies that were an area of improvement:

Emotional Regulation 49%

Data Used to Design Lessons

Through the research-based, campus-wide, Panorama survey, Weslaco High School discovered that students were having difficulty with regulating emotions, self-efficacy, and sense of belonging as they navigated through their academic pursuits last school year during the first semester. To help alleviate this, the counseling department came together and designed programs and interventions to assist the whole child, emotionally and academically. In the Spring, the Panorama survey showed an increase in Emotional Regulation by 2%.

At the end of last school year, WISD Student Support Services assigned an LPC, Maria Rodriguez, which handles our student’s more severe emotional concerns. In conjunction with Maria Rodriguez, our counseling team connected our students with mental health resources, so they could be successful students and productive citizens. Our students now have another person to share their mental concerns with, so that they can develop appropriate coping strategies that will ultimately increase student performance. Sharing these resources allowed our school community to be aware of the campus’ preventative measures. Students now have access to another layer of support. Parents also have additional resources for their children. 

Multi-tiered systems of Support (MTSS) is the framework we follow to provide services to WISD students. Mental health services are integrated into the MTSS framework. Based on this framework, the promotion of mental health and prevention of occurrences of problems are done in Tier 1 (Guidance/SEL/advisory lessons). Tier 2 focuses on preventing risk factors or early onset problems from progressing (Group counseling/Individual Counseling), and Tier 3 focuses on individual student interventions that address more serious concerns and prevent worsening symptoms that can impact daily functioning: restorative circle referral, LPC referral, or outside agency referral.

COLLABORATION WITH STAKEHOLDERS

The Weslaco High School Counselors work with all stakeholders to plan, implement, and evaluate the counseling program so students develop the skills needed to be successful. We work together to create a scope and sequence that addresses the student competencies of intrapersonal effectiveness, interpersonal effectiveness, post-secondary planning/career readiness, and personal health and safety. The WHS Counseling Team's goals are developed based on the PHS Campus Improvement Plan, student needs assessment, and teacher consultation.  The goals of the counseling program are based on the needs assessment and other pertinent data.   In an effort to provide a district-wide intervention to students identified as struggling with certain SEL skills based on the recent Panorama survey we administered, Student Support Services and GEAR UP facilitated a SEL-ebrating YOU event (formerly known as SEL EXPO).   The counseling program's effectiveness data is shared with stakeholders through Campus Counselor Meetings, District Counselor Meetings, and  Leadership Team Meetings. The program's goals and events are communicated through the school website, social media, email, and call-outs. 

Weslaco High Lady Panthers Softball State Champs 

Connecting SEL to Real World Experiences

World Mental Health Day