This document details the role and responsibilities of the professional school counselor.

This page provides resources for elementary school guidance counselors to review, understand, and implement the many aspects and current procedures necessary to help students graduate high school prepared for postsecondary studies, the workforce, military, or attend a state-approved apprenticeship..

(1)  Definitions.

• (a)  Alternative Education Program (AEP) - an educational program that serves students who are eligible to remain in the regular classroom but are more likely to succeed in a nontraditional setting such as that provided in an alternative education program, as well as students who are excluded from the regular classroom because of disciplinary reasons.
• (b)  Counseling - a process where some students receive assistance from professionals who assist them to overcome emotional and social problems or concerns which may interfere with learning.
• (c)  Guidance - a process of regular assistance that all students receive from parents, teachers, school counselors, and others to assist them in making appropriate educational and career choices.
• (d)  School Climate Management - systematic plan for addressing the factors that affect school climate including a consistent management style and leadership by the principal, a code of expected behavior, a code of disciplinary responses, a code of ethics for educators, a Student Support Team, delivery of counseling and psychological mental health services, methods to reduce absences and increase attendance, physical health support services, efforts to enlist parent and community support, utilization of volunteers, support by and for the parent teacher organization, a preventive safety plan and a crisis response plan, staff development, and the maintenance program for the school's physical plant.
• (e)  School Counseling and Guidance Services - guidance program planning, implementation and evaluation; individual and group counseling; classroom and small-group guidance; career and educational development; parent and teacher consultation; and referral.
• (f)  School Health Services - a process to address medically related health and safety issues and address requests by parents and physicians that the school provide appropriate health procedures to allow students to remain in school and increase opportunities for academic success.
• (g)  School Psychological Services - psychoeducational evaluation; crisis intervention; case study; consultation to student support teams, parents, teachers, and administrators; behavioral observations and analysis; and psychological counseling.
• (h)  School Social Work/Visiting Teacher Services - technical assistance on school climate issues; assessment and intervention, including written social histories; individual, group, and family counseling; and networking of appropriate home, school, and community services to address identified student problems.
• (i)  Student Support Services (SSS) - integrated and collaborative programs of school counseling and guidance services, school climate management and student discipline, school health services, school psychology services, alternative education programs, and school social work/visiting teacher services, provided individually or through a team approach, to all students at all grade levels.

(2)  Requirements.

• (a) Each local school system shall develop a Student Services Plan that prescribes and identifies programs and services that incorporate school climate improvement and management processes.
• (b) Each Student Services Plan must minimally include guidelines for the systematic provision of the following components:
• 1. Alternative education programs;
• 2. School psychological services;
• 3. School climate management;
• 4. School counseling and guidance services;

(1) Definitions.

• (a) Counseling- a process where some students receive assistance from professionals who assist them to overcome emotional and social problems or concerns which may interfere with learning.:

• (b) Guidance- a process of regular assistance that all students receive from parents, teachers, school counselors, and others to assist them in making appropriate educational and career choices.

• (c) School Counseling and Guidance Services- guidance, program planning, implementation and evaluation; individual and group counseling; classroom and small-group guidance; career and educational development; parent and teacher consultation; and referral.

(2) Requirements.

• (a) The local board of education (LBOE) shall provide for school guidance and counseling services in accordance with state and federal laws, State Board of Education rules, and department guidelines by:

• 1. Insuring that each school counselor is engaged in counseling or guidance activities, including advising students, parents, or guardians, for a minimum of five of six fulltime segments or the equivalent.

• (2) Including the following as duties of the school counselor:

• (i) Program design, planning, and leadership.

• (I) Develops a written school-based guidance and counseling program.

• (II) Implements an individual plan of action.

• (ii) Counseling.

• (I) Coordinates and implements delivery of counseling services in areas of self-knowledge, educational and occupational exploration, and career planning to facilitate academic achievement.

• (II) Schedules time to provide opportunities for various types of counseling.

• (III) Counsels learners individually by actively listening, identifying and defining issues, discussing alternative solutions, and formulating a plan of action.

• (IV) Adheres to established system policies and procedures in scheduling appointments and obtaining parental permission.

• (V) Leads counseling or support groups for learners experiencing similar problems.

• (VI) Evaluates effectiveness of group counseling and makes revisions as necessary.

• (iii) Guidance and collaboration.

• (I) Coordinates with school staff to provide supportive instructional guidance activities that relate to students' self-knowledge, educational and occupational exploration, and career planning to facilitate academic achievement.

• (II) Conducts classroom guidance activities related to identified goals and objectives.

• (III) Gathers and evaluates data to determine effectiveness of classroom and student comprehension, making revisions when necessary.

• (IV) Provides direct/indirect educationally based guidance assistance to learners preparing for test taking.

• (V) Provides information to students, parents, teachers, administrators, and, when appropriate, to the community on student test scores.

• (VI) Provides information to students and parents on career planning.

• (iv) Consultation and coordination.

• (I) Consults, as needed or requested, with system/staff, parents, and community about issues and concerns.

• (II) Collaborates with school staff in developing a strategy or plan for improving school climate.

• (III) Follows up on counseling and consultative referrals.

• (IV) Consults with school system in making referrals to community agencies.

• (V) Implementation of a comprehensive and developmental guidance and counseling curriculum to assist all students.

• (v) Insuring that each school counselor is engaged in other functions for no more than one of the six program segments or the equivalent.

(2) REQUIREMENTS.

• (a) Each local education agency (LEA) shall provide students in the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades counseling, advisement, career exploration, career interest inventories, and information to assist them evaluating academic skills and career interests.

This document details guidance Standard for students in grades 6-8.

This document details guidance Standard for students in grades K-5.

This page provides resources for middle school guidance counselors to review, understand, and implement the many aspects and current procedures necessary to help students graduate high school prepared for postsecondary studies, the workforce, military, or attend a state-approved apprenticeship..

(c) The program weights for the kindergarten, kindergarten early intervention, primary, primary grades early intervention, upper elementary, upper elementary grades early intervention, middle school, and alternative education programs and the program weights for the high school programs authorized pursuant to paragraph (4) of subsection (b) of Code Section 20-2-151, when multiplied by the base amount, shall reflect sufficient funds to pay the beginning salaries for at least one school counselor for every 450 full-time equivalent students. Beginning in Fiscal Year 2015 and thereafter, the program weights for the English for speakers of other languages program and the programs for persons with disabilities shall also earn school counselor funding. Further, beginning in Fiscal Year 2016 and thereafter, the program weights for the program for intellectually gifted students and the remedial education program shall also earn school counselor funding. The duties and responsibilities for such school counselors shall be established by the state board to require a minimum of five of the six full-time equivalent program count segments of the counselor's time to be spent counseling or advising students or parents.

This document provides timelines suggested for middle school counselors are intended to serve as a guide to assist in planning guidance, counseling, and advisement activities for the school year.