Introduction
Counseling is a process of helping people by assisting them in making decisions and changing behavior. School Counselors work with all students, school staff, families and members of the community as an integral part of the education program. School counseling programs promote school success through a focus on academic achievement, prevention and intervention activities, advocacy and social/emotional and career development.
-American School Counselor Association
Mission Statement
Fishers Island School Mission Statement:
Fishers Island School provides each student with an enriching and personalized learning environment embedded in our caring community. Our highly effective staff cultivate a sense of integrity and self-discipline, through an appreciation of the rights and responsibilities of well-informed citizens.
Fishers Island School Comprehensive Developmental School Counseling Program Mission Statement:
We strive to fulfill the unique academic, social-emotional, and college/career needs of each student through our comprehensive, proactive, and developmentally appropriate program, by acting as student advocates who will partner with students, parents, faculty, administrators, and the community, to help each student become a confident, productive member of society.
Vision
Fishers Island School Comprehensive Developmental School Counseling Program Vision:
We believe that:
- Every student can learn, grow, contribute, and succeed.
- Every student will be provided a safe and nurturing learning environment.
- Every student will benefit from a comprehensive developmental school counseling program that is vital to academic success and the development of positive coping skills.
- Every student will be prepared to develop meaningful relationships with peers and adults.
- Every student will be prepared for success in post-secondary pursuits
- Every student will be prepared to be positive contributors and leaders within the community.
Comprehensive Developmental School Counseling Program (CDSCP)
Delivery System (Adapted from ASCA National Model)
School Counseling Curriculum:
- Provides comprehensive developmental school counseling program content in a systematic way to all students preK-12 for the purpose of student awareness, skill development and application of skills needed in everyday life.
- Includes School Counseling Curriculum implementation through classroom lessons, structured groups, or consultation.
- Addresses Academic, Career, and Personal/Social areas such as learning through the life span, academic preparation for post secondary options, relationship of school, work, family and community life, college and career exploration, interpersonal skills to respect self and others, everyday safety, stress management, and healthy living skills.
Responsive Services:
- Addresses the immediate concerns of students for the purpose of prevention and intervention.
- Includes individual counseling, small group counseling, referral and consultation with outside agencies and mental health resources.
- Focuses on Academic and Personal/Social areas such as absences, tardiness, behavioral concerns, abuse, crisis intervention, grief, loss, substance abuse, family issues, divorce, stress management, relationship concerns, etc.
Individual Student Planning:
- Assists students and parents in the development of academic and career plans for the purpose of individual student academic and career planning, decision making, goal setting and preparing for academic transitions.
- Includes assessment, planning, placement and consultation.
- Focuses on Academic, Career and Personal/Social areas such as course selection, interpretation of testing, individual academic planning, preparation for post-secondary options, exploration of career options, interest and skill inventories, self knowledge related to career choices, work-based learning including job shadowing and internships, skills and competencies related to student and employee success.
System Support:
- Provides program, staff and school support activities and services for the purpose of program delivery and support.
- Includes development and management of program, coordination, relationship and partnership development, and consultation.
- Encompasses advocacy, public relations, advisory committee, program planning and development, evaluation and assessment, documentation, school improvement planning, parent involvement, consultation with staff and administration, research based practices, community outreach and data analysis.
Comprehensive Developmental School Counseling Program Benefits
Benefits for Students
- Increases number of students able to participate in the school counseling process.
- Increases opportunities for consistent counseling services throughout the school year.
- Increases opportunities for counselor-student interaction.
- Increases academic performance.
- Increases knowledge of self and others.
- Develops decision-making skills.
- Promotes knowledge in career exploration and development.
- Increases student retention
- Decreases mental health crises
- Increases college completion rates for graduates
Benefits for Parents/Guardians
- Increases an awareness of the nature and scope of the school counseling program.
- Improves communications between home and school.
- Increases opportunities for collaboration and cooperation between parents and school staff.
- Increases knowledge of what assistance parents and their children can receive from the counselor and school.
- Further involves parents/guardians in their child’s educational development and long-range planning.
Benefits for School Counseling Personnel
- Clearly defines role and function.
- Provides opportunities to reach all students.
- Creates a tool for program management.
- Clearly defines responsibilities and activities for specific student competencies and outcomes.
- Creates public awareness and visibility of school counseling program functions.
Benefits for Teachers
- Encourages positive, supportive working relationships with other teachers and counselor.
- Provides a team effort to address student needs and core competencies.
- Increases the likelihood of academic success for all students.
Benefits for Administrator
- Provides program structure with specific content.
- Provides a means of evaluating the school counseling program.
- Enhances the image of the school counseling program in the school and community.
- Increases program accountability and student impact.
Benefits for Business, Industry and Labor
- Provides increased opportunities for collaboration among counselors and business, industry and labor communities.
- Enhances the role of the counselor as a resource person.
- Increases opportunities for business, industry and labor to participate actively in the school program.
- Provides a potential workforce with decision-making skills, pre-employment skills and increased worker maturity.