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This group will focus on working with 6th grade students to teach them skills and strategies to set clear goals for their future as a way to increase student motivation in school.

The purpose of this group is to increase the attendance rates and academic success of our economically disadvantaged population by helping those who struggle the most to set clear goals for themselves and learn strategies to become and stay motivated in school.

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The following ASCA Mindsets and Behaviors will be addressed through this group:

M2. Self-confidence in ability to succeed.
M6. Positive attitude toward work and learning.
B-LS 4. Apply self-motivation and self-direction to learning.
B-LS 7. Identify long- and short- term academic, career and social/emotional goals.
B-SMS 5. Demonstrate perseverance to achieve short- and long-term goals.

(American School Counselor Association, 2014)

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Because this group is focused on economically disadvantaged students, it will not be publicized to the entire school.

Instead, an informational email and Google Form will be sent to administration, other counselors, teachers, and parents of economically disadvantaged students. They may fill out the form recommending students that they feel would most benefit from participating in the group. Recommended students will proceed to the pre-group interviews.

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After I have received all student recommendations for the group, I will meet with each student individually for a pre-group interview.

At the interview, I will provide each student with information about the group including a general outline of what will be discussed, the overall goals, and expectations of group members. I will then address any questions that the student has.

To assess student interest, I will ask each student to rate their level of interest on a scale of 1-10 and explain their reason. Additionally, I will ask them to discuss their own goals for personal growth to determine whether they are open to change.

(Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators, 2015)

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Stage 1: During the first group meeting, we will work to create the ground rules together as a group so that all students feel valued and heard. I will then clearly outline expectations regarding confidentiality and require students to sign a confidentiality agreement. I will ensure that all students are aware that while confidentiality is encouraged, I cannot guarantee all group members will keep all information confidential. If a group member does break confidentiality, they will be asked to leave the group. Finally, we will spend the rest of the time playing ice breakers to build a stronger sense of community.

Stage 2: At the start of each meeting, we will have a group "pow-wow," where members are encouraged to share one area of growth and one area of struggle for the week. We will take time to celebrate areas of growth, no matter how small. When discussing areas of struggle, the other students and I can help each member come up with solution focused strategies for overcoming that obstacle.

Stage 3: During the last meeting, the group will celebrate our growth with a cookie party. Students will discuss how they are feeling about the group ending, and will brainstorm ways to utilize what they have learned as they move forward after group. They will write notes of encouragement to each group member and will be encouraged to support one another after group is over. Students will then complete the post-group assessment and be reminded of confidentiality. I will continue to check in with students, their parents, and teachers every few weeks for the remainder of the school year.

(Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators, 2015)

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Once group members have been decided, I will send home an informed consent form to the parents of each student. Students will not be able to participate in the group until this form has been signed and returned.

Additionally, I will go over limits of confidentiality and ask students to complete an informed assent form during the first group meeting.

(Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators, 2015)

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At the first meeting, the group members and I will complete the attached document together. Rules related to confidentiality and respecting one another will be non-negotiable. Students will have the opportunity to add or delete other items, and we will work to fill out the "looks like" and "sounds like" columns together.

When finished, group members will sign the page, and I will turn our document into a poster to display on the wall. We will review the rules briefly at the beginning of each group meeting.

(Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators, 2015)

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When working with this group, I feel a participative leadership style will work best. Since the group focuses on student motivation and goal-setting, it is important that students take ownership in the group and are empowered to make their own decisions. This will build the sense of community in the group and help members feel valued and capable of making their own decisions in the future.

(Cherry, 2020)

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American Counseling Association. (2014). 2014 ACA code of ethics. https://www.counseling.org/resources/aca-code-of-ethics.pdf

American School Counselor Association (2014). Mindsets and
behaviors for student success: K-12 college- and career-readiness
standards for every student. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/asca/media/asca/home/MindsetsBehaviors.pdf

Cherry, K. (2020, August 03). Leadership styles and frameworks you should know. Verywellmind. https://www.verywellmind.com/leadership-styles-2795312

Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators. (2015). Professional school counselor small group counseling guide: A professional school counselor’s guide to planning, implementing, and evaluating school-based counseling groups. https://dese.mo.gov/sites/default/files/guid-respon-serv-small-group-counseling-guide-2015.pdf

Yalom ID. (1995). The theory and practice of group psychotherapy (4th ed.). New York: Basic Books.

19 Tex. Admin. Code §239.15

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The following therapeutic factors apply to this small group:

1. Universality- Many economically disadvantaged students have had challenging childhoods and come from difficult environments. Being around students who have had similar struggles and realizing that they are not alone will likely help these students find healing.

2. Existential Factors- In order to become motivated and set goals, it is important for these students to learn that they are ultimately responsible for their own actions and success, regardless of their circumstances.

(Yalom, 1995)

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19 Tex. Admin. Code §239.15- Section c(3): "counsel individuals and small groups using appropriate counseling theories and techniques in response to students' needs."

This law clearly describes small group counseling, and it specifically mentions that small groups are to respond to students' needs. This is crucial when creating a small group; it is important that counselors identify the greatest areas of struggle among students on their campus and create groups based on those needs.

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ACA Code of Ethics
A.9.a.: "Counselors screen prospective group counseling/therapy participants. To the extent possible, counselors select members whose needs and goals are compatible with the goals of the group, who will not impede the group process, and whose well-being will not be jeopardized by the group experience" (American Counseling Association, 2014, p. 6)

This ethical code clearly relates to the pre-group screening process in small group counseling. It is essential that counselors ensure that group members are carefully chosen so that all members may benefit from the group.

(American Counseling Association, 2014)