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After the counselor reviews the Campus Improvement Plan (CIP) and other campus data to support the need for this group, they will discuss their plans with the principal to get approval. Once approval is given, the counselor will share the plans for the group during a beginning of the school year staff meeting during pre-service week in August. Once school begins, the counselor will continue to collect data on students to determine the greatest needs of the targeted students so the groups can be effectively designed for each grade level. All students who are labeled as Emergent Bilingual (EB) on Skyward will be invited via email and paper handouts to attend these groups. Parents/guardians of EB students will also receive an email informing them about the opportunity for their child to be a part of one of these support groups. If the student would like to join the group, they must return a signed consent form from their parent or guardian. These groups will meet during the students’ free periods during the day so that they do not miss any instructional class time (different days and times based on grade level). Additionally, all teachers will be informed of the names of the students they teach who are attending these groups so that they can be informed of the concepts and skills the students are learning and practicing.

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As long as a student submits their interest and parent/guardian signed consent form to the counselor before the deadline (three weeks after first email), the student will be able to participate in their grade level's EB Student Success Group. The counselor will cap the groups at 10-12 students, but if more students request to join, the counselor will open more groups if possible or will include those students in the next round of the groups (during the second semester). Students will be informed via email if they have been selected to join the group and will complete a pre-group screener that is embedded in the email.

After each student has completed the pre-group questionnaire, the counselor will conduct individual meetings with them to learn more about their fears, goals, and level of English language proficiency. The counselor and student will go through the screener they completed and provide an opportunity for the student to ask any questions about the group before the first meeting. This will also give the counselor a chance to assess each participant's willingness to participate and share in the group meetings, as well gauge their interpersonal skills.

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As per the school's informed consent policy, all students requesting to participate in individual or group counseling sessions must return a signed informed consent form before they will be allowed to participate. Students who submit their interest to participate in the group will be given a form by the counselor to take home and return signed before the first day of the group meetings. If the student has informed the counselor of their desire to participate but the counselor has not received a signed form yet, they may call the parent or guardian (with the student's permission) to remind them to review the form and return it to school if they approve of their child's participation. Unfortunately, due to the legal and ethical requirements set by the state and school district, if a student does not return a signed informed consent form, they will not be able to participate in the group - no exceptions.

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The group will have specific rules that are set by the counselor during the first meeting. They are as follows:

1) Be respectful of all individuals in the group.

2) Confidentiality is vital for the success of the group. Do not share anything you hear in this group without permission outside of this room.

3) Have a growth mindset!

Additionally, during the first group meeting, the students will work together to add more rules to the list if desired. Each grade level group may have different rules they want established based on their developmental levels. All students will sign an agreement form after the rules are agreed upon by everyone in the group. If a student breaks any rules in the group, they will be asked to leave and will not be allowed to return to the group again.

(Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators, 2015)

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The first stage of group counseling involves establishing norms between group members and the facilitator (the counselor). In this group, Stage 1 will include the students introducing themselves to each other, sharing a concern and a goal for this school year, and learning/agreeing to the group rules. It is imperative that the counselor use this stage effectively to ensure that the group members trust each other and the counselor. The group must understand and agree to the confidentiality agreement before continuing, as well as understand that the counselor may have to inform other adults such as parents, teachers, or admin, if information is shared that could harm themselves or anyone else.

In the second stage, the students and counselor work to achieve the goals set at the beginning of the sessions. The students in this stage are focused on taking actionable steps to improve their English language comprehension and speaking abilities. They are learning from the counselor and each other to feel more confident in their abilities and their fears are gradually diminishing as they become more confident.

The last stage is focused on closure for the group. The students and counselor will reflect on what they have learned in these sessions and will compare how they feel now to how they felt before joining the group. The students will take a post-group questionnaire and discuss the results. The counselor is focused on ensuring that the students achieved the goals they intended for the group and the students are reflecting on how they can use what they learned in the group to help them in future classes and life in general. The counselor also must make sure that the students are prepared to leave the group and adjust to life without regular group sessions.

(Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators, 2015)

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This group will operate best using a participative leadership style. The counselor is ultimately the "leader" of the group, but will take more of a "facilitator" role rather than directing everything in the group (Cherry, 2023). The counselor offers guidance and specific information and skills to students to practice, but the students have equal opportunities to participate and share knowledge with each other. The goal is that the counselor can create a group atmosphere in which students feel empowered by each other to practice their English skills and thus gain confidence in a non-intimidating, casual environment. The counselor will strive to ensure that all students feel heard in the group and that every voice matters and is important (Cherry, 2023). This style of leadership is most effective because it makes the group setting feel less like a class (which is already a very stressful place for a non-fluent EB student), and more like a collaborative space where students can be free to try new things without fear of failure or grades.

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Universality is one of Yalom's Therapeutic Factors that can be seen in this group. Because all the group members are experiencing similar struggles as Emergent Bilingual students, they can commiserate on shared issues and see that they are not alone in their experiences (Yalom, 1995). This is important because the students will be more likely to be vulnerable and honest with each other if they know that they won't be ostracized or judged for anything they share in the group.

Direct Advice is given from the counselor to the students in some sessions when the goal is to learn a new skill or concept that will ultimately help them improve their language abilities or test-taking abilities (Yalom, 1995).

Interpersonal Learning is also present in this group, as students are encouraged to share with and learn from each other in these sessions (Yalom, 1995). Additionally, there are many opportunities for collaboration in this group, which leads to interpersonal growth.

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Section 33.006b of the Texas Education Code outlines the responsibilities that the school counselor must address in order to implement and sustain an effective counseling program. 33.006.b.3 states that counselors must "consult with school staff, parents, and other community members to help them increase the effectiveness of student education and promote student success," which directly relates to the goal of this group as determined by the counselor and the Campus Needs Assessment data. The counselor has a duty to coordinate with admin, teachers, students, and parents to create a group setting that can improve the students' self-confidence and academic success in school.

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Section A.9 in the American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics outlines the screening process for counselors to ensure that all members in the group will work well together and that no one's wellbeing will be jeopardized. This ethical standard is important because for this group, students need to know that everyone in the room has similar goals and experiences, and that no one there will use anything they share about themselves in a negative manner. This section also states that counselors have an obligation to protect their clients (or in this case - students) from physical, emotional, or psychological trauma. For this group, these ethical standards must be used as guiding principles for the counselor to ensure that this group is a safe, welcoming place for students to learn, share, and grow together.

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Mastery of Mindset and Behavior Standards

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Mastery of Mindset and Behavior Standards

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After completion of this group, middle school students will master these ASCA standards:

Mindset

M.2: Sense of acceptance, respect, support and inclusion for self and others in the school environment.

M.3: Positive attitude toward work and learning.

M.4: Self-confidence in ability to succeed.

M.5: Belief in using abilities to their fullest to achieve high-quality results and outcomes.

Behavior

Learning Skills

B-LS 3: Time-management, organizational and study skills.

B-LS 6: High-quality standards for tasks and activities.

B-LS 7: Long- and short-term academic, career and social/emotional goals.

B-LS 10: Participation in enrichment and extracurricular activities.

Self-Management Skills

B-SMS 5: Perseverance to achieve long and short-term goals.

B-SMS 6: Ability to identify and overcome barriers.

Social Skills

B-SS 1: Effective oral and written communication skills and listening skills.

B-SS 2: Positive, respectful and supportive relationships with students who are similar to and different from them.

B-SS 3: Positive relationships with adults to support success.

B-SS 6: Effective collaboration and cooperation skills.

B-SS 8: Advocacy skills for self and others and ability to assert self, when necessary.

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2 Texas Education Code § 33

American Counseling Association. (2014). 2014 ACA Code of Ethics. Alexandria, VA.

American School Counselor Association (2021). ASCA Student Standards; Mindsets and Behaviors for Student Success. Alexandria, VA: Author.

Cherry, K. (2023, June 27). 6 leadership styles and Frameworks. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/leadership-styles-2795312

Health Services. Harmony Public Schools. (n.d.). https://www.harmonytx.org/parents/health-services

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.

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