# data[].attributes.body
This group consists of eight economically disadvantaged, 10-year-old students focusing on the characteristics of student success and the steps needed to increase it.  Students will learn coping skills, growth mindset skills, self-esteem strategies, anger management strategies, and goal setting skills.

# data[].attributes.headline
ASCA Mindsets and Behaviors for Student Success

# data[].attributes.subject
ASCA Mindsets and Behaviors for Student Success

# data[].attributes.body
The following American School Counselor Association standards will be met through participation in this group:

M 1. Belief in development of whole self, including a healthy balance of mental, social/emotional and physical well-being
M 2. Self-confidence in ability to succeed
M 3. Sense of belonging in the school environment
M 6. Positive attitude toward work and learning
B-LS 3. Use time-management, organizational and study skills
B-LS 7. Identify long- and short-term academic, career and social/emotional goals
B-SMS 1. Demonstrate ability to assume responsibility
B-SMS 2. Demonstrate self-discipline and self-control
B-SMS 7. Demonstrate effective coping skills when faced with a problem
B-SS 2. Create positive and supportive relationships with other students
B-SS 9. Demonstrate social maturity and behaviors appropriate to the situation and environment

# data[].attributes.body
This group will be advertised to teachers only and described as small group counseling sessions for underperforming, economically disadvantaged students.  The sessions focus on ideas and strategies to help improve academic achievement and school success including teaching coping skills, increasing self-esteem, teaching anger management, encouraging growth mindset, and encouraging goal setting.

# data[].attributes.body
The group members have been identified as economically disadvantaged and did not meet the target goal for the previous year’s state assessment in math and reading.
The counselor meets with all students who fall into that category individually and describes the program as group meetings of eight students working to increase their academic and student success through learning new coping skills, increasing self-esteem, teaching anger management, encouraging growth mindset, and encouraging goal setting. After meeting with all students who fall into this category and meeting with teachers, the counselor picks four boys and four girls who appear to be the most open and receptive to learning ideas and will benefit from the information presented during the group sessions.

# data[].attributes.body
North Hopkins ISD requires students to have a parental consent form on file before non-emergency counseling is provided. This form is sent home with beginning of the year paperwork. If a student does not have this form on file, the counselor calls the parent to receive consent and sends a new form home with the student. Before a small group counseling program begins, the counselor contacts parents to inform them of the topic covered with the group.

# data[].attributes.body
Students will collaborate to create rules for the group. These rules will be turned positive instead of negative. Example: "Don't interrupt others" will turn into "One person speaks at a time." Although students will create their own rules, the counselor encourages and leads the discuss on creating rules. Students model their rules as to what they look like and what they do not. The counselor uses the attachment as a guide to ensure all important rules are created and documented. The counselor stresses and explains the importance of confidentiality and respect throughout this process. When students finish creating rules, they will be posted and signed by each member.

# data[].attributes.body
Stage 1:  During Stage 1, students introduce themselves to others (even though they know each other already) and tell something about themselves.  The counselor also participates in this activity.  After introductions, students participate in a quick activity to help build trust.  See the attachment below for instructions for "Minefield" (Reynolds, 2019).  When the students complete the activity, the counselor leads a discussion on confidentiality.  The counselor explains the importance of trust and not telling the information they may hear in group to non-members.  The counselor expresses that confidentiality is an expectation but can not be guaranteed.  The counselor also explains the limits of confidentiality and how they must report shared information if the student expresses hurting themselves, hurting someone else, or if someone has hurt them.

Stage 2:  At the beginning of each session, group. members share how they implemented the previous weeks lesson throughout the week.  By doing this, group members work towards the learning outcomes for the sessions.  The counselor also speaks with the classroom teachers to ask if they have noticed the students implementing any of the new strategies learned in their small group.
Stage 3: During closure, the counselor discusses how the students plan to continue to implement strategies learned through their group. The students then create goals to keep with them at all times to help encourage use of the new strategies. The counselor ensures the students their door remains open to them for visits at anytime. After the sessions complete, the counselor continues to contact the classroom teachers to monitor the students. The counselor also stays visible to the students by making visits and contact in the hallways. When completing the last meeting, the counselor reviews confidentiality again and explains how trustworthiness serves as a characteristic of a great friend. The counselor reminds the students of how they would feel if others shared their information with non-group members and encourages them not to share the information others shared.

# data[].attributes.body
In this small group, Participative Leadership appears to be the most effective style. Through participative leadership, the counselor also participates in the group activities and allows the members to have a voice (Cherry, 2020). This type of leadership promotes members to be more engaged by sharing their thoughts and solutions (Cherry, 2020). By using participative leadership, the counselor models that other people experience the same issues as students in the group. The counselor also offers guidance and control yet lets the members take an active role in the sessions (Cherry, 2020).

# data[].attributes.body
During the Positive Panthers group sessions, many of Yalom's Therapeutic Factors could present themselves.  Group members demonstrate Development of Socializing Techniques and Imitative Behavior while learning coping skills and working to manage anger.  Through these therapeutic factors students share knowledge and ideas with others, learn conflict resolution skills, and learn effective ways to handle problematic situations (Yalom, 1995.).  When working through the self-esteem lesson, Instillation of Hope, Universality, and Altruism may all present themselves as they each relate back to students learning to feel optimistic, students learning others deal with similar situations, and students gaining confidence while encouraging others (Yalom, 1995.).

# data[].attributes.body
American Counseling Association.  (2014).  Code of ethics.  Alexandria, VA:  Author

American School Counselor Association (2014). Mindsets and behaviors for student success: K-12 college- and career-readiness standards for every student. Alexandria, VA: Author.

Cherry, K. (2020).  The democratic style of leadership.  Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-democratic-leadership-2795315

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. Retrieved from https://dese.mo.gov/sites/default/files/guid-respon-serv-small-group-counseling-guide-2015.pdf

Reynolds, J.  (2019).  15 team-building activities to build trust among coworkers.  Retrieved from https://www.tinypulse.com/blog/team-building-activity-trust

Student Services Certificate, 19 Texas Administrative Code Section 239.d.3 (2018).

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

# data[].attributes.body
By teaching healthy coping skills, growth mindset strategies, self-esteem strategies, anger management strategies, and goal setting, the counselor meets the standard set forth by the Texas Administrative Code (239.d.3) that states "use both preventive and intervening strategies to address the concerns of learners to help them clarify problems and situations, set goals, explore options, and implement change (2018).

# data[].attributes.body
The counselor screens each perspective member of the Positive Panthers by selecting members whose needs and goals correlate to those set in place for the group thus meeting standard A.9.a of the American Counseling Association Code of Ethics (2014).