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Somos Tigres is a counseling group of Emergent Bilingual (EB) students at Dripping Springs High School.  The school mascot is the tiger, so the name symbolizes unity and belonging among the students who will support each other in improving attendance and academics at school.  The students are sophomores and juniors in high school, ages 15 to 17 years old.  The group will attend eight thirty-minute sessions that will meet once a week during homeroom.

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After eight weeks in the Somos Tigres small group, these students will master the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) Mindset Standards:

M 1. Belief in development of whole self, including a healthy balance of mental, social/emotional and physical well-being

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

(ASCA, 2021, p.2)

The Behavior Standards for Learning Strategies to be mastered:

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

B-LS 4. Self-motivation and self- direction for learning

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

The Behavior Standards for Self-Management Skills to be mastered:

B-SMS 1. Responsibility for self and actions

B-SMS 2. Self-discipline and self-control

B-SMS 7. Effective coping skills

(ASCA, 2021, p.2)

The Behavior Standards for Social-Skills that will be mastered:

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 4. Empathy

B-SS 6. Effective collaboration and cooperation skills

(ASCA, 2021, p.2)

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The Somos Tigres group will not be advertised to the school. Students will be selected by the high school counselors and the EB coordinator on campus.  Additionally, an email will be sent out to staff asking for teachers to submit the names of any EB student they feel could benefit from attending the group sessions.  Data on semester one attendance, semester one grades, and STAAR test scores from the previous years will be used to help determine the group participants.

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Students will be called into the counseling office to be invited to the group.  Students will be pre-screened individually with the EB counselor. First, the counselor will explain the purpose of the group and the day and time each week the group will meet. Next, the counselor will explain that students in the group will be expected to participate in the group, provide positive support to group members, and maintain the confidentiality of the group. The counselor will answer any questions the student has about the group and their potential participation. Finally, the counselor will ask if the student is interested in participating in the group. If the counselor needs assistance in selecting the group members, other counselors and the campus EB coordinator will be sought out of input.

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Informed Consent Sample (Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators, 2015, p.24)

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Once a student is selected for the Somos Tigres group will be given a parental consent form to take home and return to the counselor.  Once the parents consent, students will also be given the informed consent form to sign.  Both forms must be signed before they may participate in the group.

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(Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators, 2015, p. 26)

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Students will develop ground rules for confidentiality in the first meeting while setting group norms.  There will be an expectation that what is discussed in the group will be kept private.  The counselor will make a poster of the group's ground rules and keep them posted in the room during their sessions. If a group member violates confidentiality they will be subject to removal from the group.  The counselor will remind the group about their confidentiality norms at the end of each session.

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Stage 1:  Building relationships and establishing trust.

Students will brainstorm group norms.  The group will focus on boundaries, confidentiality, listening, and respect.

Students will participate in Two Truths and a Lie, aimed to help students loosen up and get to know each other better.

Students will then share one thing they like about school and what they hope to get out of the group in terms of motivation to attend school and see improvement in their academics.

Stage 2: Group productivity.

The counselor will start each session by checking in on each member's weekly goals and how their week has gone in general. Group members will be encouraged to offer positive support and advice with each other.

The counselor will create an agenda before each group session to ensure each session is focused and is productive.

The counselor will talk one-on-one with any student whose behavior or attitude is negatively affecting the productivity or cohesiveness of the group.  Students who consistently affect the group in a negative way will be removed.

Students will be given a survey at the fourth session to solicit feedback on how the group is progressing, what elements of the group are working well, and what they still need help with.

Stage 3: Group Closure.

Students will complete a survey at the end of the group to evaluate their thoughts on the group.  Additionally, students will be asked to evaluate themselves on how motivated they are to come to school and how self-directed they are to do well in school.

Students will set new SMART goals for themselves for the rest of the school year.

The counselor will encourage students to continue to support each other even if the group is ending.

The counselor will ensure each student understands that their door is open to them for whatever needs or issues arise in the future.

The rules on group confidentiality will be restated so everyone understands that what they share in the group will stay private.

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The counselor will lead the Somos Tigres group with a Participative, or Democratic, Leadership style.  With this leadership style, the counselor will provide guidance to the group but will also encourage the group members to provide input. As Cherry (2023) states, a democratic leadership style allows members to "feel like they are an important part of the team, which helps foster commitment to the goals of the group" (pp.10). This will be important to the Somos Tigres group because as teenagers, they will need support and structure to make the group effective, but also the students need to feel ownership over supporting each other in reaching their goals.

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Yalom's Therapeutic Factors that may be seen during Somos Tigres Group Sessions:

Installation of Hope - Students will believe that the group will help them.

Universality - Students will understand that they are not the only one who struggles to fit in at school.

Altruism - Students will care about the success of other members of the group.

Development of socializing techniques - Students will develop strategies for improving how they relate to others, in the group, and outside the group.

Direct Advice - Students will be encouraged to give advice to each other. Students will also take the advice of the counselor.

Interpersonal learning - Students will be open to taking the advice of their group members and implementing their advice.

(Yalom, 1995)

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Senate Bill 11 Section 11.252(a) (3)  Strategies for Improvement of Student Performance.

Some of the elements of Senate Bill 11 that support the need for group programs like Somos Tigres group can be found in Section 3 Strategies for Improvement of Student Performance.    This section states that schools will develop strategies to make improvements in student performance in all areas of their life.  This will include initiatives to support students who are not meeting their full potential.  In this section, schools are also charged to develop programs to address conflict resolution and reduce dropout rates. The Somos Tigres group, facilitated by the school counselor, is supported by Senate Bill 11 because the group aims to improve the academic, social, and personal lives of their students. Additionally, one of the main focuses of the group is improving attendance and reducing the risk of students dropping out.

(86(R) SB 11 - Introduced Version - Bill Text, 2019)

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As the facilitator of the Somos Tigres counseling group, it will be important for the counselor to keep the ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors in mind at all times.

Some of the important ethical standards for the school counselor to keep in mind when establishing the Somos Tigres group:

Confidentiality - the counselor will keep everything discussed in the group confidential unless there is a concern that a student may be in danger of being hurt, hurting themselves, or hurting others.  The counselor will inform each student about their limits on confidentiality before joining the group sessions.

Social, Career, Academic, and Social/Emotional Planning - Somos Tigres will provide guidance lessons to help students develop strategies for improving their academic and social experience at school.
lifelong learning is part of long-term career success.

Relationships and Boundaries - The counselor will establish a collaborative and trusting group environment.  It will also be critical for the counselor to maintain a professional boundary with the group and not become overly involved in their personal lives.  The counselor will shut down any gossip or negative talk that comes up in the group.

Group Work - Providing group counseling opportunities for students is one of the ethical responsibilities of school counselors.  It is important for the counselor to understand best practice strategies for facilitating an effective group.

Peer-to-Peer Support - Creating a peer-to-peer support system is another responsibility of the school counselor.  One of the important aspects of the Somos Tigres group is to provide an opportunity for students to support each other in a safe and confidential environment.

(ASCA, 2022)

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References are attached as a PDF.