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"In an individual setting school counselors provide planned, short-term and goal-focused counseling. School counselors do not provide therapy or long-term counseling in schools. However, school counselors are prepared to recognize and respond to student mental health needs and assist students and families seeking resources."

American School Counselor Association (ASCA). (2017). The essential role of elementary school counselors [PDF file]. Retrieved from https://www.schoolcounselor.org/asca/media/asca/Careers-Roles/WhyElem.pdf

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This document can be used to refer a student for individual school counseling. It can be used by anyone who has a concern about a student at the school: teacher, parent, or even another student. (There is actually different, similar document for self-referrals.) This form allows anyone with a concern to bring it forward. A good example of "See Something, Say Something!"

Elementary School Counseling.org. (2017-2017). Counseling referral form [PDF file]. Retrieved from http://www.elementaryschoolcounseling.org/uploads/1/3/8/5/1385140/counseling_referral_form.pdf

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Our mission is to create an elementary-level learning environment in which all students feel safe and secure; one where each student is successful and achieves to the best of their ability. We will reach this goal through individual, small group, and whole-class activities, as well as collaboration with school staff, parents, and other professionals in the field, as necessary.

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Topic School Counseling Core Curriculum

Definition:

School Counseling Core Curriculum is delivered to all students. It consists of lesson plans and activities that are comprehensive, preventative and developmentally appropriate.  The curriculum promotes knowledge, skills and attitudes that addresses academic achievement, career development and personal growth.  Instruction and group activities are the main strategies used to deliver the curriculum.

American School Counselor Association (2012) ASCA national model: A framework for school counseling programs (3rd ed.) Alexandria, VA: Author

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Teachers complain of insufficient time to teach academic curriculum let alone to add social learning and career development to the instruction time.

This article suggest a paradigm shift to incorporate counseling core curriculum in the classrooms and that topics on social emotional learning and career development can be addressed during instruction times.

This paradigm shift creates opportunities for all students.

Addressing social emotional needs of students is imperative for increased academic learning. The article suggests a strong correlation between social emotional learning and academic performance.

According to the article clearly (Dimmit 2003)

“Students who have poor peer relationships and who lack the social skills to develop friendships at the elementary level are at a high risk for academic difficulties, and their trajectory doesn’t improve over time”

Integrating School Counseling Core Curriculum Into Academic Curriculum Kelly A. Kozlowski

Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1012286.pdf

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Every student has an equal opportunity to succeed. 

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Every student has an equal opportunity to succeed. 

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In this video a counselor uses a first aid kit to teach elementary school children on the duties of a counselor.  The video also highlights healthy choices of relating to each other. She emphasizes the importance of confidentiality and the exceptions to confidentiality.

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An Elementary Counselor's Beginning of the Year Introduction

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Creating opportunities for student success

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Creating opportunities for student success

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This video displays how 4 elementary school counselors provide direct and indirect services to the students in their school district. The results of these services promotes growth and success both in and out of the classroom.

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Elementary School Counselors, Changing Lives in Oceanside Unified School District, CA

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This website has a variety of lesson plans and topics to address students social emotional well-being, academic and career needs.  These plans can be delivered through the School Counseling Curriculum.

https://thewaterlilyway.wordpress.com/2014/04/09/lesson-plans-for-school-counseling-core-curriculum/

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One of the role of School counselors is to collaborate with stakeholders to provide indirect services to students that supports academic achievement and promote equity to all students.

Through the consultation process, School counselors share strategies that supports student achievement, and serve as student advocates to promote academic, career, personal and social development. In addition, they receive information on student’s need to identify strategies to promote student achievement.

American School Counselor Association (2012) ASCA national model: A framework for school counseling programs (3rd ed.) Alexandria, VA: Author

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An example of a school Counselor using consultation practices to create a safe school environment is for them to “develop a School-wide Code of Conduct that reinforces school values and clearly defines unacceptable behavior and consequences. Empower bystanders -- teachers and especially students -- to help enforce it by training them to identify and respond to inappropriate behavior”.

O'Brien, A. (2011, October 5). Bullying Prevention: 5 Tips for Teachers, Principals and Parents. retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/bullying-prevention-tips-teachers-parents-anne-obrien

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Anne OBrien

Deputy Director of the Learning First Alliance

Updated 10/2013
Approximately 32 percent of students report being bullied at school. Bullied students are more likely to take a weapon to school, get involved in physical fights, and suffer from anxiety and depression, health problems, and mental health problems. They suffer academically (especially high-achieving black and Latino students). And research suggests that schools where students report a more severe bullying climate score worse on standardized assessments than schools with a better climate.

This is all common sense to educators. They have known for decades that students need to be in safe, supportive learning environments to thrive. And the vast majority care deeply about keeping children safe.

But especially given that commitment to student safety, why do so many children experience bullying?

In Principal magazine, elementary principal, now retired, James Dillon writes that in bullying prevention trainings, he asks participants to choose the one group they believe is most responsible for addressing school violence and bullying: parents, students, school, or community. Inevitably, he gets a wide variety of responses. He suggests perhaps bullying problems are not addressed because "people think bullying prevention is someone else's responsibility."

A large-scale study by the NEA and Johns Hopkins University that examined school staff's perspectives on bullying and bullying prevention somewhat refutes that hypothesis, finding 98 percent of participants (all teachers and education support professionals) thought it was "their job" to intervene when they witnessed bullying. But just 54 percent received training on their district's bullying prevention policy.

Without such training, some of Dillon's other suggestions as to why bullying is so prevalent -- that adults don't recognize some behaviors as bullying and that bullying is often ineffectually addressed using the traditional discipline system of applying punishment to a perpetrator -- make sense. So whom should we blame for the state of bullying?

As Dillon puts it, "The reality is that no one is to blame, yet everyone is responsible." We all can work to prevent bullying, be it on a school- or classroom-wide basis, or even at home.

Five Tips to Help Principals Prevent Bullying

According to Dillon, effectively addressing a bullying problem requires a culture change. A true culture change takes time, but a few key steps to help principals get started:

Practice What You Preach Don't use your status as the school leader as the lever for change; instead, "listen before talking and reflect before acting" to ensure your staff feel valued (this is backed up by the NEA survey, which found an important predictor of adult willingness to intervene in bullying was their "connectedness" to the school, defined as their belief they are valued as individuals and professionals in the learning process).

Assess the Extent of the Problem Survey students, staff and parents to find out how much and what type of bullying is going, as well as where and when, to target prevention efforts.

Develop a School-wide Code of Conduct that reinforces school values and clearly defines unacceptable behavior and consequences. Empower bystanders -- teachers and especially students -- to help enforce it by training them to identify and respond to inappropriate behavior.

Increase Adult Supervision Most bullying happens when adults are not present, so make sure they are "visible and vigilant" in hallways, stairwells, cafeterias and locker rooms, as well as on buses and the way to and from school for students who walk.

Conduct Bullying Prevention Activities such as all-school assemblies, communications campaigns or creative arts contests highlighting school values to bring the community together and reinforce the message that bullying is wrong.

(These tips were adapted from articles by James Dillon from Principal magazine, Sept/Oct 2010 and Ted Feinberg from Principal Leadership, Sept. 2003.)

Five Tips to Help Teachers Prevent Bullying

Even when a school leader doesn't have a formal bullying prevention agenda, teachers can create safe, bully-free zones in their classrooms:

Know Your School and District Policies on Bullying Do your part to implement them effectively.

Treat Students and Others with Warmth and Respect Let students know that you are available to listen and help them.

Conduct Classroom Activities around Bullying Help your class identify bullying in books, TV shows and movies, and discuss the impact of that bullying and how it was/could be resolved. Hold class meetings in which students can talk about bullying and peer relations.

Discuss Bullying with Colleagues As a group, you will be better able to monitor the school environment. Discuss both bullying in general and concerns regarding specific students.

Take Immediate Action Failure to act provides tacit approval of the behavior and can cause it to spread.

(These tips were adapted from NEA's Bully Free: It Starts With Me and AFT's See A Bully, Stop A Bully campaign resources.)
Five Tips to Help Parents Prevent Bullying

Parents and guardians are among a school's best allies in bullying prevention:

Talk with and Listen to Your Children Everyday Ask questions about their school day, including experiences on the way to and from school, lunch, and recess. Ask about their peers. Children who feel comfortable talking to their parents about these matters before they are involved in bullying are more likely to get them involved after.

Spend time at School and Recess Schools can lack the resources to provide all students individualized attention during "free" time like recess. Volunteer to coordinate games and activities that encourage children to interact with peers aside from their best friends.

Be a Good Example When you get angry at waiters, other drivers or others, model effective communication techniques. As Education.com puts it, "Any time you speak to another person in a mean or abusive way, you're teaching your child that bullying is ok."

Create Healthy Anti-Bullying Habits Starting as young as possible, coach your children on both what not to do (push, tease, and be mean to others) as well as what to do (be kind, empathize, and take turns). Also coach your child on what to do if someone is mean to him or to another (get an adult, tell the bully to stop, walk away and ignore the bully).

Make Sure Your Child Understands Bullying Explicitly explain what it is and that it's not normal or tolerable for them to bully, be bullied, or stand by and watch other kids be bullied.

(These tips were adapted from materials by the National PTA and Education.com.)
The Bottom Line

Bullying is an enormous problem, and we must all do our part to impact it. If nothing else, remember one of Dillon's suggestions (intended for school leaders but I think applicable to all):

"Little things can make a big difference. Simple and genuine gestures, such as regularly greeting students, talking to students, and addressing students by name, help to make students feel connected."

Anyone can start doing those types of things today. If you are interested in further resources on bullying and its prevention, check out Learning First Alliance member resources and the StopBullying website.

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Bullying Prevention: 5 Tips for Teachers, Principals, and Parents

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Anne OBrien Deputy Director of the Learning First Alliance Updated 10/2013 Approximately 32 percent of students report being bullied at school. Bullied students are more likely to take a weapon to school, get involved in physical fights, and suffer from anxiety and depression, health problems, and mental health problems. They suffer academically (especially high-achieving black and Latino students).

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Example of equal opportunity for all students to succeed academically

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Example of equal opportunity for all students to succeed academically

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A school counselor can look at the data of students being referred to the office for discipline referrals, students that are habitually late to school, and students that are failing. The counselor can breakdown the data by ethnic groups, race and or gender to see if there are any commonalities in the data. Based on the data, the School Counselor can provide group counseling or implement programs.

Another example is for the school counselor to ensure that the students represented on campus has pertinent information translated in their first language.

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Data is important in tracking equal opportunities for students' success

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Data is important in tracking equal opportunities for students' success

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This video explains classroom management: establishing relationships with students, and getting students calm and in a frame of mind to learn. A school counselor may collaborate with teachers and use this video for professional development opportunities and for discussing strategies to reinforce positive behaviors in the classroom.

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Group Counseling can be a great benefit for kids in elementary schools who struggle to build strong Social Skills.

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Group Counseling can be a great benefit for kids in elementary schools who struggle to build strong Social Skills.

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Understood.com

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Some kids learn to say "please" and "thank you" and to wait their turn by watching others. But kids with learning and attention issues might not pick up on common social interactions simply through observation. If your child struggles with social skills, a social skills group could help.

Social skills include far more than the ability to communicate with other people. They're crucial to making friends, succeeding in school and, later in life, getting and keeping a job. Here are answers to common questions parents have about social skills groups.

What are social skills groups?

Social skills groups are small groups (typically two to eight kids) led by an adult who teaches the kids how to interact appropriately with others their age. They can help kids learn conversational, friendship and problem-solving skills. They can also be useful in teaching kids to control their emotions and understand other people's perspectives.

A school psychologist or a speech therapist might lead a social skills group in school. Groups are also offered privately, outside of school.

How do social skills groups work?

Maybe the kids in the group have trouble starting a conversation-or keeping one going. Or perhaps they don't understand body language. The group facilitator leads kids through exercises to learn the skills needed to deal with whatever social challenge they're facing. Most of these meetings include a chance for kids to role-play or practice social skills-and to get feedback on how they're doing.

What are the benefits of social skills groups?

Kids can learn important skills that they'll use the rest of their lives. This includes learning how to:

Greet others

Start a conversation

Respond to others

Maintain a conversation

Share and take turns

Ask for help

Which children can benefit most from social skills groups?

Social skills groups are best for kids who aren't developing social skills as quickly as their peers. This may include kids with ADHD, who can be too active and physical in their play. It may include kids with nonverbal learning disabilities, who may have trouble picking up on social cues, like body language, tone of voice and facial expressions. It may also include kids with social communication challenges and other types of learning or behavior issues.

When searching for a social skills group for your child, look for one that's geared for your child's specific issues (for example, ADHD) and meant for kids who are around your child's age.

What if I can't find a social skills group in my area?

If a social skills group isn't available in your area, or if there aren't groups targeted to your child's needs, there are other ways to help your child learn social skills. You can have your child work with a school counselor or other therapist who can use role-playing and model appropriate social behaviors for your child.

There are software programs you can use at home to help build your child's social skills. And you can develop silent signals to cue your child to remember to say "thank you" or to use a more appropriate tone of voice in social situations. Explore Parenting Coach for more ideas.

You also may want to encourage your child to have one-on-one playdates at your home. Many children do better one-on-one than they do in groups, and you can help keep the playdate running smoothly at home.

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Some kids learn to say "please" and "thank you" and to wait their turn by watching others. But kids with learning and attention issues might not pick up on common social interactions simply through observation. If your child struggles with social skills, a social skills group could help.

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Counseling multiple members at the same time based on mutual needs and goals of the members; counselors avoid putting young people together in groups where highly sensitive and personal materials may be disclosed.

Reference:
American School Counselor Association (2017). Alexandria, VA
http//www.schoolcounselor.org

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100 Years of Tested Tips for Organizing Group Sessions

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100 Years of Tested Tips for Organizing Group Sessions

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Why reinvent the wheel or fix what isn't broken?

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16 Tips for Organizing and Running Small Group Counseling

Small group counseling can be a useful and effective intervention in a school counselor's repertoire. But, woah can they be challenging to organize and run at first. With over 100 years of practice between all of us, we figured some of our tested tips would be mighty handy as you are beginning or considering your groups. Please contribute some of your tips in the comments below so we all walk more confidently into that room of five defiant third grade boys needing some support with impulse control.

Organizing: Permission Slips, Schedules, Session Plans. Ugh.

Be careful of group size, you can easily lose effectiveness if you try to include too many students at once. - Mrs. Bell, The Crafty Counselor

When sending home permission slips for the group, make it a "negative" permission slip. This means that the parents only have to return it if they DO NOT
want their child to participate. This makes it easier for parents, because it is one less thing they have to remember to do. It also makes it easier for you - less paperwork to track down! -CounselorChelsey

Use Google Docs to help you plan, organize, and schedule your small group sessions. Print out a schedule of the days, times, and students in each small group and give the schedule to each student's teacher in advance to help with organization. - Kate at EduKate & Inspire

Screen potential group members before placement. Group participants need to see how the experience will benefit them and should be willing to work to accomplish a goal.

While planning your groups, be sure to think about the dynamic of your group participants. Disruptive behavior can quickly sink a group lesson and make 30 minutes seem like 30 hours.

Instead of grouping kids by class or gender, I group them by issue and (usually but not always) grade. Types of groups I run every trimester include: anxiety, Zones of Regulation, Social Thinking, and positive thinking/CBT. Others I've done have been focused on grief, mindfulness, divorce, incarcerated parents, and service learning (for kids who need to develop self-esteem and/or empathy). Keep groups time-limited (e.g., 8 weeks) and firmly focused on skill development, practice, and reinforcement. Communicate key strategies to teachers and adults to encourage generalization across settings.

NEW KIDS GROUP MADE EASY. Try these time-saving tips:
Create a parental permission form that includes: " the group title (ex, New Friends Club), the frequency and duration of group meetings, three options for parent to check (Yes please, No thanks, I'd like to know more), student and parent contact info, parent signature and date line

Use the form to group kids and initiate sessions: " put a form in every new student registration packet, file away forms marked 'no', begin groups with those marked 'yes', follow up with parents who requested 'more info'

Follow this system all year! -Counselor Corner

So I got them in the room. Now what?

Spend the first couple sessions doing activities that help build trust among group members. Trust is key. The more group members trust one another, the more they will open up and share. - Leah @ School Counseling is Magical

I use a predictable schedule for groups that helps students know what to expect and helps me with planning. We start with a funny greeting, a 5 minute mini lesson, guided practice of target skills, and an activity/game to practice the skill more independently. Last, I have a quick exit ticket or whip around to see how they are progressing. I also give the kids roles, like time keeper, to keep us all focused. - Laura, Social Emotional Workshop

Tell us your time-tested tips for organizing and running groups in the comments.

Tips came from these Confident Counselors. Click to check them out!

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16 Tips for Organizing and Running Small Group Counseling

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Small group counseling can be a useful and effective intervention in a school counselor's repertoire. But, woah can they be challenging to organize and run at first. With over 100 years of practice between all of us, we figured some of our tested tips would be mighty handy as you are beginning or considering your groups.

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Dollarhide & Saginak (2017) describe collaboration as "connects & engages school counselors with a variety of stakeholders in order to promote student achievement and development."

Dollarhide, C. T, & Saginak, K. A. (2017). Comprehensive school counseling programs: K–12 delivery systems in action (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

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Group Counseling: According to the ASCA  Ethical Standards for School Counseling (2016a), School Counselors-

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Group Counseling: According to the ASCA  Ethical Standards for School Counseling (2016a), School Counselors-

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*Screen students for group membership (A.7.c.) , for reasons of peer mediation for classroom disruption resulting in failing grades (Stone, 2017).
*Select topics for groups knowing that every topic is not suitable for everyone (A.7.f).
*Inform students in the group of rules, goals, and confidentiality expected in order to receive counseling (A.2.b).
American School Counselor Association. (2016a). ASCA ethical standards. Alexandria, VA: Author. Available online:

https://www.schoolcounselor.org/asca/media/asca/Ethics/EthicalStandards2016.pdf

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Group Counseling through challenges - Elementary School Students

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Group Counseling through challenges - Elementary School Students

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A-Anger Management; how to identify and express anger appropriately
A- Anxiety; Provide tools needed to overcome anxious feelings
D- Divorce- Coping Skills
G- Grief; help with grief
M- Making & Keeping Friends; Reflect on Characteristics of good friends
S- Self Esteem; to boost student's confidence
S- Social Skills; Lessons to build an understanding of positive school behaviors

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www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/counselor.Keri

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B- Bullying lessons on respect & prevention
C- Character Education monthly core values
F- Fairness when kids say "that's not fair"
I- Identifying & Expressing feelings
T- Test Anxiety

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Group Counseling can be embraced by many when they learn that they are not alone and that others share  things in common. 

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Group Counseling can be embraced by many when they learn that they are not alone and that others share  things in common. 

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An Elementary Counselor's Beginning of the Year Introduction

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Examples of Collabortion Practices for student safety and success:

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Examples of Collabortion Practices for student safety and success:

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*Teaming & Partnering
This is when school counselors work with staff, parents, businesses, and/or community members to support student success. These collaborations can happen through advisory councils, resource sharing, presentations, or formal partnerships.

*School/District Committees
This allows school counselors to serve on committees to advocate for student programs and resources. School counselors are also able to help generate support of the school counseling program from school and district staff.

*Parent Workshops
This is when school counselors facilitate or organize sessions on student developmental issues in order to inform parents or guardians. School counselors share the needs of the school and also reflect on the school counseling curriculum.

References
American School Counselor Association. (2012). ASCA national model: A framework for school counseling programs (3rd ed.). Alexandria, VA: Author.

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Peer-reviewed Journal on Collaboration Practices

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Peer-reviewed Journal on Collaboration Practices

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This peer-reviewed journal article, retrieved from the Walden Library, explores the social capital perspective on school counselors collaborating with families and communities. Social capital refers to the "cumulative resources that are available to people due to a strong network of relationships between and within groups or institutions." The article suggests that social resources are just as important as physical resources when it comes to meeting academic, career, and personal-social needs.

This article can be viewed at:

References
Mellin, E. A., Belknap, E. E., Brodie, I. L., & Sholes, K. (2015). Opening School Doors to Communities and Families: A Social Capital Perspective for Multiparty Collaboration. Journal for Social Action in Counseling & Psychology, 7(1), 1–18. Retrieved from https://ezp.waldenulibrary.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=113858530&site=eds-live&scope=site

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As soon as a child enters into elementary school, Individual Student Planning is an important process. This process highlights academic, career, and emotional/social development through acquiring personal knowledge, skills and the comprehension of these aspects. The foundation for Individual Student Planning is introduced through curriculum, age and grade level expectations in each of these content areas. The process consists of activities that aide’s student planning and monitoring while managing all developmental aspects. These components are also designed to help students evaluate all of their educational and personal goals, and to develop plans of study with the collaboration of stakeholders. The Individual Student Planning process provides direct services to all students from Kindergarten until 12th grade in a variety of settings such as: small group meetings, classroom lessons, student/parent conferences and etc.
American School Counselor Association (2012) ASCA national model: A framework for school counseling programs (3rd ed.) Alexandria, VA: Author

School Counselor’s Guide to the K-12 Individual Student Planning Process. (n.d.). Retrieved March 31, 2019, from https://dese.mo.gov/sites/default/files/cnsl-isp-guide-k-12.pdf

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Role, Rationale, & Position of Group Counselors Role in the Elementary School Environment.

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Role, Rationale, & Position of Group Counselors Role in the Elementary School Environment.

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Group counseling is fantastic and can be big or small. The effectiveness of a comprehensive school administrators and school districts. In addition, the program must involve shared tasks and supportive relationships as direct service to students. Many students of whic find themselves struggling to cope with stress, social and emotional development, and knowing their identity another truthiness of others. Group counseling paves the way or opens an avenue students can travel through at a comfortable pace while learning who they really are. As a counselor in the school environment and screening those students who would make a great client or would possibly achieve much through group counseling must be informed that their consent is needed, the limits revolving around confidentiality, the parent's consent and agreement from the student before participation in group counseling begins. In doing this, the student's highest achievement of self is to be met ( Falco, 2011). As the counselor I am to detect barriers, strategically plan for the removal of barriers, and identify when the students need referring  out (ASCA, 2012). Ultimately, group counseling should result in the student's overall academic, social, and career success.

References
American School Counselor Association (2012). ASCA National Model in framework for school Counseling programs. (3rd ed). Alexandria, VA: Author.

Falco, L. D. (2011). Why groups? The importance of group Counseling Research and Practice , A Journal of the Caring Scool Counselor Association, Inc, 3, 17-23.

Gerrity D. A., & DeLucia-Waack, J. L. (2007). Effectiveness of groups in the schools, The Journal of Specialists in Group Work, 32, 97-106.

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This is a self-assessment that can be used by a school counselor to help. When a student comes to your office, you will not always, 100% know what is going on (and they may not be able to express it either). This is a form that is appropriate for an elementary school counselor to narrow down what problem(s) the student is having, be it social, academic, etc.

Mendoza, L.P. (2013-2018). Skills Self-Assessment [PDF file]. Retrieved from https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6CDXq4e3q-PVDBsQUJuOTE0NWc/view?usp=sharing

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There are advantages to Group Counseling

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There are advantages to Group Counseling

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8 Working together
*Branching out
*Safety Learning
*There are more things in common
*Learning Self Identity & Identity of peers

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Before beginning to deliver services, a school counselor must first determine who needs services, what their overall needs are, when the needs should be addressed, and how to deliver the services (i.e. individual student counseling) (p. 84-86).

American School Counselor Association. (2012). ASCA national model: A framework for school counseling programs (3rd ed.). Alexandria, VA: American School Counselor Association.

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This video is about Professional school counselors and the power they have to make a difference in all students live, beginning at the elementary school level.

The Power of School Counselors. (n.d.). Retrieved March 31, 2019, from https://videos.schoolcounselor.org/the-power-of-school-counselors

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Students have the power to change the world, and school counselors help them achieve their dreams.

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Before labelling a student as "at-risk," you must first go through "prevention" activities such as Character Education. If students do not respond to these activities, the next step would be to implement some interventions, such as Individual Student Counseling. Only after these two steps should a student be considered "at-risk." Once identified, these students should be considered high priority for services. However, receiving services from a school counselor is probably not enough. Most of the time these students should be referred to a Licensed Mental Health Professional in the local community (p. 58).

Dollarhide, C.T. & Saginak, K.A. (2017). Comprehensive school counseling programs: K-12 delivery systems in action (3rd ed.). Pearson: Boston.

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There are multiple activities to implement in regards to Individual Student Planning. For example: Developing interventions and Response to Interventions process.

In this video, Joe Wehby answers the question, "If an Elementary School is already implementing RTI in academic subjects, what is the best way for them to begin to incorporate behavior interventions?" Wehby answers the presented question first by addressing RTI and its effectiveness. He believes that if that process is already in order it will not be hard to implement others. He expresses that the best way to show progress is by first identifying and evaluating the comprehensive school program as a whole. Basically where the components for a successful program begin and what systems they have set. To be able to assess at what levels do a set of expectations, reinforcers, and etc.  for an entire school building are established.  At an elementary school level, evidence-based practices are important in regards to academics and behavior supports as well. He expressed that there are also lots of tools that could be used to evaluate the current status of an individual school program around behavior support and etc. Overall Wehby believes there are different levels of support recognized at the academic level and so that makes the leap to behavior interventions easier.
Wehby, J. (n.d.). If an Elementary School is already implementing RTI in academic subjects, what is the best way for them to begin to incorporate behavior interventions? Retrieved March 31, 2019, from https://rti4success.org/video/if-elementary-school-already-implementing-rti-academic-subjects-what-best-way-them-begin

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Center on RTI American Institutes for Research

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How can a school begin to incorporate behavior interventions into their RTI framework?

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Elements for a Positive Learning Environment

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Elements for a Positive Learning Environment

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According to Waldmen (2016), “for students to learn, they must feel safe, engaged, connected, and supported in their classrooms and schools. These “conditions for learning” are the elements of a school’s climate that students experience personally. They contribute to students’ academic achievement and success and are associated with improved grades and test scores; strong attendance; positive relationships between students, adults, and their peers; and minimal engagement in risky behaviors.” (para. 1)

A positive school climate is a critical part of the conditions for learning, in order to limit and/or close achievement gaps especially. There is a need to establish a positive environment for students to thrive. This is because there are a number of factors that can affect school safety; such as exposure to violence, which not only affects schools but communities as well. This article speaks about the four elements that helps create a positive learning environment in schools which consists of safety, engagement, connectedness, and support.
Waldmen, C. (2016, November 7). Four Elements for Creating a Positive Learning Environment. Retrieved from https://all4ed.org/four-elements-for-creating-a-positive-learning-environment/

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For students to learn, they must feel safe, engaged, connected, and supported in their classrooms and schools. These "conditions for learning" are the elements of a school's climate that students experience personally. They contribute to students' academic achievement and success and are associated with improved grades and test scores; strong attendance; positive relationships between students, adults, and their peers; and minimal engagement in risky behaviors, according to The School Discipline Consensus Report (SDCR) developed by The Council of State Governments Justice Center. New research also shows that a positive school climate, of which the conditions for learning are a critical part, can narrow achievement gaps.

But external factors-such as the fatal shootings from this summer and fall-and internal factors-such as exclusionary discipline practices, which disproportionately affect students of color, students with disabilities, and English language learners (ELLs)-can undermine efforts by teachers and school staff to create the learning conditions necessary for students to thrive. Exposure to violence, in particular, affects more than the family and friends of those involved and ripples through communities, ultimately impacting individual students.

With this context in mind, it is critical to explore what educators, parents, and communities can do to support students, especially students of color and students from low-income families who traditionally are underserved, to help them achieve academic and personal success. The need to establish positive conditions for learning is clear, but what exactly does it take for schools to get there?
1. Safety
Before students can succeed academically, they must feel safe, both physically and mentally. Although schools use a variety of measures to ensure students' physical safety, certain efforts sometimes have negative effects on students, particularly those who are traditionally underserved. While data shows that the rates that teens experience violent crimes in their schools has declined, issues such as racial bias prevail and impact the effectiveness of school safety measures.

Safety extends beyond the physical well-being of students. To have a safe learning environment, students must feel welcomed, supported, and respected. However, school discipline policies and codes of conduct do not always support a positive school climate. For example, exclusionary discipline practices, like removing students from the classroom, suspensions, and expulsions, negatively impact students' academic performance and their likelihood of graduating from high school. Even more concerning, data shows that schools discipline traditionally underserved students at much higher rates than their peers even though research does not show that these students misbehave more frequently. Building a positive school climate and ensuring students are ready to learn requires school district codes of conduct that promote positive adult and student relationships and work to keep more students in the classroom.
2. Engagement
Recent Gallup data shows a troubling trend-as students move through the K-12 education system, they become increasingly less engaged. By the time students reach eleventh and twelfth grades, only one-third of students report feeling engaged. In a survey of parents of students from low-income communities, the Alliance for Excellent Education (Alliance) finds the majority expressed concern that students' individual learning needs are not being met and that students are not learning the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in the real world.

Personalized learning is one instructional approach that could reverse these trends. This student-centered approach to learning tailors instruction to students' unique strengths and needs and engages them in challenging, standards-based academic content. Personalizing learning helps students develop skills including thinking critically, using knowledge and information to solve complex problems, working collaboratively, communicating effectively, learning how to learn, and developing academic mindsets. These skills, known as the deeper learning competencies, are not only the skills students need to succeed in school, but the ones that will enable them to succeed in careers and life.

Personalized learning is greatly increasing student engagement in one school district in North Carolina. In the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school district, currently in its third year of a personalized learning initiative, 81 percent of personalized learning students report feeling engaged in class, compared to only 47 percent of other students in the district.
3. Connectedness
Students must feel connected to teachers, staff, and other students. Schools can nurture these connections by focusing on students' social and emotional learning (SEL). SEL helps students understand and manage their emotions and interactions with others and build the skills necessary to communicate and resolve conflicts. "SEL programs have been shown to improve students' social competence, self-awareness, connection to school, positive interactions with others, and academic performance," according to the SDCR. There are specific practices that educators can adopt to embrace SEL in the classroom, which also create a positive school climate and environment that supports students' deeper learning.

Teachers are an essential part of fostering the type of learning environment in the classroom that supports student success. And yet many students, particularly students of color and students from low-income families, do not have access to prepared and effective teachers. Educators and administrators need professional development opportunities and training to meet the academic, social, and emotional needs of students to create a positive school climate.
4. Support
Students must feel supported by all those connected to their learning experience. This includes teachers, classmates, administrators, family, and community members. These parties should share an understanding of what positive school climate at the school and classroom looks like so they can work together toward this common goal. School leaders can engage community members, teachers, students, and parents in school climate improvement work through conversations, meetings, surveys, and creating school-community partnerships. School leaders should gather and incorporate the feedback of all of these groups in any school climate improvement work. A quick guide for district and school leaders, teachers, and other members of the school community on how to initiate, implement, and sustain school climate improvements is available here.
How can parents help create a positive learning environment in their children's schools?

Encourage your school leaders to take this survey to measure the current climate at your child's school and help to identify opportunities for improvement.

Learn more about school safety efforts and how they can impact students by reading this blog post. Then follow the action steps outlined in the post to help your child's school provide a safe environment for students.

Check out these actions you can take to learn more about your school or district's discipline policies and find out how you can advocate for equitable practices.

Learn more about personalized learning and advocate for it and other innovative instructional approaches that engage students.

Ask your school leaders about the training and professional development opportunities in place for teachers that focus on the social and emotional needs of students.

Communicate to your school leaders about the need to incorporate parent, student, and community voice and feedback in any on-going or future school climate improvement work.

Check out the Alliance's Climate Change series to learn more about the conditions that support a positive school climate.

Caroline Waldman is a communications associate at the Alliance for Excellent Education.

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Four Elements for Creating a Positive Learning Environment

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For students to learn, they must feel safe, engaged, connected, and supported in their classrooms and schools. These "conditions for learning" are the elements of a school's climate that students experience personally.

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In order for student success, bridging achievement gaps is one way to try for equal opportunity. Again, in regards to a school environment; if students do not feel safe, it will show in academics among other things. According to the ASCA National Model (2012), ways to deliver Individual Student Planning can be through: "Facilitation and/or interpretation of criterion and norm-referenced tests. • Academic preparation essential for postsecondary options. • Understand academic strengths related to occupations • Appropriate course selection • Development of an educational plan beyond high school including post-secondary selection/financial aids/scholarships. • Use of diverse assessment results."

American School Counselor Association (2012) ASCA national model: A framework for school counseling programs (3rd ed.) Alexandria, VA: Author

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Collaboration in Individual Student Planning

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Collaboration in Individual Student Planning

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According to the ASCA National Model: Delivery (2012), "School counselors coordinate ongoing systemic activities designed to assist students in establishing personal goals and developing future plans." (para. 4) With this being reiterated, school staff, parents and other stakeholder collaboration is important in making these personal goals and future plans develop into action.
The resource I provided below comes from a school called Thurston T. Nelson Elementary located in Scottsboro, AL. I chose this resource because they provide a thorough example of a comprehensive guidance and counseling plan. The pdf file goes in depth of how their particular school utilizes each delivery component. They present this systematically through classroom and group activities from grades Kindergarten through fourth grade. Some curriculum delivery examples they provide, also includes collaboration in order to highlight effectiveness. For example: Parent Workshops and Instruction, which consists of conducting workshops and/or information sessions in order to address needs of the school community and the school counseling curriculum.

ASCA National Model: Delivery. (2012). Retrieved March 31, 2019, from https://www.schoolcounselor.org/school-counselors/asca-national-model/delivery

Hancock, D., & Paradise, K. (n.d.). Comprehensive Guidance and Counseling Plan. Retrieved March 31, 2019, from http://nelson.scottsboroschools.net/common/pages/DisplayFile.aspx?itemId=1902108