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Informed Consent-- According the Texas Education Code, Chapter 33, Sec. 33.003, parental consent must be obtained in those activities which the district requires parental consent. (Texas Education Code, 2021).

Informed consent will be obtained from the parent/guardian of the student

Student assent for participation in the program will also be obtained

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“Compass Crew” is a support group designed for recently immigrated students that are between the ages of 10-12 and attend an urban elementary school in the Fort Worth, Texas area. Topics that will be addressed in the group include facing the challenges of cultural assimilation, social integration, language barriers and transitioning to a new school. Students in this group will learn coping skills to manage issues like stress and anxiety as well as feelings of isolation. Through structured group activities they will also build friendships and practice community involvement through school events.

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A form similar to the one shown can be used to set the ground rules for the group and model the expectations for each.

The school counselor will do the following:

Use age appropriate verbiage to explain each of the ground rules and model what each would look like in a group setting.

The counselor will post the ground rules in the room where the sessions are held so that they are easily accessible throughout the group meetings.

Because this is a school counseling group with a population of mostly Spanish speakers, the ground rules will be posted in both English and Spanish.

Rules that help the group run efficiently will be predetermined by the counselor. Once the essential rules have been determined and reviewed with students, the counselor will ask if there is anything missing or if anyone would like to add any other rules.

Should a student suggest a rule, then that rule will be evaluated and discussed in the group, but ultimately decided by the counselor whether appropriate.

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Potential Therapeutic Factors Include:

Universality- Students will observe that they are not alone in their situation and may find that they struggles they face are quite similar.

Development of Social Techniques- Students will learning and practicing social interactions in different setting to help with acculturation.

Direct Advice and Interpersonal Learning- The group is an opportunity for students to learn different ways of solving problems, self-advocating, and learning more about themselves as a result.

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Upon successful completion of the group, students will master the following:

Creative approach to learning, tasks, and problem solving.

Long and short term academic and social/emotional goals

Responsibility for self and actions

Ability to identify and overcome barriers

Effective coping skills

Ability to manage transitions and adapt to change

Cultural awareness, sensitivity, and responsiveness

Advocacy for self and others

(American School Counselor Association, n.d.)

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Information about Compass Crew will be shared in following manners:

Parents will receive a personal invitation for their child that will include an infographic containing pertinent information on the group and its benefits.

Once students are in the group, parents will receive a general weekly newsletter on topics of discussion for the week, including ways they can help at home.

Teachers and staff on campus will receive information on the group through an infographic and detailed email on qualifiers if they have a student they would like to recommend.

Stakeholders- such as community members and administrators will receive an infographic with research-based information that supports the need for the type of small group on campus.

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As a counselor and a teacher, I believe my leadership style is democratic.

For this particular group, I believe it is important to be able to lead the group with a topic/task but it is just as important to give the group opportunities to practice what we are learning and share out their own thoughts/feelings on a topic.

Compass Crew is a group for new arriving immigrant students who are struggling with assimilation to a new country/school/culture. Because of the nature of the group, I think it is important to create opportunities where they can practice navigating new territory in a safe place so that when they are outside of the group, they feel comfortable applying the skills they learned.

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Students who participate in a pre-interview must have the following:

a recommendation by a teacher

an accepted invitation by a parent

informed consent from a parent to participate in the group

During the pre-interview/screening the following will be shared with the student:

information on the group

expectations to participate

goals of the group

benefits to the student to participate such as learning coping skills, making new friends, etc.

The pre-interview/screening will be conducted individually with each student and the following will be assessed:

Student's understanding of expectations of participating in the group

Student's level of interest in the group on a scale of 1-10

Student's personal goals

Student's level of interaction with the counselor and ability to self-advocate

(Missouri Comprehensive Guidance and Counseling Program, 2015)

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Stage 1: Establishing the Group and Building Trust

Initial session will include setting norms/expectations and speaking on confidentiality. Because the group is designed for 10-12 year old students, the leader will use age appropriate language to discuss confidentiality-- informing group members the importance of keeping group information safe and not sharing with others not in the group.

Expectations/group rules will be set by the counselor and will be posted in the room for reference. The rules will be posted in both languages (English and Spanish). Some of the group rules include: 1. Use active listening skills 2. Do not interrupt others when they are speaking 3. Be respectful to others 4. Everyone's situation and feelings are different, practice empathy when listening. 5. Be on time to each session

Each of the rules will be modeled and explained. Should adjustments or additional rules need to be made, they will be made during this time.

Building trust in the group can begin to occur through an initial ice breaker or group activity. This group targets a very specific population so the students in this group already attend the same school and classes which will help in building trust in the group.

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Stage 2- Working Together and Meeting Goals

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Stage 2- Working Together and Meeting Goals

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Stage 2- Working Together and Meeting Goals

The purpose of the middle sessions it to introduce topics relevant to the purpose of the group and using those topics as guides for application outside of the group.

For example, session 3 is on making friends; in this session, students learn conversational skills and initiating social interactions. They will practice with each other in the group first, then apply it outside of the session and then report back the next time we meet.

Overall, progress will be checked through discussion with students, check-ins with parents and teachers.

The expectation is that by the end of the last session, behaviors will have improved in and outside of the classroom.

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Stage 3: Group Closure

Group closure includes reminding students the importance of maintaining confidentiality despite the end of the group.

During the final session, the counselor will review the skills learned and the growth made.

Opportunities for students to share their own thoughts on the final session and anything they would like to share regarding their experiences in the last 6 weeks.

The counselor will monitor for emotions throughout the last session and remind students of the journey they have made and the tools they have acquired to help them navigate.

The counselor will set a follow-up date (approximately 4 weeks from the last session) so students can come back together and check-in on their progress.

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The American School Counselor Association School Counselor Professional Standards and Competencies indicate the following:

B-SS 3 Provide short-term counseling in small-group and individual settings

(b) Provide support for students, including individual and small-group counseling, during times of transition, heightened stress, critical change or situations impeding student success. (American School Counselor Association, 2019, p. 5).

This ethical requirement is a reminder to school counselors to be aware of situations that students are facing that may require more attention. Being well-informed of the populations you serve is critical in being able to provides services where needed.

Compass Crew is a group for students who have experienced heightened stress and transition as a result of immigrating to a new country and are experiencing numerous changes and learning to navigate a new way of life.

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Title 19 Chapter 239 of the Texas Administrative Code

"(e) Standard IV. Learner-Centered Equity and Excellence for All Learners: The certified school counselor promotes academic success for all learners by acknowledging, respecting, and responding to diversity while building on similarities that bond all people. The certified school counselor must:

(1) understand learner differences, including those related to cultural background, gender, race, ethnicity, socio-economic levels, academic ability, and learning styles, and know ways to create and maintain a positive school environment that is responsive to all learners;

(2) advocate for a school environment in which diversity is acknowledged and respected, resulting in positive interactions across all cultures, genders, ethnicities, and learning styles;" (Texas Administrative Code, n.d).

The administrative code reminds school counselors of their obligation to provide equity among learners. Doing so requires the school counselor to understand the differences in students and know how to create a school environment where ALL students can be successful and build relationships. Through advocating for student needs based on the demographics of the school, the counselor can begin to bring awareness to issues that the student population faces.

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American School Counselor Association (2019). ASCA School Counselor Professional Standards & Competencies. Alexandria, VA: Author.

American School Counselor Association (n.d). ASCA Student Standards: Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success. Retrieved from chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/7428a787-a452-4abb-afec-d78ec77870cd/mindsets-behaviors.pdf

Missouri Comprehensive Guidance and Counseling Program (2015). Professional School Counselor Small Group Counseling Guide. Retrieved from https://learn-us-east-1-prod-fleet02-xythos.content.blackboardcdn.com/5fb6991aeccdc/10469075?X-Blackboard-S3-Bucket=learn-us-east-1-prod-fleet01-xythos&X-Blackboard-Expiration=1739815200000&X-Blackboard-Signature=qb%2F4jrXZvr6EJEbHX%2Fcz0nmyRzLrFTeaKACsGi1RLXA%3D&X-Blackboard-Client-Id=100963&X-Blackboard-S3-Region=us-east-1&response-cache-control=private%2C%20max-age%3D21600&response-content-disposition=inline%3B%20filename%2A%3DUTF-8%27%27SmallGroupCounseling%25281%2529.pdf&response-content-type=application%2Fpdf&X-Amz-Security-Token=IQoJb3JpZ2luX2VjEE0aCXVzLWVhc3QtMSJHMEUCIAohbrjUxLgwHjldFkXVs7IlhYpD3Sr%2B5RsEeWYJaRvpAiEA0P%2Fa0Vjj15lVb7oqyyR07sw8XPCzVT5XKd31u9f9EYIqtQUIdhAEGgw2MzU1Njc5MjQxODMiDE%2BNUqeeaYfx3dl18SqSBTj2kDiVg33P63Qd9PTDdzz973zelzAFMzpxONNqtI4u1l1gxZ9XmDX5xFfbpHnJuCBey5aoIJQMJdrde%2Bmid00Od8uVkcNE7Gr1V4YOdleE8BKHWjf7yNov%2FLtyW2vtB1kucK1NBDqfLdu%2FsPfPPIHjwuYfIF%2BoKs%2F0rM5466JGqO37mUqRKOtWXnYXJVgBVrwzrT67kBP37py2vIvDOChnuDYg7hhlCMOVTqMHccarzU1HbPQ4tLUfuKurOnYlZ7dG4t2WcbVpGPWjp71PEZxaQm%2Fjw56h4u6jtfdzXU2qFl%2BSeBdeSAqy8LtKA02eBR7MaUzuvAMWFB06yq1XGaC0UIaew8RPCWVyefHkvkLVajZqT0wy%2FpduL7wLjT%2FUgPn6W%2BVDHSmIMBeJcyhnGBiOjZ4BB%2Fi554sokjKKUa4jL7%2F6CIh234sNc91podMyDTMg3tjnlBZGOYZfEOvFjFBEXPcohe1HxVFs38756W2QJ4SwMiQB9nhjKHP8f7pOvx5eeKmhXLn8X25VYSRXGRVIC%2F0qygdmCwbTkb72ZFOnpUOBrFAlgndAe9O4Zo%2BMnBc88w2KQ0YiRyZnweq7wfZKGbe4te2De0j82XUerf13Vm2RtA%2FqqkoVoShzGhKuSCByoPUqzDsqiEfv%2FacSc3P1pOITNSXueh13ta7doEpZL%2F%2FgKb3fZbPvU928jBRCT%2B3p9K5xR4bYqZjMb3fWsgXA4teV0IQkdmkppGmGtl%2BTR9SSu8MHbGALJuQ0b6501FmHWKnaR%2Bi1VTvjLDBZ%2F0N8du2odd%2FCZ82zB6cacYhytfDgDtI6Y6p0ukGxrF3O%2BhjDcDCGYBbPf8yL4IJGLy7aVoSiI1XFxRiix59%2F084QBZ8whuXMvQY6sQEqe2JD4PHy3LLWXnTay0vlq9YbUaW7n4FRwGDPpuDrXpKnNtI36TYOwAMJxL9mRehOjEgJkyO1eUIFsnljvVoB8fawu7sJro7zs4aqvQY7LcoFU2ythyL6aj0uRabg2SLya5gy%2FkiOY0uAqWL5daltZmfhPzowUPPb8HP4appmJV6%2BR4BXajbDRg8TsayxiBBAHn%2Fc4D2j4UP1t8g88CPZYe4yU2rpRZcFRh6xJp0pAbI%3D&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Date=20250217T120000Z&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Expires=21600&X-Amz-Credential=ASIAZH6WM4PL3GONGUPK%2F20250217%2Fus-east-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Signature=bce7bff21fa0b9831a8fde5a426dc5d78a7ca884ce1ecabf3794c87baeea4a95

Texas Administrative Code (n.d). Chapter 239 Student Services Certificates. Retrieved from https://texreg.sos.state.tx.us/public/readtac$ext.TacPage?sl=R&app=9&p_dir=&p_rloc=&p_tloc=&p_ploc=&pg=1&p_tac=&ti=19&pt=7&ch=239&rl=15

Texas Education Code (n.d.). TITLE 2. PUBLIC EDUCATION SUBTITLE F. CURRICULUM, PROGRAMS, AND SERVICES CHAPTER 33. SERVICE PROGRAMS AND EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES SUBCHAPTER A. SCHOOL COUNSELORS AND COUNSELING PROGRAMS. https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/ED/htm/ED.33.htm#33.000