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During our group sessions, we will discuss methods and processes that will guide and prepare 12th grade students for post-secondary readiness. Specifically, the student population for this action plan will include 12th grade athletes that are unsure of their career or college decisions after high school graduation.

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Upon graduation from this group, students will master the following standards to foster post-secondary readiness:

M 3 - Positive attitude towards work and learning.
M 5 - Belief in using abilities to their fullest to achieve high-quality results and outcomes.
M 6 - Understanding that postsecondary education and life-long learning are necessary for long-term success.
B-SMS 5 - Perseverance to achieve long- and short-term goals.

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To encourage student engagement in this campus group, the counselor will speak with all athletic coaches about their senior-level athletes that require guidance for post-secondary readiness. Information will also be included on the daily announcements to remind students to contact Ms. Stewart for more information about joining the preparation sessions. In addition, the counselor will contact specific students and their families to share information regarding the small group sessions.

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Once there are student athletes interested in participating, the counselor will host a brief meeting during the lunch period to screen for potential participants. The ideal participants are student athletes that thought they would receive an athletic scholarship to attend a college or university, but

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The group will require informed consent since the counselor will be serving students in a group setting. Students will be asked if they would or would not like to participate in the group unit. The counselor will send home a confidentiality form for parents and their student to provide consent or assent. Confidentiality will be addressed and maintained through explaining that our group counseling sessions are safe spaces for all students. The counselor will also address the importance of respecting yourself and other students as we never know what a person is experiencing. If the counselor must break the trust of confidentiality for mandatory reasons, such as the student is in harm or can harm another individual, they will meet with the student individually to discuss the concern and why confidentiality is broken. If trust of confidentiality is broken by a member of the group, other group members may be reluctant to self-disclose in future sessions (Davis, 1980).

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The small group will use the attached resource to guide their sessions by setting expectations and standards that they will follow. During the first session, we will complete the Participant Guidelines/Ground Rules form together, establishing the protocol for how our sessions will conducted. Students will also have the opportunity to brainstorm additional rules that they believe are essential for the group to accept.

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Participative leadership will greatly benefit these group sessions by guiding participants in their goal setting and achievement, but ultimately leaving the decision about their post-secondary planning up to the student athlete. It also may be beneficial for the counselor to share their post-secondary journey with students. By opening up to the students, this could encourage more students to buy-in for post-secondary preparation.

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Since this group focuses on 12th grade student athletes, many of these students may have already established friendships with other participants in sports or in their classes over time. This should assist in accelerating Step 1 in Group Dynamics, focusing on building relationships and trust within the group. The survey provided information about student athletes not having a secondary plan to enact if they did not receive an athletic scholarship to attend college. With this information, students will understand that others are in similar situations and are open to receiving help to establish a secondary plan for success. Step 2 will include activities that support post-secondary readiness, such as resume building, mock interviews, college, career, and military searches. Students will also have the opportunity to share their opinions of what post-secondary success looks like from their perspective. By having this open discussion, other student athletes may feel comfortable to share their opinions, as well as working together to reach their individual goals. Step 3 will encourage the student athletes to present their decision for post-secondary success to their peers and counselor. Student athletes are encouraged to continue communicating with their peers to check-in on their process. Then, the counselor would hold a check-in with participants to monitor the progression of completing their goals.

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Our small group may experience therapeutic factors such as universality and imitative behaviorism. The counselor can reinforce the idea of universality since the student athletes are experiencing the same issue and interested in finding an individualized solution. Imitative behaviorism could be present in our small group as well. Sometimes, by seeing the productivity of others, individuals can become motivated to achieve their own tasks and goals.

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Please feel free to access Miss Stewart's counseling website for more information about post-secondary readiness.

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American Counseling Association identifies the importance of confidentiality in group work in Section B.4.a. Boundaries and expectations regarding confidentiality have to be shared when engaging in group work involving students.

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Texas Education Code identifies the importance of parental consent in Section 33.0003. Parental consent should be provided when a student is engaging in any counseling activity.

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American Counseling Association. Section B.4.a. 2014 Code of Ethics.indd (counseling.org)

American School Counseling Association. (n.d.). ASCA student standards: Mindsets and behaviors for student success. Mindsets-Behaviors.pdf (schoolcounselor.org)

Davis, K. L. (1980). Is confidentiality in group counseling realistic? Personnel & Guidance Journal, 59(4), 197. https://doi-org.easydb.angelo.edu/10.1002/j.2164-4918.1980.tb00531.x

Texas Education Code. Title 2, Subtitle F, Chapter 33, Subchapter A, Section 33.003. EDUCATION CODE CHAPTER 33. SERVICE PROGRAMS AND EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES (texas.gov)