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After obtaining my master's degree in Guidance and Counseling from Angelo State University, I plan to  become a school counselor at the elementary level.

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Step 2 - Exploration Option 1: Professional Discussion 

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Step 2 - Exploration Option 1: Professional Discussion 

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I chose to discuss legal and ethical principles that impact school counseling with S. Donnell who is an elementary school counselor for grade levels PK-4 at a small district in the Texas panhandle.  She has been involved in education for 27 years with 17 of those years as a school counselor at the elementary level.
Through our discussion, I learned the following information.

Mrs. Donnell is concerned with the non-counseling duties (Testing Coordinator and GT Coordinator) that have recently been assigned to her.  She expressed that these extra duties have caused her to feel overwhelmed, and she is no longer able to devote her full attention to the counseling needs of the students (S. Donnell, personal communication, March 19, 2019).  As a result, Mrs. Donnell has been paying close attention to Texas S.B. 426 which outlines that school counselors must spend at least 80% of their time working on duties related to a counseling program (S.B. 426, 2019).

Due to Mrs. Donnell's current federal grant relating to homeless students, she must be mindful of federal legal requirements in order to ensure continued funding.  Her district policies must be updated annually to account for any changes to federal guidelines concerning homeless students (S. Donnell, personal communication, March 19, 2019).

Mrs. Donnell attends annual training regarding students involved in foster care.  These trainings allow her to stay informed on necessary legal information about the foster care system as well as students' rights (S. Donnell, personal communication, March 19, 2019).

In addition to state and federal legal and ethical principles that must be adhered to, Mrs. Donnell stated that she must also be mindful of local (district) guidelines.  For example, she is not allowed to use her school email to promote any business from outside entities, even if those events or that information could be helpful to students in need.  Each year there is a community wide luncheon organized by outside entities to benefit the homeless living in the area.  She is not allowed to share this information using her school email even though it could benefit homeless students in her district.  In addition, a local tuxedo company offers free tuxedo rentals to students in need; however, Mrs. Donnell is not able to share that information with others in the district via email (S. Donnell, personal communication, March 19, 2019).

In order to stay current on legal issues related to school counseling, Mrs. Donnell stated that she signs up for various list servs where emails are sent directly to her when new information is available. Also, she is a member of the Association of Texas Professional Educators. This organization keeps its members informed about important legal and ethical issues. Finally, she stated that the state representative in her area does an amazing job at keeping educators informed of legal and ethical issues, especially those relating to mental health (S. Donnell, personal communication, March 19, 2019).

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Step 2 - Exploration Option 3: News and Event Periodical 

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Step 2 - Exploration Option 3: News and Event Periodical 

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When exploring legal and ethical issues on the Education Dive website, I noticed many articles relating to sexual misconduct or sexual harassment.  This topic is frequently receiving national media attention.
The following article discusses various court cases regarding schools' responsibilities in keeping students safe.  Several of these cases involved sexual misconduct.

https://www.educationdive.com/news/to-what-extent-are-districts-schools-liable-for-students-safety/547823/

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Step 2 - Exploration Option 3: News and Event Periodical 

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Step 2 - Exploration Option 3: News and Event Periodical 

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After exploring the Education Week website, an issue that surfaced in several of the most recent articles involved special education students and special education programs.  As an educator who has taught special education for 17 years, this topic is very important to me.
The following article outlines how minority students are served in special education.

https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2019/03/13/feds-cant-delay-special-education-bias-rule.html

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As an elementary school counselor, advocating for all students including those in special education is a necessity. Being aware of and addressing bullying issues with students in special education plays a large role in the students' safety both in and out of school.

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Bullying is an issue that has been receiving increased national media attention in recent years.  As noted by stopbullying.gov (2018), "children with disabilities...are at an increased risk of being bullied" (para. 1).  Several key pieces of legislation offer specific rights to students with disabilities.  These include Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504), Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (Yell, Katsiyannis, Rose, & Houchins, 2016).
According to Yell et al., (2016), students with disabilities are entitled to a free appropriate public education (FAPE), and bullying of students with disabilities could violate this portion of Section 504.  Creating a safe environment within the school setting for students with disabilities and special needs is a necessity (stopbullying.gov, 2018).  In addition to federal laws, each state has also addressed legal requirements related to bullying.  Anti-bullying policies vary from state to state with some requiring professional development of staff, some indicating consequences of bullying perpetrators, and others including cyberbullying in their legislation (Tell et al., 2016).
As part of a comprehensive school counseling program outlined by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), school counselors must "provide support for students, including individual and small-group counseling, during times of transition, heightened stress, critical change or other situations impeding student success" (p. 5).  Because bullying can absolutely affect student success or lack thereof, school counselors have an obligation to address this situation in the school environment.

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Step 4 - Credible and Reliable Source (Internet)

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Step 4 - Credible and Reliable Source (Internet)

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https://www.stopbullying.gov/at-risk/groups/special-needs/index.html

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Bullying and Youth with Disabilities and Special Health Needs

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Kids with disabilities or with special health needs may be at higher risk of being bullied. Find strategies to help at StopBullying.gov.

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https://journals-sagepub-com.easydb.angelo.edu/doi/pdf/10.1177/0741932515614967

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Angelo State University - Library Online Resources

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Unauthorized use is prohibited; Usage may be subject to security testing and monitoring; Misuse is subject to criminal prosecution; No expectation of privacy except as otherwise provided by applicable privacy laws.

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American School Counselor Association. (2019).  ASCA school counselor professional standards & competencies. Retrieved from https://www.schoolcounselor.org/asca/media/asca/home/SCCompetencies.pdf

S.B. 426, 86th Legislative Session, 2019 Regular Session (Texas 2019).

Stopbullying.gov. (2018). Bullying and youth with disabilities and special health needs. Retrieved from https://www.stopbullying.gov/at-risk/groups/special-needs/index.html

Yell, M. L., Katsiyannis, A., Rose, C. A., & Houchins, D. E. (2016). Bullying and harassment of students with disabilities in schools: Legal considerations and policy formation. Remedial and Special Education, 37(5), 274-284. doi: 10.1177/0741932515614967