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School Counseling Glossary of Terms

1. Comprehensive School Counseling Program

A comprehensive, proactive program in which school counselors deliver direct and indirect services that help students reach their full potential concerning their academic achievement, career readiness, and social-emotional development, despite any obstacles that stand in their way. School Counseling Programs are important because they improve attendance, teach students to hold themselves accountable when it comes to problem-solving and resolving conflicts, build students’ resiliency when faced with adversity, and sets them up for success in post-secondary education and beyond.

2. School Counseling Scope of Practice

A School Counseling Scope of Practice is a list of responsibilities that fall under the job description of a school counselor. Defining the scope of a school counselor’s practice is important because it keeps school counselors aligned with the ASCA National Model ethical standards, delivers services in a systematic way, and ideally protects school counselors from overload of administrative tasks that may fall outside of their scope of practice.

3. Academic Development

Academic Development is when students develop appropriately in school, both academically and socially, by applying skills and knowledge they acquire throughout their education and lifespan. It is important because it helps students develop into their full potential in school and later in life when they enter the workforce.

4. Career Development

Career development is where students plan for their future career paths by exploring the interests, building on their strengths, and understanding how school has set them up for success in the real world. Career development is crucial for students to be prepared for college and successful at transitioning into a career.

5. Social/Emotional Development

Social/Emotional Development is the process in which students develop certain mindsets and behaviors that help them identify, understand, and cope with their emotions and respond appropriately to others’ feelings/actions. It is important because it shapes their character in ways that help them succeed by establishing good interpersonal skills, effective communication, and build rapport and positive relationships with others.

6. ASCA Mindset and Behaviors

ASCA Mindset and Behaviors are a set of standards established by the American School Counselor Association that set forth the knowledge, skills, and attitudes need to have in order to be successful in the three domains; academic, career and social/emotional development. The ASCA Mindset and Behaviors are important because they help guide school counselors with their classroom lessons and evaluate student development and outcomes (2021).

7. ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors

The ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors is a checklist of standards that guides school counselors to make the best decisions for their students ensuring that they have a safe, healthy and fair school environment and helping them prepare for college and life. These ethical codes are important because they promote the well-being of the students by guiding the school counselor to protect them from engaging in activities that are inappropriate and not in the bets interest of the students (2021).

8. ASCA School Counselor Professional Standards and Competencies

The ASCA School Counselor Professional Standards and Competencies is a document setting forth mindset and behavior standards that school counselors use to assess their own attitudes, skills and beliefs and districts or administrators use it to guide their hiring of competent school counselors. It is also an important guide in assessing comprehensive school counseling programs and whether the program services and activities are producing outcomes that show students are gaining the knowledge, skills, and attitudes they need to succeed (2021).

9. School Counseling Direct Services

Direct Services are important activities that school counselors provide that directly affect the students which include teaching lesson plans in classroom group setting, one on one counseling for social/emotional support and/or for help with career planning, responding to community crises, and facilitate students resolving conflicts among peers.

10. School Counseling Indirect Services

Indirect Services are important activities that school counselors provide on behalf of the students that indirectly affect them by furthering support including consulting and collaborating with parents, administrators and other stakeholders, making referrals for available resources a child may benefit from, planning and implementing a school-wide comprehensive program, and reviewing and assessing data to see if students are reaching goals/benchmarks and creating an intervention strategy to better support students who need additional support.

References

American School Counselor Association (2019). The ASCA national model: A framework for school counseling programs (4th ed.). Alexandria, VA: American School Counselor Association

American School Counselor Association (2021). ASCA student standards; Mindsets and behaviors for student success. Retrieved from https://schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/7428a787-a452-4abb-afec-d78ec77870cd/Mindsets-Behaviors.pdf

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MANAGE

Students will model a growth mindset and actively engage in mental health advocacy through peer-led clubs that promote inclusivity which foster connection and collaboration among peers to spread mental health awareness, decrease bullying, and prevent suicide and violence in schools. Students who feel safe, both physically and emotionally, supported and valued will be confident in their ability to learn and succeed academically, in the workforce, and in life.

I believe that all children are capable of learning, growing and achieving realistic goals both in and outside of the classroom despite any perceived impediments whether it be physical, educational, or social/emotional challenges. I believe that with the proper support in each of these areas, students can develop a growth mindset that will allow them to succeed in school and reach their full potential in life.

Based on the ASCA National Model, my understanding of the school counselor’s role is to advocate for every student by assessing what challenges are standing in the way of an individual student’s learning and then consulting and collaborating with administrators, other teachers, and necessary resources beyond the school to problem-solve ways to remove these challenges to their learning and growth. Also, understanding that each student is unique and what may work for one child, may not work for another and it is your job as a school counselor not to always conform to the norms but to have strong convictions, as well as a certain level of finesse, when it comes to being a change agent within the school (ASCA, 2003).

As a school counselor, I would consult with teachers, administrators, parents, students and additional sources necessary, in or outside of the school, in order to gather information. I need to identify and assess a specific problem a student may be having, whether it is behavioral or academic in nature. Once I have a firm grasp on the issue, I will form a meeting so that we can all sit down and brainstorm potential solutions or different things to try and come up with a plan of action together. This would also require follow-up to gather more information about whether the plan of action is helping, or whether we need to change course and try something else. I think it would be really important to be clear what the expectations are as well concerning how progress will be measured and documented so that follow-up meetings will be productive and effective.

The ASCA Ethical Standards will shape my work with students because it will be my guide and at times even a mantra, especially when I need self-affirmation when promoting systemic change through advocacy efforts. I will refer to this code of ethics to remind myself that the student is my “primary obligation” and the reason I must stand up for what is right especially when facing an issue of inequity. I may need to even point to the ASCA Ethical Standards within the ASCA National Model and remind administrators and other stakeholders that my duty as a school counselor is to stay aligned with same when engaging in advocacy efforts and showing leadership skills. (ASCA, 2022)

References

American School Counselor Association. (2022). Ethical standards for school counselors. Alexandria, VA: Author.

American School Counselor Association. (2003). The ASCA National Model: A framework for school counseling programs. Alexandria, VA: Author.

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ASCA Terms Purpose

1. According to the ASCA, the purpose of a Program Assessment is to evaluate a school counseling program that is in place to determine the impact it is having on the students concerning their grades, attendance, and behavior. By analyzing the data in these areas, school counselors can build a case with stakeholders when advocating for change they believe is necessary. The data will also help them understand what interventions and activities are working in favor of students, and which services need to be revisited and improved to better meet students’ needs (2019).

2. According to the ASCA, the purpose of Annual Results Reports, is basically a data tool used for Program Assessment that helps demonstrate to stakeholders that the program is effective and to improve areas that are not effective. The data that goes in to the report is collected throughout the course of the school year and in addition to recording grades, attendance and behavior of students, should also create awareness about social trends and issues that may need to be addressed (2019).

3. According to the ASCA, the purpose of School Counselor Assessment and Appraisal is to provide feedback to counselors so that they can identify areas that they may need to improve. This is also a “data-driven approach” to evaluate whether the direct and indirect services the counselor is providing is not only effective, but also in alignment with the ASCA National Model standards. It is another tool in program assessment that measures the student outcomes concerning academic, career, and social-emotional development (2019).

Lesson Plan

1. After reviewing the Elementary, Middle School, and High School Lesson Plans and Results Reports in the Learning Resources, I selected the Lesson Plan and Result Report for the High School level.

2. The school counselor selected the Mindset (1) “Belief in development of whole self, including a healthy balance of mental, social-emotional and physical well-being” which matched the lesson topic of “Exploring Feelings and Behaviors” because self-confidence is driven by thoughts, which creates our emotions, and impacts our behavior. Therefore, bringing awareness to our feelings, learning to identify them, including what triggers our reactions and behaviors, helps us feel more in control of our mindsets and behaviors rather than letting our emotions control us. When we learn how to cope with negative emotions and stay in control, we trust and believe in ourselves more which creates an overall feeling of wellness.

If I were a school counselor drafting this lesson plan, I also would have chosen Mindset (2) “Sense of acceptance, respect, support and inclusion for self and others in the school environment” because I believe most disciplinary referrals are a result of a conflict among two or more students, where the underlying issues are usually related to a student not feeling accepted, respected, supported, included. Or, if it is an individual student and not necessarily a direct conflict with another student, the behavior is often related to being generally disruptive in the classroom which demonstrates a lack of self-control and respect for the teacher and other students trying to learn. Similarly, I would have listed self-discipline and self-control (B-SMS 2) as an additional behavior under the targeted ASCA Student Standards because gaining and improving these areas would accomplish the stated mission of being responsible for self and actions and hopefully decrease discipline referrals.

3. Overall, the Pre-Assessment Data, which was a six -question student survey, did not align with the ASCA Student Standards in that most students were unsure about the importance of understanding feelings in difficult situations, naming feelings, and how to calm down when overwhelmed by their feelings, with the exception of question number 4, in which students responded “mostly true” which suggested they generally do know when their different feelings affect their behavior.  The Post-Assessment Data was more-aligned with the ASCA Student Standards in that most students came to understand the importance of understanding their feelings and were able to take a little more accountability by admitting they do usually get in trouble for how they display their feelings in difficult situations, however, the fact that most students admits they know how to calm down when overwhelmed but cannot tell in advance what feelings are triggers for them to make poor behavior choices, shows that there is more aligning that needs to be done in the area of self-control, self-discipline, and coping strategies.

4. The lesson content and materials did match the school counselor’s selected Mindsets and/or Behavior skill in that it did focus mostly on each student as an individual, identifying/understanding their feelings in difficult situations and describing coping skills that they can use to respond in a more constructive way.

5. As a substitute teacher, I can certainly vouch for the fact that there is a significant difference in the attention spans of students on a Monday morning versus a Friday afternoon, as well as right before lunch, or after gym or recess. I think that also will vary depending on the age of the students as well so I would imagine all of these factors should be considered when collaborating with teachers on scheduling lesson plans and when they would be well-received with the highest number of student attendees. There are also times when many students are pulled for other interventions such as academic enrichment support, speech or occupational therapies, choir/band, and the like, so it would be appropriate to pick a time where students will not be missing from class. Timing could have impacted the outcomes of the lesson if the lesson plan was delivered during a time that was not ideal, like during a time given in one of the examples above, when students would be least receptive to learning and paying attention.

6. Even though the lesson content and materials did match the school counselor’s selected Mindsets, based on the Post-Assessment Data, the plan unfortunately failed to meet the targeted goal of a 10% reduction in weekly disciplinary referrals. Based on my knowledge of the ASCA National Model, as well as my creativity and skillset, I would try expanding on the current lesson plan to match the additional Mindset (2) I suggested adding so that the lesson would match that mindset as well. It was a good starting attempt, but in analyzing why it may not have had the intended outcome, I believe the lesson plan was only focused on the individual student identifying and understanding their own feelings/reactions and coping strategies. The second component missing from the plan I believe should have focused on others; understanding how others may be feeling and why they may be feeling a certain way. When we listen to understand and not to react, it is a lot easier to remain calm and be less defensive. I would modify the lesson plan to be more interactive, where students have an opportunity to role play common social situations addressing issues such as exclusivity, peer pressure, bullying, suicidal ideation and the like, that you would encounter in a school setting, so that students can practice and be prepared for appropriate ways to react and handle the situation in a healthy way. Also, I would have had the students write a reflective journal in response to the scenario in the video Snack Attack and have them apply it to their own lives, citing examples and asking for volunteers to share with the class. I believe this would help students see different perspectives, and foster a deeper connection and understanding with their peers, and hopefully learn to show grace in situations where they may have been quick to react with a negative behavior that would warrant a disciplinary referral.

References

American School Counselor Association (2019). The ASCA national model: A framework for school counseling programs (4th ed.). Alexandria, VA: American School Counselor Association

Handout: High School Lesson Plan and Results Report

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DELIVER

1)      I reviewed an ASCA formatted lesson plan by school counselors for grades 9-12, titled “Personal Safety Skills and Coping Strategies”. The goal of the lesson is for students to be able to apply personal safety skills and coping strategies to possible scenarios in their life. School counselors hope that students will learn to “identify problem-solving, decision-making, and refusal skills needed to make safe and healthy life choices” and be aware of all of the available resources they can turn to for help with life changes, events, or personal safety issues, such as being at risk for suicide. To deliver this lesson, the school counselor has the student fill out a five-question worksheet asking them to identify healthy and unhealthy choices one might make as a high school student, what factors may influence that decision, and any life changing events that students may face. The worksheet is aimed at facilitating discussion amongst peers and the lesson ends with a handout of local resources such as Rape and Abuse Crisis Centers, and Alateen (Missouri Dept. of Education, 2014).

2)      Implementing this lesson plan with the population of my choice, middle and/or high school grade levels, may pose a challenge. The biggest challenge concerning desired outcomes I would anticipate is perhaps the students holding back due to social stigma. If a student really is dealing with a mental health crisis, for example, is addicted to drugs or alcohol, facing homelessness, abuse at home, or having thoughts of suicide, they may feel embarrassed and not fully engage in the lesson plan questions. Students may shy away from brainstorming the mores serious issues because they think it may bring up conversation that makes people uncomfortable. They may also choose to face their problems alone because their culture may have a negative opinion of those who “need” to seek therapy. Having a guest speaker come in to discuss healthy coping choices, how to handle peer pressure, and similar issues is a great activity to support this lesson plan but the problem I could face implementing it is administrators shooting down the idea due to budget concerns. In that event, I may need to build my case by providing a persuasive infographic reinforcing the importance of guiding teens to make healthy choices because some of those choices over the next few years can have lasting impacts on the rest of their lives.

DELIVER

1)      I reviewed an ASCA formatted lesson plan by school counselors for grades 9-12, titled “Personal Safety Skills and Coping Strategies”. The goal of the lesson is for students to be able to apply personal safety skills and coping strategies to possible scenarios in their life. School counselors hope that students will learn to “identify problem-solving, decision-making, and refusal skills needed to make safe and healthy life choices” and be aware of all of the available resources they can turn to for help with life changes, events, or personal safety issues, such as being at risk for suicide. To deliver this lesson, the school counselor has the student fill out a five-question worksheet asking them to identify healthy and unhealthy choices one might make as a high school student, what factors may influence that decision, and any life changing events that students may face. The worksheet is aimed at facilitating discussion amongst peers and the lesson ends with a handout of local resources such as Rape and Abuse Crisis Centers, and Alateen (Missouri Dept. of Education, 2014).

2)      Implementing this lesson plan with the population of my choice, middle and/or high school grade levels, may pose a challenge. The biggest challenge concerning desired outcomes I would anticipate is perhaps the students holding back due to social stigma. If a student really is dealing with a mental health crisis, for example, is addicted to drugs or alcohol, facing homelessness, abuse at home, or having thoughts of suicide, they may feel embarrassed and not fully engage in the lesson plan questions. Students may shy away from brainstorming the mores serious issues because they think it may bring up conversation that makes people uncomfortable. They may also choose to face their problems alone because their culture may have a negative opinion of those who “need” to seek therapy. Having a guest speaker come in to discuss healthy coping choices, how to handle peer pressure, and similar issues is a great activity to support this lesson plan but the problem I could face implementing it is administrators shooting down the idea due to budget concerns. In that event, I may need to build my case by providing a persuasive infographic reinforcing the importance of guiding teens to make healthy choices because some of those choices over the next few years can have lasting impacts on the rest of their lives.

https://infograph.venngage.com/ps/8FPhwNzOJc

References

Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (2014). Unit #1 Title: Personal Safety Skills and Coping Strategies, Lesson # 1 of 5. Retrieved from https://dese.mo.gov/media/pdf/se3-9-12-grade-all-units

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