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Transitions 101: A new campus, community, and overall environment can be stressful for adolescents and can cause undue anxiety as they learn to maneuver among people and situations with which they are completely unfamiliar. Students that are new to the campus/district, who may be identified as struggling with the transition to a new place, are invited to meet with a group of peers experiencing similar circumstances to talk through and learn more about the school and environment in order to alleviate some of that difficulty and eliminate the unfamiliarities of the new campus.

Purpose: Transitions 101 was created to offer resources to our growing student population on our campus. Our goal is to offer support and resources to students that are new to our campus as they enroll throughout the year. We look forward to getting to know all of our new and future students!

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EDSC6302_ Module 4 REVISED Action Plan (1)

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The American School Counselor Association Mindsets and Behaviors that will be mastered by students upon completion of this group are as follows:

Mindset Standards:
M 3. Positive attitude toward work and learning
M 4. Self-confidence in ability to succeed

Behavior Standards:
B-SMS 10. Ability to manage transitions and adapt to change
(ASCA, 2021)

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The information for this group will be disseminated to new students, parents, teachers, administrators and counselors in several ways.

Parents and Students

District and School Webpage

Flyers will be posted around the school

A one pager with information will be handed out to all new students upon registration.

Students and parents will receive a welcome email upon enrollment with this information.

Teachers, Administrators and Counselors

Faculty Meetings at the end of the school year and again just before school starts

Emails will be sent to teachers

Flyers will be posted in staff work rooms and lunch areas

Posted on informational large screen monitors that hang around the campus

Cover Image (US Santa Cruz, 2019)

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How will students be informed of this group?
Students will be informed about this group in several ways:

District and School Webpage

Flyers will be posted around the school

A one pager with information will be handed out to all new students upon registration

Students and parents will receive a welcome email upon enrollment with this information.

How will we assess student readiness to participate, willingness, and interest?

Student readiness and willingness to participate will be assessed in several ways. This is a voluntary group, so if they attend, then we know they are more than likely willing to participate and interested, at least initially. This could change over time.
The TAP in Method will be used as well. This method was developed by Rosemarie Smead, a professor with a proven track record in the area of group work in the educational setting. The TAP in Method involves three steps:

1. Tell  student  about  the  group.

2. Ask  student  about  his  or  her level  of  interest/commitment  to  expectations  of  group.

3. Pick  participants.

(Missouri  Comprehensive Guidance  and  Counseling Program, 2015, p. 22)

Will you screen students individually or as a group?

Students will be screened individually upon registration.

There will also be an element of group screening once the students begin school and teachers, administrators and counselors observe their behavior with their peers.

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Informed Consent
Parental consent is required for minor students.
Campus policy requires assent from students.

Parental Consent and Informed Consent Document

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Small Group Norms

How will this resource be used?
This resource will be utilised to set ground rules and expectations for the group.

What rules are predetermined?
While the focus of this small group is not necessarily of an overtly sensitive nature, the school counselor as the facilitator, has an obligation to the students to create a safe space and so, some ground rules must be put in place.

Make every effort to be on time to our meetings

One speaker at a time, do not interrupt.

All students will be encouraged and given the opportunity to participate

speak respectfully to each other. You do not have to agree with your peers, however you must be courteous and

If a group member does not wish to share, they do not have to do so.

Group members will be given the opportunity to add to the ground rules as needed.

And remember, that while the group was not created out of a need for counseling other than to offer support during a transition to a new environment, we need to keep concerns shared within the group within the group, and not discuss what happens or is said in the group outside the group.

(Missouri Comprehensive Guidance &  Counseling Programs, 2015).

What rules can be determined as a group?
Once the group meets for the first time, the school counselor will assess the group and give the group a chance to express their views on rules. Different groups will have various needs and it is important for the counselor to maintain flexibility and allow the students to have a voice in group norms.

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This group will be made up of 8th and 9th grade students that are new to a school campus/district. Together they will work through the transition period of adapting to their new environment.

Stage 1- Students will participate in team building activities where they get to know each other and find common ground in their experiences, given that they are all new to the campus, and adapting to the new environment. Group norms will be established by setting the ground rules discussed in the previous slide, which include group norms and confidentiality.

Stage 2- Student lessons are created to encourage working together with both group members, but also getting to know other students in the school, since the group members are new students to the campus. Check-ins with fellow group members, student mentors, and the counseling team/facilitator are also built into the group lesson sequences through interactive activities and discussions. Progress will also be gauged from the pre- to the post-assessment and how group members have improved in their evaluation of the stress experienced with moving and adapting to a new school environment.

Stage 3- Group closure will begin with the post-assessment that shows that students have shown progress in their transition to their new school environment. Students will be reminded that there is an expectation of the group's confidentiality, even if they no longer attend group meetings. Students will also be encouraged in the last session to self-reflect on their level of comfort and progress toward adaptation to the new school environment, as well as their confidence to navigate the new school and expectations. Students will be offered continued support if they feel they need it, otherwise they have completed the group goals. Counseling team members will check in with students as needed in the grading period following the completion of the group.

(Missouri Comprehensive Guidance &  Counseling Programs, 2015).

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This group of new students to the campus/district would benefit most from the Transformational Leadership style. This leadership style is able to motivate and inspire its group members toward positive progress and adaptive skills. The focus in this style is to encourage and assist group members in reaching their full potential and achieving their goals and developing a more positive wellbeing.

(Cherry, 2021).

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Several of Yalom's therapeutic group factors will be present in this group. For example, Transitions 101 members might display Universality because it is a demonstration that we are not alone in our "problems", and this group is comprised of students who are all new to the campus and/or district.

Next they may show Imparting of Information because teaching and mentoring students through the process of adapting to a new school is the focal point of this group.

Group members may also demonstrate Development of Socializing Techniques through the improvement of their interpersonal skills as they work through the lessons that get them acquainted with their new environment. Through the lessons they are encouraged to work together, meet new people, introduce themselves to faculty and staff, and through this process, their interpersonal skills will inevitably improve just by the exposure to the actions and collaboration.

They also show Direct Advice because the purpose of the group includes them receiving and giving suggestions for strategies for handling their journey through the adaptation to the new school.

And lastly, students will inevitably display elements of Interpersonal Learning because they will receive "feedback from others and experimenting with new ways of relating."

(Yalom, 1995).

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The Transitions 101 group will be made up of 8th and 9th grade students who are new to the school and who more than likely do not know anyone else in the group. According to the American School Counselor Association (2016), the primary responsibility of school counselors is to the student.  Because of this, the school counselor who is facilitating the group sessions has the moral and ethical obligation to do everything possible to promote and maintain a safe learning environment for all group members. School counselors are legally and morally obligated to ensure that they are preserving the privacy, dignity, and autonomy of the students even while in a group setting. They also must take into account the social, emotional, and academic needs of the student (ASCA, 2016).

There may, in this group setting, be issues that come up that are sensitive in nature, as a counselor, it is important to create a safe space in which students can share personal information.

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As part of the Transitions 101 sessions, new students will be introduced to a basic overview of the campus online learning systems and various academic resources. With much of the students' learning experiences involving electronic devices and virtual access, it is important for students to understand the expectations and boundaries of such activities, as well as the potential repercussions for acting irresponsibly with those privileges.

The ASCA (2016) also supports the promotion and education of students about responsible ways to conduct themselves online. They encourage teaching students proper digital citizenship in order to help them become more professional in their technology usage and maintain appropriate communications through electronic devices.

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American School Counselor Association. (2016). ASCA ethical standards for school counselors. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/f041cbd0-7004-47a5-ba01-3a5d657c6743/Ethical-Standards.pdf

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

Cherry, Kendra. (2021, August 11). Leadership styles and frameworks you should know. VeryWellMind. https://www.verywellmind.com/leadership-styles-2795312

Missouri Comprehensive Guidance &  Counseling Programs
(2015). Linking school success to life success.  https://learn-us-east-1-prod-fleet02-

Yalom ID. (1995). The theory and practice of group psychotherapy (4th ed.). New York: Basic Books.