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The ASCA (2016) states that school counselors must "keep information confidential" and "explain the limits of confidentiality" to students (p. 2). This group's informed consent, repeated discussion of confidentiality, and its commitment to acknowledging the limits of confidentiality align with these ASCA ethical standards.

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The group name for our small group will be, “It’s the College Degree for Me.” Playing off a familiar TikTok phrase, this group will be composed of interested freshmen and sophomore students who are Black, Indigenouse, People of Color (BIPOC). This group will work to address concerns, dispel misinformation, and promote college to students who are currently underrepresented amongst their college-ready peers at Cy-Falls. 

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Students will develop:

A self-confidence in ability to succeed.

An understanding that postsecondary education and life-long learning are necessary for long-term career success

(ASCA, 2014, p. 2)

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Students will:

Demonstrate critical-thinking skills to make informed decisions.

Identify long- and short-term academic, career and social/ emotional goals.

Create positive and supportive relationships with other students.

Use effective collaboration and cooperation skills.

(ASCA, 2014, p. 2)

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This group will be publicized in two main ways.

First Step:
The counselor will collaborate with English teachers to provide a chance for the counselor to go into their classes for about 10 minutes to present the purpose, scope, and benefit of the counseling group to students.

Second Step:
The counselor will email teachers and ask them to recommend students who they believe would potentially be a good fit and then the counselor meet with these students to discuss their participation further.

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There are two main ways in which students will have a chance to be included in the group. If students are interested after counselors discuss the group in their English classes, they can sign up there. Additionally, students can have an opportunity to join by their teachers referring them through the recommendation form.

Once students have expressed interest or a teacher has advocated for them to join, the counselor will individually meet with students in order to discuss the students' willingness to participate and also to communicate the goals and benefits of the group more fully.

Because the group needs to remain small, the counselor will consider a variety of factors in selecting the right members including the students willingness, group dynamics, and the counselor's intuition (Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators, 2015, p. 23).

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American School Counselor Association. (2014). Mindsets and Behaviors for Student Success: K-12 College- and Career-Readiness  Standards for Every Student. Alexandria, VA.

American School Counselor Association. (2016). ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/asca/media/asca/Ethics/EthicalStandards2016.pdf

Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators. (2015). Professional school counselor small group counseling guide: A professional school counselor’s guide to planning, implementing, and evaluating school-based counseling groups.

Ruth Lephoto, M. N. (2019). Adopting relational leadership as a strategy for empowering teacher counsellors: A pathway to promoting learners’ well-being and empowerment. Gender & Behaviour, 17(3), 13777–13793.

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During the selection interviews, counselors will ask students to fill out the following form. This will also be a chance for students to ask the counselor any questions they may have regarding the group's purpose or policies. Students will also be asked to give their assent and will not be allowed to proceed unless both their guardians and themselves are comfortable with the goals and purpose of the group.

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The above participant guidelines document outlines predetermined ground rules, and leaves empty spaces for participants to discuss and add any ground rules that would make them feel more comfortable engaging with the group.

Students will have a partner and then whole group discussion about what the guidelines look like and sound like. The purpose of this is so everyone is clear on what the words mean to them and why they are necessary. Additionally, students are given a voice in the rulemaking process to promote autonomy and agency.

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This process will begin with students having an opportunity to feel safe and secure in this community of learners. In order to foster this community, we will work through the aforementioned guidelines and make sure everyone is on the same page with the norms of the group. This will be done through a group discussion as discussed earlier.

Additionally, the topic of confidentiality will be addressed not only in the interview but also in the first session. Students will consistently be reminded that things that are said in this group are expected to stay in this group. There will be special attention made to addressing the limits of confidentiality as it pertains to abuse and violence.

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As the group grows closer together, the group will continuously engage in group activities that increase not only their college-related knowledge but also their communication skills with one another. Group members will listen with empathy and seek to be understand where their peers are coming from.

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As with everything, this group will come to an end. Consequently, it is important to have a strategy to make the exit process as smooth and as productive as possible.

In the last group meeting, students will be reminded of the fact that things mentioned in this group by their peers are to be kept in the group. Additionally, students will have an opportunity to share about what they have learned about college and about themselves during this process. Hopefully by this time, students will have developed close enough relationships that they will follow up with each other. Even so, the counselor will make at least one contact with each student at the end of the group to discuss their experiences and offer support as they move forward in their journey.

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As a teacher and coach, I have always adopted a relational leadership approach, and as a counselor I will seek to do the same. This leadership style allows me to see leadership as a "social act" and a "collective vehicle" to help us get to where we want to be as a group (Lephoto, 2019, p. 13784). Forming relationships is essential to the learning process, so if I am to help begin to change students' beliefs in their ability to go to college, it is important for them to know that I care for them.

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At Cy-Falls, students who are BIPOC have low levels of college readiness. As a result of white privilege and white supremacy, BIPOC are often overlooked by their teachers and are not afforded the same opportunities as their white peers. This group hopes to instill hope into their lives and communicate actionable steps they can take in order to have a successful journey toward college.

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In addition to instilling hope, this group will also hope to disseminate information about college applications and financial aid to its participants.

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Yalom's Curative Factors of Group Treatment

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Yalom's Curative Factors of Group Treatment

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According to the ASCA (2016), school counselors must "use data to determine needed interventions, which are then delivered to help close the information, attainment, achievement, and opportunity gaps" (p. 3). This group is birthed out of the data analysis and needs assessment of Cy-Falls which showed an opportunity gap for BIPOC.

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ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors

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ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors