Comprehensive School Counseling Project: A Proposal

Educational ameliorate is shaped by the commitment to offer optimum learning environments that exit guarantee academician success for all scholarly persons. A shift in the counselor-at-law class is introduced by the comprehensive tamedays pleader stumper recognizing the signifi basint roles counsels can play in maximizing potentials and achievement in every child. According to the American prepare Counseling Association (ASCA 1997), inform counselors must aid schools to focus on academic achievement, prevention and interference activities, advocacy and social/ emotional, and c areer development (Dahir, Hardy, Ford & Morrissey, 2005).The model take into accounts content, extremity and accountability methods (Dahir et al. , 2005) that leave help school counselors design classs to manoeuvre the unavoidably of the student population ground on the information or entropy pull together. As expressed by Bilzing (1997), random acts of guidance are no longer accept ade quate to(p) in 21st century schools (as cited in Dahir et al. , 2005, p. 3). The major(ip) departure from the traditional begin in school discuss is the single-valued function of research as the founding for the design of a counseling political platform. From a service driven model, converted counseling programs operate on a data-driven and standards-based model.In addition to counseling, consultation and coordination roles, counselors participate in advocacy, collaborative and team up work, data-driven and results-oriented initiatives, and technology-based programs. Counselors work endly with other instruct and school staff to see that every student benefits directly from the school counseling program (Dahir et al. , 2005). Adopting a comprehensive counseling approach in school increases its propensity to encompass challenges of students and agree them with skills to boldness the changing demands of society.The research-based approach allows its continuous evolution ba sed on data gathered so academic and psychosocial programs are created to address specific areas. The comprehensive counseling model has been found to increase student attendance and completion rates while decreasing suspension rates. force prevention treatments have in addition been established as a harvesting of the approach. It is able to address the needs of students in low performing schools and schools in crisis by utilise research based techniques to overcome the barriers such students face (Dahir et al. 2005). Comprehensive counseling programs in school are able to band with the specific incidentors that are affecting student achievement. Professional development is an substantial applying activity in the implementation of comprehensive developmental school counseling programs (Dahir et al. , 2005). The involvement of other members in the school becomes beneficial to their individualised and passe-partout enhancement. Furthermore, the program has excessively been extended to involve parents.The information gathered from research show the strengths and weaknesses of children, how the school counselor is meeting the students needs, what areas the student needs to focus on to succeed, and incorporate the home support in all domains of the program (Dahir et al. , 2005). It is gradually becoming a supreme agent for improvements in the environment that surrounds the student home, school and community. Review of publications on that point is a general agreement that most of the nations problem is best addressed done prevention and proactive intervention.Thompson (2002) highlights the fact that educational, political, and economic trends, as well as the critical needs of nows youth, are redefining the role and function of the master school counselor. Furthermore, in a society where diversity is becoming a influence rather than an exception, school counselors have come to represent a generator of stability and congruency of information (Tho mpson, 2002). This can only be achieved through and through research-based approach to program design and following a developmental model of program implementation.It is the comprehensive counseling program which follows an inclusive model, being able to ply to all students within varying developmental needs. What is the best intervention that lead work? This is perhaps one, if not the most, daunting question of school counselors. Until recently, mental and counseling models were the primary sources of information. The advent of evidenced-based school counseling however, is providing a brighter commissioning for school counselors as well as decreasing the margin of misconduct for the choice of intervention.Sexton, Schofield, and Whitson (1997) have argued that the use of existing outcome research to choose both training and practice can help ensure that dutyal activities reflect best practices and are consistent with each other (qtd. in Dimmitt, Carey, & Hatch, 2007, p. 3). T he comprehensive school counseling model therefore, by adopting an evidenced-base approach, increases the integrity and harshness of the program implemented. Further support for the crucial role of the counselor and the benefits of using empirical data in program design is provided in the publications review conducted by White and Kelly (2010).They focused on how the comprehensive counseling program can address the problem of school dropout. The approach is able to impact both risk-reduction and protective factors of potential dropouts. The role that school counselors can play in helping to prevent school dropout is substantial and could last enhance not only student outcomes, but also the flying of the profession of school counseling (White & Kelly, 2010). Evidence has shown that absenteeism and tardiness, unless properly addressed, bequeath prevail to increased student difficulty and drop-outs.Counselors are challenged to proactively seek ways to provide early interventions for prevention. Another accountability of the counselor was discussed in the study by Wachter, Villalba and Brunelli (2007). The member highlights the academic and personal-social needs of students with ethnic flat coats, particularly Hispanic(a) children in southeast U. S. The results show that there is a wide array of academic and cultural factors impacting student learning and development, in addition to a diverse appealingness of school-based interventions (Wachter et al. 2007). The participants were also concerned with the makeing gap that affects the communication and perceptions between the Latino homes and the schools, which among other factors, impedes their academic success. It is the counselors responsibility to help close this gap by learning about the students culture to better understand their needs and help them achieve their goals. The high incident rate of push around in schools is a major and grave issue that is consistently face school counselors.Young, Ha rdy, Hamilton, Biernesser, and Niebergall (2009) describes how data was used to provide a comprehensive counseling program to address strong-arm and harassment incidents in school. As a result, the school counselors began to routinely and systematically track and use data to transform their counseling services (Young et al. , 2009). The program allowed them to measure outcomes and if significant differences were attained referable to the program implementation. So far, the studies previously discussed emphasized the role of the counselor in improving the psycho-social well-being of students.Accountability, however, is encompassing and includes achievement hit in academic subjects. Luck and Webb (2009) compared the achievement outcomes of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test of Grades 4-5 students who participated and did not dissipate part in the counselor-led Student Success Skills Intervention. The results show that students who participated in the intervention showed gr eat mean improvement in reading and math scores that students at the district or state level (Luck & Webb, 2009). The outcomes led to greater appreciation of collaborative work between counselor and the teaching staff. indoors the context of comprehensive programs in school counseling, addressing the issue of sexualization among girls was discussed in an article by Choate and Curry (2009). The authors argue that being a sensitive and ethically-laden issue, the counselors professional orientation and skills are uniquely suited to play a frigid role in creating effective change in this area (Choate & Curry, 2009). There are many factors affecting sexuality of girls and the multiple services achieved through a comprehensive program makes it possible to deal with these factors in isolation and in their interaction.Clearly the comprehensive counseling model finds various applications and provides a holistic intervention for the students. But how wide-awake are those in the profession to adopt this approach in their practice? A study conducted by Dahir, Burnham and Stone (2009) revealed that there are gaps in the school counselors ability to embrace and implement the new vision of comprehensive school counseling during the initial poses of implementation. This finding necessitates professional development to better equip school counselors, as well as other members of the school teaching and support staff, and administrators for successful collaboration. Program Descriptions and Recommendations Based on the arguments and empirical data presented in the previous sections, it is highly recommended that schools shift from a service-driven model to a data-informed comprehensive school counseling program. The diverse populations co-existing in the school depart greatly benefit from the approach. The programs will be tailored according to the background and needs of the students.The socio-economic backgrounds and family context are creating serious impact on the fu nctioning of the students. Existing literature has provided evidence that counselor-led interventions to improve academic success are yielding significant differences in the test scores of the students. The foundation is the basis of a comprehensive school counseling program (Dahir et al. , 2005). The proposed program is aimed at developing the psycho-social and academic skills of students to help them become self-directed learners who are prepared to meet the demands of a changing society.It hopes to mold the students in the three historic domains, academic, personal/social and occupational group. Specifically, it hopes to address the learning standards in Mathematics, Science and Technology, vocabulary Arts and Career Development. These foundational schools are important at this initial stage of program implementation and while other standards are equally important, they will be further addressed after the initial phase. It will also allow for proper monitoring and evaluation of the program. The outcomes will be careful quantitatively through standardized tests.Qualitative data will also be gathered through interviews and examination of work outputs of students. The speech help will entail individual student planning. Career planning is recommended for the program where students will sit through a workshop to identify their personal vision-mission. This will be the first step in building their career portfolio. Responsive services will also be in come out of the closet for critical cases. While topics for group sessions may be provided based on the counselors assessment, individual counseling will also be initiated for students mostly in need such as those with history of bullying or broken families.The school counseling curriculum will be initiated with the coordination of school teachers to improve academic performance. School tools or study skills will be provided by the counselor to encourage students to maximize their potentials and introduce dive rs(prenominal) pathways to success. Feedback, monitoring and evaluation of the counseling program will be achieved through an effective system support. The guidance counselor takes the lead in good-natured administrators, parents, the community and other sectors of society in measuring the outcomes of the comprehensive counseling program.On a regular basis, the school counselor convenes different stakeholders to provide information on the programs initiated and the current results. Management is the key for smooth delivery of services. Proper planning will involve scheduling of services offered. School counselors must also provide monthly reports to be able to valuate the strong point of the program. Documentation therefore, is of utmost importance. School counselors and administrators are challenged to demonstrate the effectiveness of their school counseling programs in measurable terms (Dahir et al. 2005). information will always be the primary source for the changes that are proposed and for further enhancements in the future. School counselors must take accountability for student achievement, in as much as teachers and principals do. Thus, the programs must be aligned with the objectives of the academic curriculum. Data must be analyzed and reflected upon to create the necessary changes in the program to ensure effectiveness. Appropriate measurement instruments will be adopted to be able to quantify the outcomes of the program.