WHAT DOES A SCHOOL COUNSELOR DO?
What is School Guidance and Counseling?
by Shirley Sliter
September 22, 2008
In Leakey ISD, the guidance and counseling program is based on the Texas Education Agency's "Comprehensive Guidance Program for Texas Public Schools". It is designed to encourage the optimum development of each individual student in the areas of:
Self esteem..Motivation to achieve...Decision making...Problem Solving.. Interpersonal effectiveness..accepting Differences and Responsible Behavior.
The four components of a developmental guidance program are:
- Guidance Curriculum: providing guidance activities in a systematic way to all students, usually through classroom meetings or group assemblies.
- Responsive Services: addressing the immediate needs of students, both individual or in small groups through student, parent, or teacher referral.
- Individual Planning: assisting students in understanding and motoring their own development in the areas of education, career and personal-social (through 4 year plans, reviewing course credits and transcripts, college visits and recruiter presentations as well at the PLAN and EXPLORE tests for 8th and 10th grade for college placement test preparation and career investigation.
- System Support: providing program, staff, and parent support activities and services. This year's focus will be on Dating Violence information to staff and parents as well as the student programs on Drug and Alcohol Safety, Abstinence ,and Bullying. The Guidance Dept. will also send monthly newsletters to update parents about programs and services available.
HOW DOES A STUDENT GET TO SEE THE COUNSELOR?
- Self-Referral
- Teacher Referral
- Counselor Referral
- Parent Referral
- Administrative Referral
- Referral by a Friend
NOTE: All students receive a counseling permission form at the beginning of each school year. Parents can indicate if they wish their child to receive individual counseling.