School Counselors and Student Services:

What Do They Do and How Do They Assist Teachers?

Natalie Spencer

Funny

Icebreaker

Introduce yourself and answer one question:

Recall your experiences with your school counselor:

Do you remember their name? How did they help you?Did they help you at all?

School Counselor School counselors provide a comprehensive school

counseling program that improves: student achievement enhances the academic, career and personal/social

development of all students. The comprehensive school counseling program is

delivered through classroom lessons, individual student planning sessions, and individual and group counseling.

School counselors collaborate with parents, teachers, administrators and other school staff to promote student success. School counselors also provide leadership and advocacy to promote equity and access to opportunities and rigorous educational experiences for all students.

School counselor Qualifications

• School counselors are certified or licensed professionals who possess a master’s degree or higher in school counseling and are uniquely qualified to address the developmental needs of all students.

School Counseling Programs

• UNC-Chapel Hill• NC State• NC Central University• Campbell University• Appalachian University• Wake Forest University• UNC Charlotte

• CACREP-The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs

School Counselors Professional school counselors are required by most public

school systems to have taken advanced-degree coursework in the following topics:

Professional school Human growth and development Counseling theory

Individual counseling Group counseling

Social and cultural foundations Testing/appraisal

Research and program evaluation Professional orientation

Career development Supervised practicum Supervised internship

What School Counselors Do

Student Support Team memberTesting Coordinator (Elementary Schools, Middle Schools and High Schools)

Arrange parent/teacher conferences

Coordinate school wide intervention programs

What School Counselors Do

•Plan and implement College Planning/Career programs

•Conduct individual student conferences

•Registration ( April-May)

What School Counselors DON’T Do• Discipline!!!

• Counselors should not assume the role as a disciplinarian is schools. As

counselors, we strive to create an open and supportive environment for

students and staff.• Why?

Student Services Staff

•ESL Counselor•School Psychologist•School Social Worker•  SAP (Student Assistant

Program) Counselor ( Wake County)

Student Services Staff

Financial Aid Advisor (High Schools)

Career Development Coordinator or CDC ( High Schools)

Intervention CoordinatorTransition CounselorSchool NurseSST (Student Support Team) Coordinator

School Counselor of The Year 2009

http://www.schoolcounselor.org/content2.asp?contentid=544

How counselors Contribute To Student Achievement?

School counseling increases students’ ability to concentrate, study, and ultimately learn. Students who attend schools with counseling programs earn higher grades.

Counseling decreases classroom disturbances. Counseling services support teachers in the classroom in order to enable teachers to provide quality instruction designed to assist students in achieving high standards.

How counselors Contribute To Student Achievement?

Students in schools that provide counseling services indicated that their classes were less likely to be interrupted by other students, and that their peers behaved better in school.

School counselors are trained to recognize “early warning signs” in at-risk youth. School counselors work with principals, teachers, and other staff to develop and implement school safety, and to prevent school violence.

How counselors Contribute To Student Achievement?

Students who have counseling programs reported being more positive, and having greater feeling of belonging and safety in their schools.

What Can I do?

• Get to know student services staff.• Ask questions about students you’re

concerned about.• Get help understanding IEP/504s and

other mental disorders( depression, anxiety, social phobia, etc).

• Communicate with parents- major problem most parents have.

Questions???

References

• Wake County Public School System website

• American Counseling Association• American School Counselor

Association