Source: Richardson, Ed. (2003). Comprehensive Counseling and Guidance State Model for Alabama Public Schools. Alabama State Department of Education Bulletin No. 89
Iowa comprehensive counseling and guidance program is developmental by design and includes sequentially presented activities and responsive services that address student growth and development for all students, kindergarten through community college. Collaborative in practice, the developmental approach focuses on the attainment of student competencies in three areas: personal/social, academic, and career (“ Iowa,” 2001). A comprehensive program is not a random selection of services. It is a program based on standards, benchmarks, and grade-level competencies. The program is integrated into the day-to-day process of the school including program, people, policies, places, and processes (Purkey and Novak, as cited in “ Iowa,” 2001).
Massachusetts school counseling programs and services are provide to all students with the requisite knowledge and skills for success in the academic/technical, workplace readiness, and personal/social domains. There goals are stated below.
Goal 1: Academic/Technical Achievement
Goal 2: Workplace Readiness/Career Planning
Goal 3: Personal and Social Development (“Massachusetts,” 2005)
In Queensland the guidance activities in schools is aligned with Education Queensland (EQ) strategic plan. Currently they operate under seven corporate goals
- Quality curricula for all students
- Effective teaching
- Adoption of technology to enhance teaching and learning and management
- A safe, supportive and productive learning environment.
- Improved learning outcomes for all students
- A skilled, confident and responsible workforce
- Developing confidence in public education.
The guidance program provides tangible links between student welfare and the key learning areas. The key message for all EQ personnel centres on the understanding that services must be coordinated. Guidance Personnel need to be aware of how actions are contributing to the school planning process and in the data collection for the school annual report (Hulme, 2000).
The School guidance / counselors Role
The role of the school counselor is one that it growing with the times. As our society faces increasing challenges, financial, cultural, social, so do our students, teachers and administrators. The school counselor is central to all the participants involved in the education of the child while having the equally important role of identifying the one-on one needs of not only the “student-in-need”, but all students. The school counselor is often thought of as the intermediary of all those actively contributing to the education of the child. But intermediary often connotes an “after-the fact” contribution. This is farthest from reality in regard to the role of today’s school counselor. The school counselor has the challenging role of warding off “situations” or problems in the making for kids and teachers. Their critical function of evaluating and viewing each student with a discerning and caring eye is an important part of the role of the school counselor in regard to that student. Equally as important though, is the counselor’s job of working toward finding a solution or path, which works, for the essential educator and the student not only for the present, but for the future also. The school counselor is a partner in the educational journey of the child. By virtue of their training, they are the optimistic link, in the academic career of the student. Along with each student, the school counselor through evaluation sees the possibilities, and works with each child though their educational life to become their personal best. The sensitive balance between the student, teacher and administrator, at times can become complicated, to say the least. The school counselor works hard at maintaining that balance at all levels and at all times. It is an indispensable, monumental and forward thinking
The role of a Guidance Officer practicing in EQ is divided into five areas – proactivity, reactivity, crisis intervention, school development and administration. The following are examples of activities in which guidance personnel may be involved. There will be other types of programs depending on the identified school needs (Hosking, 2000).
In USA, Counselors assume the leadership role for managing and implementing the comprehensive counseling and guidance program in their school. Counselors are responsible for the systematic delivery and evaluation of structured developmental counseling and guidance services to all students. Counselors work directly with students, individually and in small groups, to deal with unique or problem-centered concerns that require more privacy or attention than can be accommodated in structured guidance activities. Counselors serve students indirectly by acting as consultants to administrators, teachers, parents, and others to help them understand and respond to the developmental, emotional, and social needs of students. Counselors coordinate various activities within the school that are related to student welfare. Appropriate referrals, placements, and follow-ups are activities that are particularly pertinent to counseling (Schrenko, 2002).
Below table shows the roles they define for the three type of counselors; Elementary school counselors, Middle School counselors and High School counselors (“Alaska,” 2001).
The role of school guidance officers must change with the changing world. Rapid economic development and technological change requires everyone to change. The table below shows some of the transformation of the role of the school counselor (Dahir, Ford, hardy, and Morrissey, 2005).
Conclusion
To sum up I would say regardless of the country everyone has almost the same goal and vision, aim and objectives in their guidance programmes. It is clear that a comprehensive school guidance and counseling plan including career development provides many benefits to students, teachers, parents, and administrators. Guidance officers have almost same type of roles and responsibilities. Some countries it is not very clear what the guidance officer’s role is but some countries it is very clearly defined. But in this changing environment the role of the guidance officers must also change. To implement these roles the counseling association must play a very active part in coordinating and evaluating the counselors. Annual or bi annual evaluations must be conducted within the counselors and proper code of ethics must be in hand. Sever actions must be taken with the counselors who are not able to work according to their code of ethics.
References
A Guide for Program Development K-12th Grade. (2001). Alaska : Alaska Department of Education & Early Development. Retrieved June 9, 2006 from
Dahir, C., Ford, D., hardy, D., & Morrissey, D. (2005). The New York State Model For Comprehensive K-12 School Counseling Programs. New York: New York State School Counselor Association. Retrieved June 10, 2006 from
Hosking, P. (2000). Guidance Services: A General Reference For Principals. Queensland : Fraser-Cooloola District Office. Retrieved June 3, 2006 from
Hulme, P. (2000). Guidance Program Information Handbook 2000. Queensland : Isis - Burnett District Office. Retrieved June 3, 2006 from
Iowa Comprehensive Counseling and Guidance Program Development Guide Kindergarten—Community College (2001). Iowa : Iowa Department of Education. Retrieved June 10, 2006 from
Kelly, F.D., Peterson, G,W., & Myrick, R.D. (1995). Florida’s School Counseling and Guidance Framework: A Comprehensive Student Development Program Model. Florida : Florida Department of Education. Retrieved June 9, 2006 from
Massachusetts Model for Comprehensive School Counseling Programs Draft (2005). Retrieved June 10, 2006 from
Purkey, W., & Novak, J. (1995). Inviting School Success: A Self-Concept Approach to Teaching, Learning,and Democratic Practice. Washington :Wadsworth Publishing Co. cited in Iowa Comprehensive Counseling and Guidance Program Development Guide Kindergarten—Community College (2001). Iowa : Iowa Department of Education. Retrieved June 10, 2006 from
Richardson, Ed. (2003). Comprehensive Counseling and Guidance State Model for Alabama Public Schools. Alabama State Department of Education Bulletin No. 89, Alabama : Alabama State Department of Education. Retrieved June 10, 2006 from
Schrenko, L.C. (2002). Model Guidance and Counseling Grade-Level Plans. Georgia : Georgia Department of Education. Retrieved June 9, 2006 from
The Comprehensive Counseling Program for Alaska Public Schools :
Wilson, V., Hall, S., Hall, J., Davidson, J., & Schad, D. (2005). Supporting pupils: A study of guidance and pupil support in Scottish school. Retrieved June 9, 2006 from
Appendix 1
Benefits of Comprehensive School
Counseling Programs
Comprehensive developmental school counseling programs positively impact students, parents, teachers, administrators, boards of education, and other student services personnel, school counselors, business, and industry. The benefits to each of these groups include the following:
Benefits for students
1. Prepares students for the challenges of the 21st century by acquiring knowledge and skills in academic, career, and personal/social development.
2. Connects the educational program to future success.
3. Facilitates career exploration and development.
4. Develops decision-making and problem solving skills.
5. Assists in acquiring knowledge of self and others.
6. Enhances personal-social development.
7. Assists in developing effective interpersonal relationship skills.
8. Broadens knowledge of our changing world.
9. Guarantees school counseling services to every student.
10. Increases the opportunity for counselor-student interaction.
11. Encourages facilitative, co-operative peer interactions.
12. Fosters resiliency factors for students.
Benefits for parents
1. Prepares their children for the challenges of the 21st century through academic,
career, and personal/social development.
2. Provides support for parents in advocating for their child's academic, career, and
personal/social development.
3. Develops a systematic approach for their child's long-range planning and learning.
4. Increases opportunities for parent/school interaction.
5. Enables parents to access school and community resources.
Benefits for teachers
1. Provides an interdisciplinary team effort to address student needs and educational
goals.
2. Provides skill development for teachers in classroom management, teaching
effectiveness, and affective education.
3. Provides consultation to assist teachers in their guidance and advisement role.
4. Positively impacts school climate and the learning community.
5. Supports classroom instruction.
6. Encourages positive, calendared activities and supportive working relationships.
7. Promotes a team effort to address developmental skills and core competencies.
8. Increases teacher accessibility to the counselor as a classroom presenter and
resource person.
Benefits for administrators
1. Integrates school counseling with the academic mission of the school.
2. Provides a program structure with specific content.
3. Assists administration to use school counselors effectively to enhance learning
and development for all students.
4. Provides a means of evaluating the effectiveness of the school counseling
program.
5. Demonstrates school counseling accountability.
6. Enhances community image of the school counseling program
Benefits for local Boards of Education
1. Provides rationale for implementing a comprehensive developmental counseling
program in the school system.
2. Provides assurance that a quality school counseling program is available to every
student.
3. Demonstrates the necessity of appropriate levels of funding for implementation.
4. Supports appropriate credentialing and staffing.
5. Provides a basis for determining funding allocations for school counseling
programs.
6. Furnishes program information to the community.
7. Gives ongoing information about student acquisition of competencies and
standards through school counseling program efforts.
Benefits for school counselors
1. Provides a clearly defined role and function in the educational system.
2. Eliminates non-counseling functions.
3. Provides direct service to every student.
4. Provides a tool for program management and accountability.
5. Enhances the role of the school counselor as a student advocate.
6. Ensures involvement in the academic mission of the school.
7. Places school counselors in a leadership role to close the gap!
Benefits for student services personnel
1. Provides school psychologists, social workers, and other professional student
services personnel with a clearly defined role of the school counselor.
2. Clarifies areas of overlapping responsibilities.
3. Fosters a positive team approach, which enhances cooperative working
relationships.
Benefits for business and industry
1. Increases opportunities for business and industry to participate actively in the total
school program.
2. Provides increased opportunity for collaboration among counselors, business,
industry, and communities.
3. Provides a potential work force with decision-making skills, pre-employment
skills, and increased worker maturity.
Benefits for the community
1. Provides an increased opportunity for collaboration and participation of
community members with the school program.
2. Creates community awareness and visibility of the school counseling program.
3. Connects the community to the needs of the school and the school to the needs of
the community.
4. Enhances economic development through quality preparation of students for the
world of work.
Extracted from :
Dahir, C., Ford, D., hardy, D., & Morrissey, D. (2005). The New York State Model For Comprehensive K-12 School Counseling Programs. New York: New York State School Counselor Association. Retrieved June 10, 2006 from