Program Mission Statement
The School District of Fall Creek School Counseling Program prepares all students academically, socially and with the college and career readiness skills needed to navigate the 21st century.
Program Vision Statement
Success for EVERY Student
Guiding Principle
By ALL, For ALL
School Counseling Program Foundation
The School District of Fall Creek Comprehensive School Counseling Program is an integral part of the primary educational mission of the district. The program supports, facilitates and encourages classroom instruction and student achievement. Our counseling program is proactive and preventive in its focus. It assists students in acquiring and using life-long learning skills. More specifically, our school counseling program employs strategies to enhance academics, encourage self-awareness, foster interpersonal communication skills, provide career awareness, develop employment readiness, and impart life skills for all students.
Program Definition and Rationale
The School District of Fall Creek Comprehensive School Counseling Program is based on the National Standards for School Counseling Programs and the Wisconsin Comprehensive School Counseling Model, which integrates academic, career, and personal/social development. The school counseling program reflects the progression of student development from kindergarten through grade twelve. It is delivered through a direct service program consisting of the following components:
and an indirect student services program consisting of the following components:
- Referrals
- Consultation
- Collaboration
The program is systematic, sequential, clearly defined, and accountable. Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction licensed school counselors develop, implement, and assess all program components through collaboration with teachers, parents, administrators, students, and the community. Curriculum delivery is a collaborative effort of all school staff. The school counseling program helps ensure equal opportunity for all students to participate fully in the educational process.
Program Assumptions
The primary goal of the school counseling program is to enhance student achievement. The school counseling program and the roles of the school counselor are determined by the educational, career, and personal/social developmental needs of students. For effective implementation of the School District of Fall Creek Comprehensive School Counseling Program, certain staff and program conditions must exist:
- School counselors shall be fully licensed by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and shall have the education and skills necessary to fulfill their responsibilities in developing, implementing, and assessing the comprehensive school counseling program.
- School counselors shall maintain and operate within the guidelines of the code of ethical standards as specified by the American School Counselor Association.
- Counselors are an integral part of the school community that includes student service members, teachers, administrators, specialists, parents, health professionals, paraprofessionals, and other community representatives.
- School counselors are an essential part of the pupil services department comprised of the following members: school counselor, school nurse, and school psychologist.
- Conditions for effective program implementation include administrative commitment and support of the school counseling program; positive interpersonal relations among the school staff, adequate physical resources, budget appropriations, and paraprofessional support.
- The counselor-to-student ratio shall be appropriate for successful implementation of the Comprehensive School Counseling Program.
Furthermore, school counseling programs:
- Reach every student
- Are comprehensive in scope
- Are aligned with the Wisconsin Comprehensive School Counseling Program Student Content Standards
- Are preventive in design
- Are developmental in nature
- Play an integral role in the total educational system
- Are conducted in collaboration with others
- Monitor student progress
- Are driven by data
- Seek improvement
- Share successes
- Include a delivery system
Program Beliefs
The counselors in the School District of Fall Creek believe:
- Every student has the right to achieve and experience school success.
- The program is designed to reach every student.
- All students can achieve when given the proper environment and support.
- The program collaborates with students, parents, teachers, and the community.
- The program is ever changing based on the needs, learning styles, and capabilities of every student.
- The program is developmental in nature, comprehensive in scope, and preventative in design.
- The program is an extension of the overall mission of the school.
- School counselors need to continually seek innovative approaches and knowledge to best serve all students.
Program Philosophy
The counselors in the School District of Fall Creek believe:
- All students, regardless of special needs, cultural background, race, sex, or beliefs, have worth and dignity.
- All students K-12 have the right to participate in a comprehensive school counseling program that is led by fully licensed, state certified school counselors.
- The needs of all students should be the driving force of a school counseling program that is preventative in design and developmental in nature.
- All students have the ability to achieve given the proper support and environment.
And that the Fall Creek School Counseling Program should:
- Be organized, developed, and managed by school counselors in partnership with other school professionals, parents, and community representatives.
- Be based on specific goals identified from the use of data, student needs, and student content standards.
- Be delivered by school counselors along with teachers, parents, and community members when appropriate.
- Utilize appropriate community referral services for students and parents when necessary.
- Strive to close the achievement gap to ensure quality support for all students.
- Be evaluated annually by school counselors.
And that school counselors for the School District of Fall Creek should:
- Adhere to ethical guidelines for professional school counselors as established by the American School Counselor Association
- Abide by laws and administrative codes that affect the practice of professional school counselors in the State of Wisconsin.
- Strive to constantly improve as professionals through participation in professional development activities that maintain and enhance the quality of the school counseling program.
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