Transcript Writing Your School Counseling Curriculum

Writing Your School
Counseling Curriculum
By
James E. Guarino, Ed.D.
Westerly (RI) Middle School
Arthur W. Lisi, Ph.D.
Coventry (RI) High School
ASCA National Conference
Denver, Colorado
June 24, 2007
Goals
Develop an essential school counseling
curriculum
 Align the curriculum with ASCA Standards
 Document essential counseling activities
 Assess student progress toward the
standards.
 Evaluate the impact of the program
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The RISCA TOOLKITS
There are eight RISCA toolkits which can
be found on the RISCA website. They are
available for free download at
www.rischoolcounselor.org.
 Today’s discussion will center around
Toolkit #2
 Toolkit #2 tells us what we do tomorrow
morning. It is the essential counseling
program

THE EIGHT RISCA TOOLKITS
1. Strategic and Annual Planning
 2. Essential Counseling Program
 3. School Counseling Data Management
 4. Professional Development Program
 5. Family and Community Engagement
 6. Program Implementation Management
 7. Planning for Results
 8. Individual Student Learning Plans

Using the RISCA
TOOLKIT APPROACH

Answers the question: What do I do tomorrow to
implement a comprehensive school counseling
program based on the ASCA National Model.

Provides structured processes, clearly defined
protocols, and easy to use tools to capture and
organize the results of your work.

Produces quality documentation that can be used
to promote the value of school counseling to
student success and health of the school
community
What Do We Need To Do To
Write a School Counseling Curriculum?
Identify the essential activities critical to
students achieving the standards
 Identify the Scope and Sequence of those
essential curriculum activities
 Align those activities to the ASCA
Standards
 Document instructions for delivering each
activity
 Develop a program to assess student
progress toward meeting the standards

Brainstorm what you do to deliver
your school counseling program…
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Counseling Curriculum (what you do to
include ALL students, such as
classroom lessons/presentations, small
group activities, etc.)
Individual Planning
Responsive Services
System Support
Non-counseling activities
Scope and Sequence

The scope will cover the nine ASCA
standards (are all 9 standards listed? Which
ones do you need to address?)

The sequence will list when each activity
will take place grade-by-grade and month
by month.
What is a Curriculum?
Curriculum is
“the planned interaction of students with
instructional content, materials, resources,
and processes for evaluating the attainment
of educational objectives.”
www.doe.state.in.us/asap/definitions.html
The Essential School Counseling
Curriculum Is One Which…
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Is a written instructional program presented
developmentally and comprehensively
Aligns with ASCA standards in the areas of
academic, career, and personal/social
development.
Identifies the activities which will meet the
standards.
Documented Instruction for
Delivering Each Activity




Define the school’s essential counseling curriculum.
Align the curriculum with the standards.
Document each essential counseling activity identified in the scope
and sequence.
Create an action plan for each activity.
School Counseling Action Plan:
“Send for Help”
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Title your activity – it can be referenced,
catalogued, and becomes a part of your guidance
curriculum
Give yourself credit!
Grade level
Materials
Collaboration required? Helpful?
ASCA and National Career Development
Standards utilized
What results do we expect from the students?
Action Plan (continued)
What preparations do we need to make?
 What resources do we need?
 How many sessions are there?
 What are the “action steps” and who is
responsible for each step?
 Attach any worksheets.

Have Students Met the
Standards? –RESULTS!!

Is there an understanding of the school
environment and academic demands?

Is there an understanding of career
awareness, decision making, and planning?
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Is there an understanding of self and others
through the development of interpersonal
and communications skills?
Evaluating Your Counseling
Curriculum
Are your counseling curriculum activities/action
plans….
 For all students?
 Organized, planned and written?
 Sequential and flexible?
 An integral part of the educational process?
 Opportunities to collaborate with teachers and
other staff?
 Helping students learn more effectively in all three
domains?
For More Information

Visit the RISCA Website at
www.rischoolcounselor.org

Arthur Lisi, [email protected]

Jim Guarino, [email protected]