National Initiative for Transforming School Counseling

The School Counseling Program

The School Counseling Program at The University of Georgia is housed within the Department of Counseling and Human Development Services in the College of Education. The program is 48 semester hours, is nationally accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), and meets the standards of the Professional Standards Commission for the State of Georgia.
The mission of the program is to prepare and re-train counselors who work in elementary, middle, and secondary schools who are educational leaders and self-reflective practitioners; serve as advocates for all students; understand and apply principles of group work in building school and community partnerships; and accept responsibility for improving educational practices through an active program of research and evaluation.

The National Initiative for Transforming School Counseling
New Vision for School Counselors

1. Counseling and coordination

Brief counseling encounters with individual students, groups, and families
Coordinate resources, human and other, for students, families, and staff, to improve student achievement (community, school, and home)
Key liaison working with students and school staff to set high aspirations for all students and develop plans/supports for achieving these aspirations
Coordinate staff training initiatives which address student needs on a school wide basis

2. Educational Leadership

Promoting, planning, implementing prevention programs, career/college activities, course selection and placement activities, social/personal management and decision making activities
Provide data snapshots of student outcomes, show implications, achievement gaps, and provide leadership for school to view through equity lens
Arrange 1-1 relationships for students with adults in school setting for additional support and assistance in reaching academic success
Play a leadership role in defining and carrying out the Guidance and Counseling function

3. Advocacy

Making available and using data to help the whole school look at student outcomes

Use data to affect change; calling on resources from school and community

Advocate for student experiences and exposures that will broaden students' career awareness and knowledge

Advocate for students' placements and school support for rigorous preparation for all students

4. Team building and collaboration

Participate/consult with teams for problem-solving; ensuring responsiveness to equity and cultural diversity issues as well as learning styles
Collaborate with other helping agents (peer helpers, teachers, principal, community agencies, business)
Collaborate with school and community teams to focus on rewards, incentives and supports for student achievement
Collaborate with school staff members in developing staff training on team responses to students' academic, social, emotional and developmental needs

5. Use of assessment data

Assess and interpret student needs, recognizing differences in culture, languages, values and backgrounds
Establish and assess measurable goals for student outcomes from counseling programs, activities, interventions, and experiences
Assess building barriers that impede learning, inclusion and /or academic success for students
interpret student data for use in whole school planning for change

     Three related strands are addressed across these components:
        1. Awareness, knowledge and skills related to multiculturalism
        2. The use of technology to improve educational practice
        3. The application of the National Standards for School Counseling Programs

From: The National Initiative for Transforming School Counseling, The Education Trust, Inc., Underwritten by DeWitt Wallace-Reader's Digest Fund, new Vision for School Counselors.

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page updated 03-26-01