COUN 5328:

Counseling in Schools: Orientation and Ethics

Fall 2006

Instructor: Sample                  Office:

Phone:                                  Office Hours:

Email:                                                                       or by appointment

Course Description :

Competencies and skills to establish, maintain, and evaluate a comprehensive developmental school guidance program will be taught, including the four major areas of responsive services, individual planning, system support, and developmental guidance curriculum. School counseling students should take this course first in their sequence of courses.

An overview of the school counseling profession, the context of practice, and the knowledge and skills for counseling, guidance and consultation in the schools through lecture, discussion, and selected experiential activities.

Course Objectives*

A. Foundations of School Counseling

• history, philosophy, and current trends in school counseling and educational systems (CACREP II.K.1.a,e);
• relationship of the school counseling program to the academic and student services program in the school (CACREP II.K.1.b);
• role, function, and professional identity of the school counselor in relation to the roles of other professional and support personnel in the school (CACREP II.K.1.b);
• strategies of leadership designed to enhance the learning environment of schools;
• knowledge of the school setting, environment, and pre-K – 12 curriculum;
• current issues, policies, laws, and legislation relevant to school counseling (CACREP II.K.1.e);
• the role of racial, ethnic, and cultural heritage, nationality, socioeconomic status, family structure, age, gender, sexual orientation, religious and spiritual beliefs, occupation, physical and mental status, and equity issues in school counseling (CACREP II.K.1.g; 2.b)
• knowledge and understanding of community, environmental, and institutional opportunities that enhance, as well as barriers that impede student academic, career, and personal/social success and overall development (CACREP II.K.1.g; 2.d; 4.d)
• knowledge and application of current and emerging technology in education and school counseling to assist students, families, and educators in using resources that promote informed academic, career, and personal/social choices (CACREP II.K.1.c; 4.g), and
• ethical and legal considerations related specifically to the practice of school counseling (e.g., the ACA Code of Ethics and the ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors) (CACREP II.K.1.h.; 3.f);

•  Contextual Dimensions of School Counseling: Studies that provide an understanding of the coordination of counseling programs components as they relate to the total school community, including all of the following:
• advocacy for all students and for effective school counseling programs (CACREP II.K.1.g);
• coordination, collaboration, referral, and team-building efforts with teachers, parents, support personnel, and community resources to promote program objectives and facilitate successful student development and achievement of all students (CACREP II.K.1.b; 3.d)
• integration of the school counseling program into the total school curriculum by systematically providing information and skills training to assist pre-K – 12 students in maximizing their academic, career, and personal/social development (CACREP II.K.3.d);
• promotion of the use of counseling and guidance activities and programs by the total school community to enhance a positive school climate;
• methods of planning for and presenting school counseling-related educational programs to administrators, teachers, parents, and the community
• methods of planning, developing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating comprehensive developmental counseling programs (CACREP II.K.3.d; 8.b; 8.c; 8.d), and
• knowledge of prevention and crisis intervention strategies (CACREP II.K.3.c)

• Knowledge and Skill Requirements for School Counselors :

• Program Development, Implementation, and Evaluation
• use, management, analysis, and presentation of data from school-based information (e.g., standardized testing, grades, enrollment, attendance, retention, placement), surveys, interviews, focus groups, and needs assessments to improve students outcomes (CACREP II.K.7.b; 8.b)
• design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of comprehensive developmental school counseling programs (e.g., ASCA National Standards for School Counseling Programs, Texas …..) including awareness of various systems that affect students, school, and home (CACREP II.K.4.c; 6.d; 7.g)
• implementation and evaluation of specific strategies that meet program goals and objectives
• identification of student academic, career, and personal/social competencies and the implementation of processes and activities to assist students in achieving these competencies (CACREP II.K.4.e);
• preparation of an action plan and school counseling calendar that reflect appropriate time commitments and priorities in a comprehensive developmental school counseling program;
•  strategies for seeking and securing alternative funding for program expansion; and
• use of technology in the design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of a comprehensive school counseling program. (CACREP IIK: 1c)

• Counseling and Guidance
• individual and small-group counseling approaches that promote school success, through academic, career, personal/social development for all students (CACREP II.K.3.d; 4.c; 5.b; 5.c; 6.d; 6.e);
• individual, group, and classroom guidance approaches systemically designed to assist all students with academic, career, and personal/social development (CACREP II.K.3.d; 5.b; 5.c; 6.e);
• approaches to peer facilitation, including peer helper, peer tutor, and peer mediation programs;
• issues that may affect the development and functioning of students (e.g., abuse, violence, eating disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, childhood depression and suicide) (CACREP II.K.3.c; 3d);
• developmental approaches to assist all students and parents at points of educational transition (e.g., home to elementary school, elementary to middle school, high school to postsecondary education and career options) (CACREP II.K.3.a);
• constructive partnerships with parents, guardians, families, and communities in order to promote each student’s academic, career, and personal/social success;
• systems theories and relationships among and between community systems, family systems, and school systems, and how they interact to influence the students and affect each of the other systems (CACREP II.K.3.c; 5.d), and
• approaches to recognizing and assisting children and adolescents who may use alcohol or other drugs or who may reside in a home where substance abuse occurs (CACREP II.K.3.c.)

• Consultation
• strategies to promote, develop, and enhance effective teamwork within the school and larger community;
• theories, models, and processes of consultation and change with teachers, administrators, and other school personnel, parents, community groups, agencies, and students as appropriate (CACREP K.II.2.c; 5.a; 5.e);
• strategies and methods of working with parents, guardians, families, and communities to empower them to act on behalf of their children; and
• knowledge and skills in conducting programs that are designed to enhance students’ academic, social, emotional, career, and other developmental needs (CACREP II.K.3.d.; 4.c).

*These match the CACREP Standards for School Counseling

Methods of Instruction:

Methods of instruction include (not exclusively) lecture, PowerPoint, guest speakers, in-class projects, group work (small & large), student presentations, student products, audio-visual aides (at the prerogative of the instructor)

Required Texts :

Baker, S.B., & Gerler, E.R. (2004). School Counseling for the Twenty-First Century, 4 th Ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/ Merrill Prentice Hall.

Schmidt, J. J. (2004). A Survival Guide for the Elementary/Middle School Counselor, 2 nd Ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Recommended Textbooks :

Sciarra , D.T. (2004). School Counseling: Foundations and Contemporary Issues. Belmont, CA: Thomson*Brooks/Cole.

Studer , J. R. (2005). The Professional School Counselor: An Advocate for Students. Belmont, CA: Thomson*Brooks/Cole.

Content Areas: Topics to be covered (but not exclusive to):

• History of School Counseling
• Trends in School Counseling
• Role and Identity of School Counselors
• Leadership & Advocacy Issues for School Counselors
• Legal & Ethical Issues in School Counseling
• ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors
• Comprehensive Developmental Guidance Programs (including Texas Model and ASCA National Model)
• Planning, Implementing, and Evaluating a Comprehensive Developmental Counseling/Guidance Program
• Interventions with School Children: Preventative & Remedial (Best Practices)
• Individual & Group Counseling in the Schools (Best Practices)
• Guidance in the Schools (Best Practices)
• Consultation, Referral, and Coordination in Providing Student Services
• Assessment & Use of Data in the Schools
• Program Evaluation & Accountability of Comprehensive Developmental Guidance Programs
• Collaboration (with parents, teachers, administrators, etc.)
• Providing Services for Exceptional Students (IDEA/Special Education, 504, Gifted/Talented)
• Multicultural Issues in School Counseling
• Contextual Issues in School Counseling

Course Assignments & Grading:

ALL assignments are due the day/date listed on the syllabus; for exceptions you must gain permission from Dr. Roaten either in person or by phone (no e-mails).

• Attendance and participation : maximum of 20 points for punctuality, attendance, and participation in in-class activities (1 excused absence allowed; 3 points will be lost for each absence after that; extenuating circumstances will be taken into consideration as long as cleared before hand with Dr. Roaten)
• Research : You will read and review one article from Professional School Counseling. Briefly summarize the article in a few paragraphs followed up by a reflection about how the content of this article might impact you as a school counselor – no more than 2 pages. Please use APA format for the summary (you may use first person for reflection content), provide an APA reference page, and attach a copy of the article; 20 points.
• Test : Legal & Ethical Issues in School Counseling – multiple choice test will cover topics covered in class, ASCA Code of Ethics, legal issues; 40 points
• Case Scenario : Each student will be given a different case scenario involving a school-aged student with some type of need/problem. You will develop a plan of intervention (including counseling goals) to use with the student along with a rationale. This will be APA format with regard to paragraph (margins, spacing, etc.) including a reference page if you use citations, no more that 3 pages; 25 points.
• Outline for Counseling Group : You will develop a small counseling group intervention, six weeks in length, to meet a specific identified need in a school setting (social skills, anger/aggression, self-image, ADD/ADHD, low performance, etc.). You will provide a basic outline for a six week intervention with basic goals for the group, an objective for each session, and a very brief summary of activities and/or content of group. Also provide a rationale for the group including developmental considerations. This should be no more than 3 pages (not APA format); 25 points.
• A Complete Lesson Plan for One Guidance Lesson : This may be one of the guidance lessons in your product or it may cover another topic. Be sure to state goal( s) and learning objective (behavioral/measurable ), include content of lesson, list activities, and evaluation. Make sure to provide a copy to each person in the class; 10 points.
• Comprehensive Guidance & Counseling Product :   Maximum of 250 points (see details below)
• Final Exam : Take home exam, essay format, 10 questions (you choose 8); you will be given an assortment of school-related needs/problems to address in an application type answer using knowledge base from the entire course; 60 points

Total Points (Grade in Course):   450    A=450-420    B=419-370    C=369-315    D=<315

Comprehensive Developmental Guidance Product (CDGP)

Requirements & Grading Criteria

Spring 2007

You will develop a plan “mapping out” what you will do in your first year as a school counselor (at the level of your choosing, but should be elementary, middle/junior high, or high school); DUE May 1, 2007.

Total Points = 250

Components of this plan should include the following items for full credit:

• Your perceived role (as school counselor) in your specified school (leadership, coordination, etc.) This should be based on current literature with regard to professional identity/role= 10 points

• Plan for delivery of 4 components of comprehensive developmental guidance     program (individual planning, responsive services, guidance curriculum, and system support) in 3 domains (academic, personal/social, and career); show how much time will be spent in each of the 4 components (weekly calendar, pie graph, etc.)
• Rationale for your plan (advisory committee, research, needs assessments, goals, etc.)
• Regard for “Best Practices” (research base)
• Developmental considerations (preventative & remedial activities, interventions, etc.)
• Program Evaluation/;Accountability Efforts
• Consultative & collaborative efforts
• Timeline for implementation (includes year-long plan for implementation)

Items 2 and 3 = 110 points

• Complete sample guidance unit = 110 points
• Standards addressed (either Texas or ASCA)
• Objectives (behavioral/measurable), activities, evaluation/measurement (lesson plans)
• Developmental considerations
• Sample activities (handouts, products, “hands on” or experiential activities, etc.)

• References = 20 points
• Minimum 5 primary sources (journal articles, books, approved websites)
• Reference page in APA format

Texas State University-San Marcos seeks to provide reasonable accommodations for all qualified individuals with disabilities. The University will adhere to all applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations and guidelines with respect to providing reasonable accommodations as required to afford equal educational opportunity. It is the student’s responsibility to register with Disability Support Services and to contact the faculty member in a timely manner to arrange for appropriate accommodations.