2140P Procedure

Policy No. 2140
Section: 2000 - Instruction

Guidance and Counseling Procedure

The district’s comprehensive guidance and counseling program will be developed, implemented, managed, and evaluated using the following foundation, and delivery management and accountability systems. The overriding themes of the program shall be leadership, advocacy, collaboration and teaming, and systemic change. School counseling programs will be an integral part of students’ daily educational environment and school counselors should be partners in student achievement.

The focus of the school counseling program for each student will be:

Academic Development:

  1. Students will acquire the attitudes, knowledge and skills contributing to effective learning in school and across the lifespan;

  2. Students will complete school with the academic preparation essential to choose from a wide range of substantial post-secondary options, including college; and

  3. Students will understand the relationship of academics to the world of work and to lifeat home and in the community.

Career Development:

  1. Students will acquire the skills to investigate the world of work in relation to knowledge of self and to make informed career decisions;

  2. Students will employ strategies to achieve future career goals with successand satisfaction; and

  3. Students will understand the relationship between personal qualities, education, training and the world of work.

Personal and Social Development:

  1. Students will acquire the knowledge, attitudes and interpersonal skills to help them understand and respect self and others;

  2. Students will make decisions, set goals and take necessary action to achieve goals; and

  3. Students will understand safety and survival skills.

The district’s comprehensive guidance and counseling program will also assist:

  1. Families in learning about resources at the school and in the community;

  2. Teachers in creating a strong learning environment and in imparting to students the relevance of academics;

  3. Administrators in aligning counseling with the school’s academic mission and providing data to evaluate student progress; and

  4. Community members in providing opportunities for students to explore and become involved as contributing members of their communities.

  • Foundation


    Like any solid structure, the school counseling program is built on a strong foundation. Based on our district’s goals for student achievement, what every student should know and should be able to do, the foundation determines how every student will benefit from the district’s school counseling program. The district’s guidance and counseling program is based on the following foundational beliefs and mission.

    • Beliefs and Philosophy:


      (Insert the district’s beliefs and philosophy statement. The philosophy is a set of principles that will guide your program development, implementation and evaluation. Develop your beliefs and philosophy consistent with your district’s vision and with state and national standards. Include your beliefs about students and about what your program will provide. For assistance refer to the National Model Workbook.)

    • Mission:


      (Insert the district’s program mission. The mission statement describes the program’s purpose and goals. Your school counseling program mission statement should align with and be a subset of the school and district’s mission.)

  • Delivery System


    The district’s delivery system describes the activities, interactions and methods necessary to deliver the program. Based on the district’s core beliefs, philosophies and missions identified in the foundation, the delivery system describes the activities, interactions and methods necessary to deliver the program.


    To maximize student achievement and optimize the effectiveness of the school counseling program, counseling duties will focus on the following four delivery system components.

    • Curriculum: The curriculum will be structured to ensure that every student has access to guidance and planning and that students receive information for making thoughtful decisions about the future. The curriculum will be organized and delivered to help students develop academic, career and personal and social development skills, with particular emphasis on the skills students will need to succeed in the community and in their careers as adults in a twenty-first century world. Twenty-first century skills include communication skills, collaboration skills, self-direction and personal responsibility, and the ability to assess one’s own knowledge and become a lifelong learner. Classroom guidance through developmentally appropriate guidance curricula will also help all students make smooth transitions from one educational level to the next and can support assessment practices to measure the impact on student learning.

    • Individual Student Planning: the comprehensive guidance and counseling program will provide opportunities for students to assess their progress, explore their interests and skills, and work with their families and teachers to learn what they need to do to realize their goals for life after high school and to prepare for the careers and opportunities of the 21st century.

    • Responsive Services: The comprehensive guidance and counseling program will be organized to allow counseling staff to respond effectively and efficiently to students’ personal and social concerns. Counselors will provide staff with resources to assist students in succeeding in school by identifying and removing barriers to learning. Counselors will play a vital role in the prevention of bullying, harassment and intimidation; in suicide intervention and prevention, and in crisis response planning and intervention. Counselors will also work with families to refer students to community support services.

    • System Support: Counselors will meet regularly with administrators and participate in professional development activities. School counselors will use state and national program standards to guide the management and evaluation of the school counseling program.

  • Management System


    The district’s guidance and counseling management system will ensure that its program is organized, concrete, clearly delineated and reflective of the school’s needs. The components of the management system include:

    • Management agreements: the written agreement between the principal and counselor(s) on the implementation of the school guidance and counseling program;

    • Advisory council: Students, parents, teachers, counselors, administration and community members appointed to review counseling program results and to make recommendations;

    • Use of data: School counselors will demonstrate that each activity implemented as part of the program was developed from a careful analysis of students’ needs, achievement and/or related data and that the effectiveness of each activity will be evaluated periodically;

    • Action Plans: For priority goals, counselors will develop action plans outlining how the desired results will be achieved. Each plan will contain: a) student competencies addressed; b) a description of the activity; c) data driving the decision to address the competency; d) a timeline in which the activity is to be completed; e) who is responsible for delivery; f) means of evaluating student success; and g) expected results for students;

    • Analysis of use of time: School counselors will spend the majority of their time in direct contact with students. Duties will focus on comprehensive program delivery and direct counseling services; and

    • Calendars for the purpose of organization and communication: Counselors will develop and publish master and monthly calendars to keep students, parents, teachers and administrators informed.

  • Accountability


    School counselors will collect and use data that link the program to student achievement.


    The evaluation data will include:

    • Result Reports: Results data to ensure programs are carried out, analyzed for effectiveness and modified as needed;

    • School Counselor Performance Standards: The school counselor performance evaluation will reflect the state certification standards and the counselor performance standards of the American School Counselor Association; and

    • Program Audit: To guide future action within the program and to improve future results for students.

Updated: 07/27/2009