BELLINGHAM SCHOOL DISTRICT 501
2140
BOARD POLICY
STUDENT COUNSELING AND GUIDANCE PROGRAM
The Counseling and Guidance program provides important benefits to individual students by addressing their intellectual, emotional, social and psychological needs. The program addresses the needs of all students by helping them acquire competencies in educational and career planning as well as the skills needed to enter adulthood in today's world. The counseling and guidance program is considered an integral part of our secondary schools' educational program. The school counselor is the primary facilitator for the program, although other professional staff members provide support to school counselors and the counseling program. The staff members who comprise the student support team may include teachers, administrators, career specialists, social workers, intervention/preventionists, nurses, and psychologists.
Program Goals
The Guidance and Counseling program promotes successful schooling by assisting students in learning the skills and attitudes necessary to achieve their best performance. It emphasizes decision-making skill development and the exploration of future educational and occupational possibilities. Middle school counselors will collaborate with staff to help students identify their educational and occupational interests. They will also work with students to develop interpersonal social skills.
The Guidance and Counseling program at the high school will assist students in becoming responsible adults who can develop realistic and fulfilling life plans based on a clear understanding of themselves - their needs, interests, and skills. High school counselors will assist students in the development of personal education plans that will include their high school educational plans and a post graduation plan. Students will choose career goals that fit their interests by selecting an organized sequence of classes and activities that contribute to preparation for occupations of a similar kind in the student's area of interest.
Program Activities
To accomplish these goals, the Guidance and Counseling program is an integral part of the district's total educational program. Counselors, as well as other student support staff, will work with all students, parents, teachers, administrators, and the community through a balanced program of direct services and indirect services through referral to other community agencies or support services. Individual planning activities are provided to assist all students in creating their educational plans. Individual, small group, and crisis counseling are available to all students. Consultation services concerning student academic or personal needs are provided to parents, teachers and administrators.
Program Components
The Guidance and Counseling program components organize the work of counselors into the services they provide. These include direct counselor support of the guidance curriculum, individual planning, and responsive services and the indirect service of system support.
Guidance Curriculum includes those counseling and instructional activities that emphasize decision-making, self-understanding, career exploration, and the improvement of study skills.
Individual Planning includes activities to assist all students to plan, monitor and manage their own learning as well as personal and career development. Individual planning emphasizes educational counseling and post-secondary planning.
Responsive Services includes counseling or referral activities to meet immediate needs and concerns of students. Responsive services include personal counseling, crisis counseling, agency referral, consultation for parents and other professional support staff, and problem solving.
System Support includes indirect management activities that maintain and enhance the total guidance program. Responsibilities include staff and community relations, committees, professional development, and coordinating student support teams.
The superintendent shall develop procedures and plans to implement this policy.
Approved: January 11, 2001