THE CCPS SCHOOL COUNSELOR MISSION

The CCPS Counselors’ mission is to provide a comprehensive school counseling program that addresses the academic, career, and social/emotional needs of each and every student. CCPS counselors are professional school advocates who promote academic achievement, equity, and access for all students. In partnership with other educators, parents/guardians, and the community, school counselors work to prevent and remove barriers to student learning. Their goal is to ensure that all CCPS students feel challenged and supported to develop intellectually, socially, and emotionally to become productive and responsible members of society.

EXPECTATIONS, DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES including but not limited to the following:

Professional Knowledge

• Provides individual counseling, small group counseling, and classroom instruction ensuring access to resources that promote: academic achievement; social and emotional development; career exploration and readiness; the identification of appropriate post-secondary education opportunities.
• Applies appropriate theories and techniques in their classroom instruction, and in individual and small group counseling.
• Demonstrates knowledge of child and adolescent brain development in selecting instructional materials, implementing counseling strategies, and creating interventions and programs to support students.
• Knowledge in identifying specific needs of students and developing and implementing effective attendance, academic, or behavior interventions to meet their needs.
• Ability to develop and implement effective tier two interventions to include modified functional behavior assessments, behavior education plans, data collection, progress monitoring, data analysis, and provide meaningful feedback to students, teachers, and parents.
• Understands the continuum of mental health services including prevention and intervention strategies to enhance student success in the school setting.
• Understands and participates in the threat assessment team process conducting effective risk assessments for self-harm or threats to others, and develops effective safety plans when necessary.
• Understands and applies general principles of working with various student populations based on race, ethnic background, English language proficiency, health impairments and disabilities, religious affiliation, gender, sexual orientation and socio-economic status.
• Knowledge of school crisis planning, crisis response, mitigation and recovery, understanding their role in providing support and responsive services to various crisis situations.
• Knowledge of effective multi-tiered attendance, academic, and behavior support systems for individuals, groups, and the whole student body.
• Knowledge of policies and procedures for identifying and serving special populations of students to include: students with disabilities under an Individual Education Plan or a section 504 plan; English as a second language; migratory or homeless youth; abused or neglected children; those negatively affected by traumatic life experiences; those exhibiting possible mental health disorders.
• Demonstrates an expert understanding of the Program of Studies and graduation requirements for each type of diploma and seal recognized by the Virginia Board of Education. (Middle and High School Counselors)

Instructional and Counseling Planning

• Aligns instructional and counseling objectives, activities, and assessments to school improvement plans.
• Uses local, state and national standards to drive the implementation of a comprehensive school counseling program.
• Designs effective instructional and counseling services and interventions and program based proven research-based principles and techniques in collaboration with colleagues, other professionals, and parents.
• Selects appropriate instructional and counseling strategies, resources, materials, and interventions that promote student engagement, learning, goal setting, decision making, social skills, transition, and academic and career planning based on different learning preferences and readiness.
• Gathers, analyzes, synthesizes, and disaggregates student data to develop strategies and interventions that promote academic achievement, social/emotional development, and career planning based on the goals and needs of the student.

Instructional and Counseling Delivery

• Effectively engages students by using a variety of instructional and counseling strategies in order to meet individual, small group, and whole group needs.
• Understands methods for students to develop self-advocacy skills, to monitor and direct their own learning, to develop social & emotional competencies, and to engage in career exploration.
• Utilizes appropriate materials and effective instructional and counseling strategies to meet student needs and school counseling program goals.
• Implements student support activities such as goal setting, study skills, social competencies, and self-regulation in collaboration and consultation with teachers, administrators, other professionals, and parents.

• Meets with new students, reviews available cumulative records, communicates with parents to determine transitional needs, academic placement, emotional and social supports, and provide a general orientation to the school.
• Alert students and parents to critical academic information including, but not limited to: SOL tests; grades; graduation requirements, and danger of failing to graduate or be promoted.

• Provide effective instruction for peer mediation, conflict resolution, relationship building and restorative practices to support students in need.

• Assist students with college planning including knowledge of the college application process, preparing for and completing college entrance examinations and portfolios, submitting required documents, writing recommendation letters, and assisting with scholarship applications (High School Counselors)

Assessment of Student Learning and Social and Emotional Competencies

• Utilizes a variety of formative and summative assessments that demonstrates students' growth in knowledge and skills over time.

• Interpret and understand various student data including SOL scores, academic grades, teacher narratives, diagnostic tools, progress monitoring reports, discipline referrals, attendance patterns, behavior analysis, career inventories and workplace and college readiness assessments.

• Works independently and collaboratively to analyze and interpret multiple sources of data to identify student learning needs, guide planning for instruction and counseling, and assess the effectiveness of instruction and counseling techniques, interventions, and strategies.
• Analyzes, synthesizes, interprets, and disaggregates relevant data (including process, perception, and results data) to examine student outcomes and to identify and implement interventions that improve student achievement and behavior.
• Uses student data to demonstrate a need for systemic change in areas such as course enrollment patterns, school climate, equity and access, and the achievement, opportunity, and information gaps.
• Provides timely and meaningful feedback to students and parents explaining student progress towards attendance, academic, and behavioral goals.

Learning Environment and School Climate

• Collaborates with stakeholders (parents, teachers, counselors, administrators, and community leaders) to promote educational equity and positive outcomes for every student.
• Creates and maintains a positive and safe instructional and counseling environment to maximize learning and promote students' social/emotional development.
• Educates staff and parents and encourages their involvement to promote the effective implementation of the school counseling programs and a safe and positive school climate.
• Promotes sensitivity by students and staff in respecting the diversity of students' language, culture, race, gender, sexual orientation, disabilities, life experiences and trauma history
• Enforces rules and procedures consistently and fairly to promote safety and to maximize learning opportunities for students.
• Develops, implements, and supports student recognition events, parent education and involvement, and college and career exploration activities.
• Maintains frequent contact with students, staff members, and school administrators.
• Maintains regular contact with parents by phone, email, and meetings as necessary

Professionalism

• Applies the ethical standards and principles of the school counseling profession and adheres to the legal aspects of the role of the school counselor.
• Establishes annual professional goals aligned with school or program goals and/or for improving professional knowledge and skills.
• Participates in professional growth opportunities to meet those goals.
• Collaborates with colleagues within and across content areas and grade levels to promote academic achievement, career readiness, and social/emotional development for all students.
• Collaborates with colleagues to develop consistent policies and procedures that create a positive school climate conducive to learning.
• Collaborates, communicates, and works in partnership with students, parents and guardians, administrators, and colleagues within and outside the school community to promote student learning at school and support student learning at home.
• Effectively uses standard oral and written English in all communications using a variety of communication mediums.
• Provide service to the school, school division, community, and professional associations by participating in events, serving on committees or task forces, or serving as a mentor.
• Demonstrates proper time management, proper documentation, and organizational skills.

Student Attendance, Academic, and Behavior Progress

• In collaboration with the evaluator, uses multiple measures of school and student data to set school counseling program goals that are strategic and specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, rigorous, and time-bound.
• In collaboration with the evaluator, reflect on student progress over time using documented evidence to demonstrate student growth toward achieving academic, behavior, and career goals.

GUIDELINES USED

• Act within the school division’s guidelines, policies and procedures and adherence to Virginia Department of Education regulations and state and federal laws.
• Considers reports from appropriate professional organizations, select commissions, and published scientific research.
• Abides by ethical standards defined by the American School Counseling Association.

CONDITIONS OF WORK

The school counselor is responsible for highly diverse and complex duties. The counselor is responsible for a caseload of students with diverse backgrounds in socio-economic status, religious beliefs, race, ethnicity, gender identity, and sexual orientation.  The school counselor must be flexible and have high tolerance for change and the ability to work with frequent interruptions.  They must have the ability to work in a high stress environment and handle crises in a calm manner.  Strong interpersonal skills are required in working with diverse groups of students, parents, and staff.  The school counselor must have a high initiative and assume responsibility working productively with a minimum of supervision.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Master’s degree in counseling and appropriate Virginia school counselor license required
• Demonstrated ability to work cooperatively and effectively with students, teachers, staff, parents, and others
• Knowledge of Standards for Counseling Programs in Virginia Public Schools
• Knowledge of ASCA National Model of School Counseling
• Knowledge of Ethical Standards as defined by ASCA

PHYSICAL DEMANDS/REQUIREMENTS

Frequent walking, stooping, standing, lifting up to approximately 30 pounds, and occasional lifting of equipment and/or materials weighing up to approximately 40 pounds may be required.  Other limited physical activities are required. Vocal communication is required to perceive information at normal spoken word levels; visual acuity is required for preparing and analyzing written or computer data, determining the accuracy and thoroughness of work, and observing general surroundings and activities. Timely and regular attendance is an expectation of performance for all CCPS employees. To ensure adequate staffing, positive employee morale, and to meet expected productivity standards throughout the organization, employees will be held accountable for adhering to their workplace schedule.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED

Performs duties under the supervision of building administration; receives instruction and support from central office designee/coordinator of counseling services.  The supervisor will evaluate performance on the ability and effectiveness in carrying out the above responsibilities.