School Counseling
Update
Barbara Ashcraft, MA, LPC
WVDE School Counseling Coordinator
2008 Fall School Counselor Workshops
School Counselors Have Changed ??
Old…
 Random Acts of Guidance
 Saw one twice in 12 years
(students report)
 Various extra duties
 Coordinating and giving tests
 Predominately “Responsive Services”
 Little accountability
School Counselors Have Changed
New…
A Planned Program

Closing the gap in achievement

Career/college ready

Classroom lessons for all students

Support Individual Student Needs

ASCA National Model (Policy 2315)

ASCA National Model – Policy 2315
4
Delivery System
Elementary
Guidance
Curriculum 35-45%
Individual
Planning 5-10%
Responsive
Services 30-40%
System
Support 10-15%
5
Middle
High School
25-35%
15-25%
15-25%
25-35%
30-40%
25-35%
10-15%
15-20%
How are counselors really spending
their time?
25%
6
75%
Areas Critical to Support for School Counseling
Critical Area
Group
Program Quality
Expected Results
Role of School Counselors The Framework for School Counseling is developed and clearly delineates the
in Student Success and School comprehensive school counseling program.
Reform
The Five Year Plans are implemented for all middle and high school students.
The Counseling role in Advisories is developed and implemented.
The Counseling curriculum scope and sequence is standardized, where
possible.
Scaffolding rubrics for use with counseling activities are developed and
implemented.
A K-12 career development strand is implemented.
A k-12 scope and sequence for delivery of academic, career and personal social
development standards for all West Virginia students is developed.
Opportunities for collaborative efforts among counselors and teachers are
expanded.
Professional Development
Repositories of counseling curriculum are posted on the school/county/state
websites.
Professional development calendar is published annually.
Professional development modules that target counselor-defined training needs
are developed and delivered.
Professional development opportunities for school counselors at the state and
national level are made more assessable to counselors.
Areas Critical to Support for School Counseling
Program
Quality
Technology
Use of technology by counselors and students in exploring and selecting post-secondary
opportunities is expanded.
Student use of technology for gathering information on post-secondary options (e.g.,
colleges, careers) is expanded.
Technology is integrated in all aspects of the school counseling program.
Technology Tools are made more readily available to school counselors.
Organizational Planning
Effectiveness
Strategic and annual planning process is continued.
Annual implementation plans for upcoming school years are developed.
Strategic plan is reviewed and updated annually.
Organizational
Support
A WVDE Administrative School Counseling Handbook is developed and kept accurate and up-todate.
An Advisory Board for School Counseling is established.
The capacity for leadership is more fully developed at the local level.
School Counselors will participate on WVDE committees and task forces, and other appropriate
groups that impact the success of school counseling in
WVDE collaborates with higher education preparation programs to assure that school counselors
are trained to fulfill roles required by ASCA national Model and Policy 2315.
Resources
Resources are developed and updated (e.g., Resource Guide, program tools, website, LINKS
Student Advisement Program and website and Content Standards and Objectives Policy written).
Areas Critical to Support for School Counseling
Organizational
Effectiveness
Information
Systems/Data
The impact of implementing a comprehensive school counseling
program is evaluated.
A district-wide School Counseling Data Management System is
developed and implemented.
The district produces an annual School Counseling Report Card.
Meaningful data on the impact of school counseling on the district’s
personalization efforts are gathered and reported.
Human Resources
School counseling positions are filled full-time certified school
counselors.
Counselor Coordinators are filled by certified school counselors.
School Counseling ratios are more closely aligned with the national
recommended ratio of 1/250.
State, county and school job descriptions are written to align with
Policy 2315.
OEPA staff is trained to evaluate school counseling programs with
Policy 2315 requirements.
Facilities
Facilities provide an environment that is conducive to effective
counseling.
Areas Critical to Support for School Counseling
Support for School Culture
School
Counseling
The quality of the school culture is expanded through a
focus on personalized learning environments for students.
Communications Electronic communication is continually updated and
utilized by counselors.
/
Public Relations
WVDE website provides a communication link to students,
counselors, parents, administrators and other stakeholders.
Parent
Involvement
Parents are further involved in their child’s education
through the Five Year Plan.
Collaboration exists between the school counselors and
other school staff to assure each parent and student meets
with school staff annually to update ISTP plans.
Partnerships
Strategic partnerships are developed and expanded to
enhance the school counseling programs.
Areas Critical to Organizational Effectiveness
Planning
Area
Expected Results
A strategic and annual planning process for school counseling is implemented at the state/county/local levels.
Budget
School counseling programs are supported by WVDE’s Budget.
Funding is available for professional development of school counselors.
Resources needed to fully implement school counseling programs are more accessible to school counselors.
Funding is available for WVDE Coordinator Position.
Funding is available for the WVDE School Counseling Coordinator to attend conferences and other professional
development opportunities.
Funding is available to bring national experts to for professional development and guidance regarding the
statewide initiative to improve school counseling programs and practice.
Funding is available to design, produce and implement a state-wide advisor/advisee curriculum.
Organizational Structure
State and counties continue positions that provide supervision, leadership and direction for school counselors.
WVDE School Counseling Coordinator works in collaboration with other WVDE departments and staff to fully
support school counselors and school counseling programs.
School counseling program needs are supported by WVDE’s organizational structure.
Administrator
Administrator/Counselor Agreements exist to maximize school counseling program effectiveness.
Counselor Agreements
Data
School counseling programs are data-driven.
Communications
ListServes, mailings and websites provide vital information in a timely fashion.
Areas Critical to Support for School Counseling
The strategic plan provides more details on
each area.
A COPY OF THE ENTIRE
SCHOOL COUNSELING
STRATEGIC PLAN IS
AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.
NEXT: Overview of some of the outcomes of
last year’s plan.
Technology Integration
 WVDE Technology Plan – Brenda Williams
 School Counselor Technology Survey (coming soon)
 WVDE Technology Summer Conference – School Counselor
Strand
 LINKS web-based lessons and framework
 Web-based career planning tools
 Career Cruising
 Kuder
 Bridges
 www.WVeducationplanner.org
 Technology tools (searching for grants)
 Tools for Schools
 Gear Up
 Benedum Foundation
Gates Foundation
Community Grants
Business Partners
WVDE School
Counseling
Coordinator works
in collaboration
with other WVDE
departments and
staff to fully support
school counselors
and school
counseling
programs.
Professional Development
Last Fall
approximately
550 counselors
attended
This year’s
Numbers are
about the same.
Professional Development
Professional Development
21st Century HSTW Sites
April 23 & 24, 2007
•National Model/Policy 2315
•Resources
•Informal Needs Assessment
•Primary Goal- Student Advisement Program
April 1 & 2, 2008
•Introduced LINKS Student Advisement Program Pilot
Program
•Content Standards/ Planned Website
•Career Cruising Pilot – Introduction
June 2008 – (4) 3 hour Training of Core Staff Career Cruising
Review of LINKS Website
Professional Development
Approximately
80 attended our
Inaugural
Summer
Conference
Workshop
was
co-sponsored
by:
WVDE
WV School
Counselor
Association
July 16, 2008
and Fairmont
Professional Development
Professional Development
 Largest number ever attends ASCA Conference in Atlanta
 17 attends..makes noise for WV
Comments:
 I wish I would have done this when I started my career. I wonder what my program
would look like now.
 I learned a lot that will help me be a better counselor.
 This was a lot of fun and I learned a lot.
 I hope I can come every year.
Setting New Standards - ASCA
Professional Development
Counties:
Preston
Cabell
Preston
Randolph
Mason
Lincoln
Braxton
Berkley
Jefferson
Step-By-Step “How To” Guide
(complete with tools and templates)
Tools
TOOLS – Three Year Plan
Principal/Counselor Agreements
Tools – Sample Calendar
Professional Development/Technical
Support
USDE Elementary and Secondary Education Grant
…provides funding to LEAs to establish or expand elementary and
secondary school counseling programs
WVDE Provided - grant writing workshop
- on-line support
Lincoln County received almost 1.8 million over 3 years to:
 add both elementary and secondary school counselors
 provide professional development
 add resources
 improve practices to enhance school counseling programs.
State Committees / Taskforces
State School Based Mental Health Steering Committee
 WVDE / DHHR developing state model to increase mental health
services for all WV students
WVDE Parent/Family Community Involvement Taskforce
HEPC College Access Committee
Promise Ad Hoc Advisory Committee
Financial Literacy Curriculum State Planning Taskforce
Research
 Christie Schimmel “State of School Counseling in WV”
 School Based Mental Health
 National “State of School Counseling” Center for School
Counseling Outcome Research
 State ILP Study…Naviance
Field Questions
Increased communication…
 Website
 List serves (Elementary, Middle/High and County Coordinator)
 Policy updates
 Graduation requirement changes
 Professional development opportunities
 Tools
 Best practices
 New programs
 WVDE updates, etc
School Counseling Website
 Providing resources and tools for
 Counselors
 Parents
 Students
 Administrators
 Teachers/advisors
http://wvde.state.wv.us/counselors/
Web-based Student Advisement Program
LINKS Student Advisement Program
 web-based framework and curriculum for student advisement programs
(Advisor/Advisee) in West Virginia
 designed to advance student learning and development in a proactive,
deliberate manner to encourage individual success
 involving a personal relationship with at least one adult serving as an
advocate for the student.
 Piloted in 21st Century HSTW sites
 40 lesson plans per grade level (WV specific, downloadable)
 Standards based (Policy 2520.19 allows schools to offer for credit)
 Free pilot with Career Cruising (on-line career exploration
and planning tool)
http://wvde.state.wv.us/counselors/links
Principal
Steering Committee
- Principal
- Coordinator(s)
- Counselor
- Teachers
- Key Community Stakeholders
LINKS
Coordinator
Grade Level
Coordinators
LINKS
Advisor
Parents &
Community
Stakeholders
Counselors
Students
LINKS Student Advisement Program
Evaluation
 Collaborating with
 National Center for Family Literacy (Training and Evaluation)
 Edvantia / ARCC
 WVDE Office of Assessments/Research
 HEPC
…to conduct annual and longitudinal study on the impact of this
program on student achievement and post-secondary success
LINKS Student Advisement Program
Lessons and Staff Training
 Collaborating with
 National Center for Family Literacy (Training and Evaluation)
 Edvantia / ARCC
 Roads to Success
 Fulfillment Fund
 Other state programs
 Career Cruising
Use of Technology in Career
Exploration
Career Cruising – 21st Century Sites
 Kuder – 10 additional sites

Other programs…
 WV Clearinghouse
 WV Education Planner
Future Goals
 Revise Policy 2315
 Develop State School Counseling Model
 WV in Middle Tier (according to extensive study by the
Center of School Counseling Outcome Research – U Mass
 Develop State Scope and sequence and web-based
lessons.
 Revise LINKS Student Advisement Program
 Based on evaluation/feedback from Model Sites
 Finalize School Counseling Website
 Advisory Council???
Questions ??
Barbara Brady Ashcraft, MA, LPC
School Counseling Coordinator
WV Department of Education
Bldg. 6, Room 221
1900 Kanawha Blvd. East
Charleston, WV 25305-0330
Phone: 304-558-2348
Fax: 304-558-3946
bashcraft@access.k12.wv.us