West Virginia School Counseling Protocol
The Counselor Role in the Senior Year
12th Grade
Activity Description: This protocol provides counselors with guidelines to fulfill their roles in
helping students successfully navigate their senior year and prepare for post-secondary
transitions. This protocol is an ‘overarching’ guide that is linked to several more specific seniororiented protocols.
School Counselor Performance Standard: The professional school counselor facilitates
delivery of the WV Comprehensive Developmental School Counseling Program for all
students
Function 2G: SUCCESSFUL TRANSITIONS: Establishes student supports for successful
transitioning through programmatic levels, and from school to school, school to
work, or school to post-secondary, or career and technical training.
Indicator 2G3: Provides relevant school counseling programs, resources, instruction and supports
to assist all students in completing each grade level in preparation for successful
transitions to the next programmatic level.
GOAL: This protocol outlines the role of the school counselor in facilitating a successful
senior year for students in his/her caseload.
Rationale:
Students and parents require a lot of assistance from the school counselor to successfully navigate
the senior year and to prepare for the transition to post-secondary education or the world of work.
The senior year is demanding, requiring the counselor to be organized and well prepared with
resources and knowledge to assist students and parents with: ensuring students are on track for
graduation; and in understanding post-secondary opportunities and requirements, college
admissions testing, the scholarship and financial aid process, NCAA eligibility requirements, and
the college and post-secondary application process.
Protocol Activities:
1.)
Conduct senior Interviews with seniors and parents
2.)
Complete initial and ongoing senior credit checks
3.)
Communicate with parents and students about graduation requirements and student
deficiencies
4.)
Distribute a senior timeline
5.)
Facilitate Scholarships and Financial Aid process (follow protocol)
6.)
Facilitate student registration for ACT/SAT Testing
7.)
Arrange ASVAB Testing/Interpretation
8.)
Coordinate the College and Technical School Application Process
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DRAFT – Developed by Iestyn Bright and Barbara Ashcraft – October 2010 - Pending Committee Approval
West Virginia School Counseling Protocol
9.)
Collaborate with Military Collaborations (follow protocol)
10.)
Coordinate Career Day
11.)
Coordinate College day
12.)
Facilitate Senior Exit Interviews/Surveys
13.)
Recognize student accomplishments (Awards Programs)
Materials: Counselor Resource = CR
1. Scholarships and Financial Aid Protocol
2. Facilitating Military Collaborations Protocol
3. Senior Planning Guide - Packet (SAMPLE) (CR1)
4. Graduation Requirement checklist (CR2)
5. Sample letters to parents (graduation deficiencies) (CR3)
6. Letter to parents inviting them to senior orientation and providing an overview of the senior year
SAMPLE (CR4)
7. Senior Failure Credit Recovery Plan (CR5)
8. Senior Meeting Documentation Log (CR6)
9. At-Risk Senior List FORM (CR7)
10. SAMPLE: Power Point Post Secondary Transitions (CR8)
11. Transcript Request Form (Sample) (CR9)
Procedures:
1. At the end of the junior year (over the summer), complete a credit check to verify each senior’s
completion of graduation requirements.
2. Send a letter to student and parents informing them of any deficits, including options for credit
recovery (see sample letter)
3. Assist with scheduling for credit recovery
4. Keep a list of at-risk seniors, monitor regularly, refer to SATs as needed
5. Continually update at-risk senior list
6. Revise senior schedules to ensure completion of graduation requirements
7. Arrange a senior parent orientation (graduation requirements, review college admissions
requirements, college visits, scholarships/financial aid (PROMISE), requesting transcripts,
senior year events/calendar, ACT/SAT Testing, credit recovery, NCAA, military resources and
access to recruiters, Senior Projects and/or Work-based learning, FERPA guidelines- sharing
of information/right to opt out etc.)
8. Facilitate a process to have all students and parents sign off on existing credit requirements
needed to graduate at the end of the school year.
9. Conduct classroom guidance lessons to ensure all the items in #5 are discussed with all
seniors.
10. Arrange senior interviews with students and parents to discuss all items listed in #5 to assure
individual needs are met.
11. Facilitate a comprehensive process for informing students about scholarships and financial aid
and the application process (follow protocol)
12. Facilitate career and college day programs
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DRAFT – Developed by Iestyn Bright and Barbara Ashcraft – October 2010 - Pending Committee Approval
West Virginia School Counseling Protocol
13. Inform students and parents of graduation deficiencies and credit recovery options at the end
of each grading period (send letter to each student and parent who is failing or potentially
failing).
14. Regularly remind students of ACT/SAT deadlines and items on #5.
15. Facilitate an exit interview or survey to determine final senior plans.
16. Collaborate with other staff to assure students are recognized for accomplishments throughout
the school year and at the Final Senior Awards Program
Limitations:
 Lack of parental support or the parent not showing up for orientations/interviews
The counselor should document all attempts to contact parents.
 Other duties assigned that prohibits counselors from working directly with students
and parents to adequately support students during their senior year
Additional Resources:
www.cfwv.com - WV’s One-Stop College Access Web Portal
http://wvde.state.wv.us/careerpathways - High School to College Seamless Transition Guide to
Career Pathways
www.workforcewv.org – WV Job Search and Career Information
www.militarycareers.com – Information career for all branches of the military
www.monster.com – allows students to make world-wide job searches
www.ACT.org – American College Testing Services resources
www.collegeboard.org – Scholastic Aptitude Testing Information and college board resources
Evaluation:
 Number of students participating in Senior Interviews
 Senior packets
 Senior timeline
 Parent/student signatures on form verifying credit requirements
 Senior Exit Reports
o Percentage of student graduating
o Percentage of students continuing their education
o Percentage of students entering the military
o Percentage of students entering the world of work
 Parent and student satisfaction survey
 Numbers of students receiving scholarships/financial aid
 Number of students applying to college/other post-secondary institutions
 Number of students taking the ACT or SAT
 Graduation requirement deficiency letters with credit recovery options
 College/career day sign-in sheets
 School awards programs
 Parent program agendas and sign-in sheets
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DRAFT – Developed by Iestyn Bright and Barbara Ashcraft – October 2010 - Pending Committee Approval