High School ASCA Alignment Assessment
Wilson Memorial High School is aligned with the ASCA model. Though there are a few things that don’t match up, they are mostly on par with the standards that ASCA set. The reasoning behind the aspects they don’t meet is that they don’t have the time to complete what is expected or they don’t agree with the policy set, for example keeping detailed records of student meetings. WMHS believes that the students come first and they have an open door policy. So when a student comes in with concerns, everything else gets put on hold. This prevents them from having the time to complete some of the paperwork that ASCA asks for. In my opinion, I’d rather put the students first than focus on the tedious paperwork
Foundation:
The foundation portion of the ASCA model is completely followed by WMHS. They have a philosophy statement for the school counseling program that states their beliefs and values for students, goals of their program, role of the program in the educational process, and use of data in program development and evaluation. They also have a written mission statement for the school counseling program that creates on vision, is student focus, sets long range goals for all students, and is aligned with the school’s mission. The philosophy statement and mission statement are both on their school website under the guidance section.
Delivery:
Similar to the foundation, the delivery system at WMHS is on par with the ASCA model. A school counseling curriculum for academic, personal/social, and career domains has been developed. Though they have the curriculum, they don’t necessarily have it on paper. They also help students make appropriate education plans. The way that they address closing-the-gap issues is by identifying with the help of administration the students who are at risk. In order to provide prevention education to address the developmental needs of students, the counselors and teachers have “teams” that address different issues like substance abuse. Their individual student planning services are evaluated through grades and attendance. They also provide individual counseling, group counseling as much as possible, crisis counseling, have consultations and collaborations, and coordination. There is a crisis intervention plan with different color codes based on the emergencies, and the counselor’s role has been clearly defined.
Management
The management system of the ASCA model is somewhat followed at WMHS. There is a written agreement between school counselor and administration, and the contract is renewed every year. The agreement takes into account school needs but isn’t based on data. The counselors’ duties are listed, and the suggested time distribution is listed. There are a lot of professional development opportunities, and they find out about them through a correspondent in the central office. The administration is good about paying for them and allowing the counselors to go. There is a regular meeting once a month between counselors and administrators once a month, but there isn’t a set date. There isn’t an advisory council set in place. There is a master calendar for the school counseling program. The counselors are evaluated, but they are not evaluated using appropriate tools. The evaluation is the same as the teacher evaluation, and it’s hard to accustom the counselor’s roles based on the teacher’s roles.
Accountability
WMHS does not follow the accountability standards of ASCA. The accountability is the portion that is the most neglected. There is no data collected of student sessions pre/post test assessments, etc. However, there is a systematic evaluation of the delivery components from administration, students, and teachers that is used to decide the components of the school counseling program. The data collected to determine the needs of students is based on observations, attendance, and grades. There is an action plan, but it is reactive and not proactive.
Foundation:
The foundation portion of the ASCA model is completely followed by WMHS. They have a philosophy statement for the school counseling program that states their beliefs and values for students, goals of their program, role of the program in the educational process, and use of data in program development and evaluation. They also have a written mission statement for the school counseling program that creates on vision, is student focus, sets long range goals for all students, and is aligned with the school’s mission. The philosophy statement and mission statement are both on their school website under the guidance section.
Delivery:
Similar to the foundation, the delivery system at WMHS is on par with the ASCA model. A school counseling curriculum for academic, personal/social, and career domains has been developed. Though they have the curriculum, they don’t necessarily have it on paper. They also help students make appropriate education plans. The way that they address closing-the-gap issues is by identifying with the help of administration the students who are at risk. In order to provide prevention education to address the developmental needs of students, the counselors and teachers have “teams” that address different issues like substance abuse. Their individual student planning services are evaluated through grades and attendance. They also provide individual counseling, group counseling as much as possible, crisis counseling, have consultations and collaborations, and coordination. There is a crisis intervention plan with different color codes based on the emergencies, and the counselor’s role has been clearly defined.
Management
The management system of the ASCA model is somewhat followed at WMHS. There is a written agreement between school counselor and administration, and the contract is renewed every year. The agreement takes into account school needs but isn’t based on data. The counselors’ duties are listed, and the suggested time distribution is listed. There are a lot of professional development opportunities, and they find out about them through a correspondent in the central office. The administration is good about paying for them and allowing the counselors to go. There is a regular meeting once a month between counselors and administrators once a month, but there isn’t a set date. There isn’t an advisory council set in place. There is a master calendar for the school counseling program. The counselors are evaluated, but they are not evaluated using appropriate tools. The evaluation is the same as the teacher evaluation, and it’s hard to accustom the counselor’s roles based on the teacher’s roles.
Accountability
WMHS does not follow the accountability standards of ASCA. The accountability is the portion that is the most neglected. There is no data collected of student sessions pre/post test assessments, etc. However, there is a systematic evaluation of the delivery components from administration, students, and teachers that is used to decide the components of the school counseling program. The data collected to determine the needs of students is based on observations, attendance, and grades. There is an action plan, but it is reactive and not proactive.