Career Standards and Assessment Services (CSAS) Menu

The Mission of Kansas Comprehensive School Counseling Program:
The mission of school counseling programs in Kansas is to facilitate, support and enhance all students’ learning; academic development, social-emotional development, career development and postsecondary readiness.

This is accomplished by providing all students with comprehensive school counseling programs that are integral to the mission of schools. In collaboration with teachers, administrators, parents and the community, professional school counselors will help all students to be successful lifelong learners and problem solvers. 

Define
Five sets of school counseling standards define the school counseling profession. These standards help new and experienced school counselors develop, implement and assess their school counseling program to improve student outcomes.

Student Standards
● KSDE’s Curricular Student Standards for School Counseling
● ASCA Mindsets and Behaviors for Student Success: K–12 College- and Career-Readiness for Each Student. 

Professional Standards
● Kansas Professional Licensure Standards
● ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors
● ASCA School Counselor Professional Standards and Competencies

Manage
To be delivered effectively, the school counseling program must be efficiently and effectively managed. The ASCA National Model provides school counselors with the following program focus and planning tools to guide the design and implementation of a school counseling program that gets results.

Program Focus
● Beliefs
● Vision Statement
● Mission Statement

Program Planning
● School data summary
● Annual student outcome goals
● Action plans
● Classroom and group
● Closing the gap
● Lesson plans
● Annual administrative conference
● Use of time
● Calendars
● Annual
● Weekly
● Annual administrator conference

Deliver
School counselors deliver developmentally appropriate activities and services directly to students or indirectly for students as a result of the school counselor’s interaction with others. These activities and services help students develop the Kansas Curricular Standards for School Counseling and the ASCA National Model. 

Direct Services
Within the ASCA Model, direct service has been defined as “face-to-face” interaction and includes the application of counseling or human development skills (such as assessment, training, classroom curriculum etc.). 

Individual Counseling:
● Meet with individual student to address needs, concerns and barriers to success.
● Meet with individual student to address attendance and school performance.
● Check in with student to identify progress (brief contacts).

Group Counseling
● Specific-topic, small-group sessions.
● Academic study skills groups.
● Peer mediation training with students.
● Non-confidential small-group session, such as new-student groups.
● Mediation between students.
● Psycho-education groups. Classroom/Large Group

Instruction
● Facilitating classroom guidance lessons meeting Kansas Standards.
● Facilitating the implementation of post-secondary. career or college day.
● Facilitating the implementation of a schoolwide character education presentation.
● Presentations to students for transition to middle and high school.
● Bullying prevention classroom guidance.
● Student/parent orientation presentations.
● Leading a college-access/scholarship presentation for parents.
● Facilitating a financial aid or student/ parent information nights.
● Facilitating a career night for students/parents.
● Co-teaching collaboratively with teachers.

Individual Student Planning/Individual Assessment
● Student course advisement and placement (individual or pairs).
● Student career development/Individual Plan of Study (IPS) advising.
● Conducting student meeting of graduation requirements (individual or pairs).
● Collecting data from student records/consultations for creating a functional behavior assessment.
● Observing a student or group of students for purpose of assessment of student behavior.
● Interviewing individual or paired students for appropriateness for small-group counseling.
● ACT/SAT test interpretation/information sessions for individual or small groups of students.
● Student achievement individual meetings.
● Graduation conferences with students (individual or pairs) to assess needs and develop college plan/college access.
● Conducting mock interviews for scholarships/employment.
● Completing student enrollment documents with student/ parent.
● Leading a small group (or individual) of high school students to review their transcript, consider four-year plan and selecting courses for the upcoming school year.
● Advising for elementary to middle school and middle to high school regarding course selection and registration.
● Meeting with individual students about scholarship/summer camp opportunities.
● Working with students to understand their results on the ACT or SAT assessments.
● Administering or proctoring annual assessment of academic progress (i.e., EOGs).
● Presenting at a district, state or other professional conference (classifies as other).
● Providing staff development segments to address student barriers, cultural diversity and differentiation (classifies as other).
● Facilitating staff in-service training on student development, college recommendation letter writing, coping and stress management, student test-taking anxiety/coping skills, etc. (classifies as other).
● Leading a college-access/scholarship presentation for parents (classifies as other).

Program Planning/Coordinating
Program Planning is separate from Indirect Service. A minimum of 80% of time is recommended for Direct and Indirect Services, and no more than 20% of time is recommended to be in program planning and school support activities.
● Coordination and planning of schoolwide activities and programs.
● Creating and maintaining a program calendar.
● Conducting analysis of data to drive program.
● Working within Teacher PLC’s to integrate the Kansas Standards.
● Integrating character traits into classroom lessons.
● Data evaluation meeting as it pertains to school counseling program which supports the school improvement plan.
● Coordinating testing or annual assessment of academic progress (i.e., EOGs).
● Planning and coordinating a career day.
● Planning and implementation of PALS mentor program.
● Leading schoolwide programs and activities, such as Red Ribbon Week, College/Post-Secondary  Application Week, Food Drives, Thanksgiving and Christmas lists of needy buddies.
● Community outreach.
● Consultations with community and school resources (career development coordinators, social workers, SROs, community agencies) and college liaisons about services they provide. Implementing schoolwide positive behavior programs, such as Bucket Filling.
● Participating on committees (RTI, SSMT, PBIS, 504, IEP, School Improvement Team, etc.).
● Facilitate grade-level meetings.
● Distribute scholarship information and head the scholarship committee.
● Substance abuse initiatives with community agencies.
● Work to develop programs of study and assist with student registration and schedule changes.
● Academic awards night preparations/ presentations.
● Planning and assessing a career night for students/parents.
● Serving as a resource for staff, parents, community.
● Website planning/creation/updating.
● Planning and coordinating open house, parent night, special seasonal night meetings.
● Collaborative planning with staff for specific unit related to the counseling curriculum.

Consultation (with teachers, parents, student support personnel, referring agencies, etc.)
● Conducting a home visit.
● Participating in parent/teacher conferences.
● Consultations about a specific student with community and school resources (school psychologist, social workers, administrators, DCF  and other community agencies service providers).
● Consulting with teachers/parents/other school personnel about a student’s functional behavior assessments.
● Referrals to outside agencies for specific student/family services.
● Calling in and working with the crisis team regarding specific student(s).
● Student success team consultation or grade level consultation with stakeholders regarding a student’s behavioral concerns.

Assess
To achieve the best results for students, school counselors regularly assess their program to:
● Determine its effectiveness.
● Inform improvements to their school counseling program design and delivery.
● Show how students are different as a result of the school counseling program school counselors also self-assess their own mindsets and behaviors to inform their professional development and annually participate in a school counselor performance appraisal with a qualified administrator.

The ASCA National Model provides the following tools to guide assessment and appraisal:
● Program Assessment
● School Counseling Program Assessment
● Annual Results Reports School Counselor Assessment, Classroom/Group and Closing the Gap
● ASCA School Counselor Professional Standards and Competencies Assessment
● School Counselor Performance Appraisal Template

Resource
● ASCA National Model (2021)

To Accomplish this Mission:
The comprehensive guidance and counseling program is an integral part of the school district's total educational program. It is developmental by design and includes sequential activities organized and implemented by school counselors with the active support of parents/guardians, teachers, administrators, and the community. As a developmental program, it addresses the needs of all students by facilitating their academic, career development, personal/social development, helping create positive and safe learning climates in schools, as well as helping students feel connected to school and to at least one caring adult.