Missouri Comprehensive School Counseling Program A Manual for Program Development, Implementation, Evaluation and Enhancement Missouri Comprehensive School Counseling Program Manual Original Committee (1986) Norman C. Gysbers University of Missouri‐Columbia J. Bragg Stanley Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Lela Kosteck‐Bunch Missouri School Counselor Association Carolyn S. Magnuson Lincoln University Marion F. Starr Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education © Copyright 1986, 2001, 2006, 2011, 2015, 2017, 2022 All Rights Reserved. A thank you to all school counselors, counselor educators, and writing team members who have given of their time and talents to review and update the MCSCP manual. To ensure that the work of educators participating in this project will be available for the use of schools, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education grants permission for the use of this material for non‐commercial purposes only. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, or disability in its programs and activities. Inquiries related to Department programs and to the location of services, activities, and facilities that are accessible by persons with disabilities may be directed to the Jefferson State Office Building, Office of the General Counsel, Coordinator – Civil Rights Compliance (Title VI/Title IX/504/ADA/Age Act), 6th Floor, 205 Jefferson Street, P.O. Box 480, Jefferson City, MO 65102‐0480; telephone number 573‐526‐4757 or TTY 800‐735‐2966; fax number 573‐522‐4883; email [email protected]. Missouri Comprehensive School Counseling Programs: Linking School Success with Life Success 2022 i Missouri Comprehensive School Counseling Program Manual Missouri Comprehensive School Counseling Programs: Linking School Success with Life Success 2022 ii Missouri Comprehensive School Counseling Program Manual MISSOURI COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL COUNSELING PROGRAM MANUAL Contents PREFACE ................................................................................................................................................. 1 SECTION I ............................................................................................................................................... 2 Program Rationale ................................................................................................................................. 2 History ................................................................................................................................................... 2 Purpose .................................................................................................................................................. 3 Program Benefits ................................................................................................................................... 4 Data Support .......................................................................................................................................... 7 SECTION II .............................................................................................................................................. 8 Overview ............................................................................................................................................... 8 MCSCP Content .................................................................................................................................... 9 MCSCP Implementation System ......................................................................................................... 10 MCSCP Program Components ............................................................................................................ 12 Resources ............................................................................................................................................. 21 SECTION III ........................................................................................................................................... 22 Transitioning to MCSCP ..................................................................................................................... 22 Planning ............................................................................................................................................... 23 Designing the Program ........................................................................................................................ 28 Implementing and Beyond ................................................................................................................... 33 Evaluating: An Ongoing Process ......................................................................................................... 40 Enhancing ............................................................................................................................................ 45 SECTION IV .......................................................................................................................................... 47 Students with Disabilities .................................................................................................................... 47 SECTION V ............................................................................................................................................ 48 Professional Development ................................................................................................................... 48 Mentoring ............................................................................................................................................ 48 DESE Sponsored Workshops .............................................................................................................. 48 SECTION VI .......................................................................................................................................... 49 Integrated Services............................................................................................................................... 49 REFERENCES ....................................................................................................................................... 50 Missouri Comprehensive School Counseling Programs: Linking School Success with Life Success 2022 iii Missouri Comprehensive School Counseling Program Manual PREFACE In response to societal and individual challenges, the State of Missouri is continuing efforts that began in the 1980s to reform and improve education including counseling in schools. For school counseling, the reform and improvement process has required a re‐conceptualization of school counseling from a position/services orientation to a comprehensive school counseling program firmly grounded in principles of human growth and development — a program that is an integral part of the educational process with a content-based curriculum (specific knowledge and skills) of its own. What began in the 1940s in Missouri as a position orientation with individuals filling positions and providing school counseling services has now become a comprehensive program that is an equal partner with other programs in education. Fundamental Truths of School Counseling The re‐conceptualization of school counseling that has occurred in Missouri and across the country is based on six premises that reinforce the organization and management of comprehensive school counseling programs. These premises are as follows: 1. School counseling is a program. Its characteristics are similar to other programs in education and include the following: ● Student grade level expectations (GLEs) ● Activities and processes to assist students in achieving these GLEs ● Professionally certified personnel ● Materials and resources ● Program, personnel, and results evaluations 2. School counseling programs are developmental and comprehensive. School counseling activities are developmental and conducted on a regular, planned, and systematic basis to assist students in achieving school counseling related grade level expectations. Although students’ immediate and crisis needs must be met, a major focus of a developmental program is to provide all students with experiences to help them grow and succeed. School counseling programs are comprehensive and include activities and services such as assessment, information, consultation, counseling, referral, placement, follow‐up, and follow‐through. 3. School counseling programs assist all students equitably in completing a rigorous and relevant curriculum and earn a diploma that ensures preparation for multiple opportunities after high school. This curriculum emphasizes the skills and knowledge to be successful in the workforce or in post‐secondary education. 4. School counseling programs feature a team approach. A comprehensive, developmental program of school counseling is based on the assumption that all school staff members are involved. At the same time, it is understood that professionally certified school counselors are central to the program. School counselors provide direct services to students and also work in consultative and collaborative relationships with members of the school counseling team, other school staff members, parents/guardians, mental health professionals and members of the community. 5. School counseling programs are developed through a systematic process of planning, designing, implementing, evaluating and enhancing. This process assures intentional delivery of a program designed to address established priorities. 6. School counseling programs have established leadership. Leadership ensures accountability for the program and for the quality of the performance of program staff. Missouri Comprehensive School Counseling Programs: Linking School Success with Life Success 2022 1 Missouri Comprehensive School Counseling Program Manual SECTION I Program Rationale History Since the 1980s, many individuals and groups across the country have been active in seeking educational reform. Unfortunately, many educational reform efforts during the 1980s neglected the field of guidance and counseling. Little was said then about the contributions of guidance and counseling and the work of school counselors to the overall achievement of educational goals. This omission was alarming because “Although counselors are often seen as peripheral to the mainstream of education, they in fact occupy a crucial position. For this reason, efforts to improve the nation’s schools and create a more equitable system require careful consideration of guidance and counseling.” (Hart & Jacobi, 1992, p. 80). In Missouri, excellence in education has been a long‐standing goal. This commitment was reaffirmed in 1993 with the passage of the Outstanding Schools Act. The Act called for a strong and enduring commitment to our public‐school system and for the development of a tangible, concise plan to bring about educational reform in Missouri. The commitment to excellence had been reaffirmed through legislation such as the No Child Left Behind Act (PL 107‐10) and through the state’s focus on the goals identified at that time in Race to The Top. The state of Missouri has also recognized the important contributions school counselors make to the overall growth and development of students and to excellence in education. This recognition led to the development of the Missouri Comprehensive Guidance and Counseling Program (MCGCP)* in 1984 based on the work of Gysbers and Moore (1975, 1981). The goal of the MCGCP was to refocus and redirect guidance and counseling activities and to develop guidance and counseling and the work of school counselors in the schools within a program structure. The first version of the MCGCP was designed for use at the secondary level. It was field‐tested in selected secondary schools in Missouri from 1984 to 1988. During this time, the development and field‐ testing processes involved numerous task forces that provided direction concerning the content, structure, and implementation of the MCGCP. While this field‐testing was taking place, work also was underway to extend the MCGCP to the elementary school level. Over 300 school counselors and administrators participated in this process. This work was completed by 1988, allowing training on the full K‐12 MCGCP to begin in 1988. This initial training ended in 1998. During this time, school counselors and administrators in 441 out of 525 school districts across Missouri received training on how to implement MCGCP in their local school districts. Training for school counselors and administrators continues today through new personnel workshops and comprehensive school counseling in‐service workshops conducted yearly across Missouri. In 2016 the Missouri State Legislature passed House Bill 2428 (Swan) changing the profession’s title from “Guidance Counselor” to “School Counselor”. This title change reflected the comprehensive work done by today’s school counselors. The title change also aligned with the recommendation of the American School Counselor Association that the term “Guidance” be replaced by “School”. Throughout the rest of this guide, MCGCP will be referred to as the Missouri Comprehensive School Counseling Program (MCSCP) based on the name change in 2016. The American School Counselor Association also recommended that “personal/social” be replaced by “social/emotional” to better reflect everyday language and language used in research. Missouri Comprehensive School Counseling Programs: Linking School Success with Life Success 2022 2 Missouri Comprehensive School Counseling Program Manual Purpose The comprehensive school counseling program is an integral part of a 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 social/emotional, academic, and career 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. At the same time, the program assists students as they face issues and resolve problems that prevent their healthy development. The purpose of the MCSCP is to provide students in kindergarten through grade 12 with successful educational experiences. When the programs are fully implemented across the state, school districts will have comprehensive school counseling programs in which school counselors will be able to devote themselves full time to the counseling program, thereby reaching 100% of their students and enhancing: ● Student mental health and social/emotional development ● Student academic achievement ● Career development ● A positive and safe learning environment ● Collaboration with parents/guardians, teachers, administrators, and the community ● Accountability through a comprehensive evaluation process Missouri Comprehensive School Counseling Programs: Linking School Success with Life Success 2022 3 Missouri Comprehensive School Counseling Program Manual Program Benefits When comprehensive school counseling programs are fully implemented in local school districts using the MCSCP as a guide, the following benefits can be expected for students, parents/guardians, teachers, communities, boards of education, administrators, and school counselors: Benefits for Students ● Focuses on all students equitably ● Helps students feel connected to school ● Enhances students’ academic performance ● Enhances students’ social/emotional ● Centers on students’ needs development ● Seeks students’ input ● Develops decision‐making skills ● Encourages more interaction among students ● Increases knowledge of self and others ● Provides a developmental and preventative ● Broadens knowledge of our changing work focus world ● Promotes knowledge and assistance in career ● Increases opportunities for school exploration and development counselor‐student interaction ● Enhances life coping skills ● Develops a system of long‐range planning for students Benefits for Parents/Guardians ● Enhances students’ academic performance, ● Increases opportunities for school and their social/emotional and career counselor interaction development ● Encourages input of parents/guardians ● Encourages outreach to all parents/guardians ● Provides parents/guardians information ● Provides support for parents/guardians about available resources regarding each child’s educational ● Assures parents/guardians that all children development will receive equitable support from the school counseling program Benefits for Teachers ● Contributes to a team effort to enhance ● Encourages teachers’ input into the delivery students’ social/emotional, academic, and of the comprehensive school counseling career development program ● Provides relevant curriculum ideas using ● Encourages positive, collaborative working school counseling grade level expectations relationships ● Establishes the school counselor as a ● Defines the role of school counselors as resource/consultant educators Missouri Comprehensive School Counseling Programs: Linking School Success with Life Success 2022 4 Missouri Comprehensive School Counseling Program Manual Benefits for the Board of Education ● Enhances students’ social/emotional, ● Provides program information to academic, and career development district patrons ● Encourages greater school‐community ● Provides a basis for determining interaction funding allocations for the program ● Meets the school counseling standards found ● Provides ongoing evaluation data in the Missouri School Improvement Program concerning the full implementation of ● Provides a rationale for including a the program, the work of school comprehensive school counseling program in counselors within the program, and a school system the attainment of relevant school counseling student outcomes Benefits for Administrators ● Enhances students’ social/emotional, ● Provides the way to meet Missouri School academic, and career development Improvement Program standards for school ● Provides a clearly defined organizational counseling structure for the comprehensive school ● Provides a means of accountability through counseling program comprehensive school counseling program, ● Establishes a clearly defined job description personnel, and results evaluations for school counselors ● Enhances the image of the comprehensive ● Provides a way to supervise and evaluate school counseling program in the school school counselors and community ● Encourages administrative input and ● Promotes the work of school counselors as involvement in the implementation and providers of direct services to students and evaluation of the comprehensive school parents, as well as being a consultant and counseling program collaborator with teachers and administrators Benefits for the Community • Encourages input from business, industry, labor, and other community partners including community mental health and social service agencies • Increases opportunities for collaboration among school counselors and business, industry, labor, and other community partners including community mental health and social service agencies • Enhances the role of the school counselor as a resource person • Facilitates the development of students as active responsible citizens • Increases opportunities for business, industry, labor, and other community partners including community mental health and social service agencies to actively participate in the total school program • Enhances students’ academic performance as well as their social/emotional and career development • Supplies a future workforce that has decision‐making skills, pre‐employment skills, and increased worker maturity Missouri Comprehensive School Counseling Programs: Linking School Success with Life Success 2022 5 Missouri Comprehensive School Counseling Program Manual Benefits for School Counselors • Enhances students’ academic performance • Provides a systematic way to plan, design, as well as their social/emotional and career implement, evaluate, and enhance the district’s development comprehensive school counseling program • Places school counseling in the mainstream • Outlines clearly defined responsibilities for of the total educational system helping students master school counseling • Provides clearly defined organizational content, develop Individual Career and Academic structure Plans, and assisting students with their individual • Reduces and strives to eliminate non‐ concerns school counseling tasks • Provides the way to meet school counseling • Offers the opportunity to reach all students program standards found in the Missouri School Improvement Program equitably Missouri Comprehensive School Counseling Programs: Linking School Success with Life Success 2022 6