• • • A Starting Point for Future Plannlngj CANAIXANA MAR 21 1995 Outcome-Based Comprehensive Guidance and Counselling in Alberta Schools Special Education Branch National Library Biblioth^que nationale 1^1 of Canada du Canada Moving to the Future: Outcome-based Comprehensive Guidance and CounseUing in Alberta Schools ALBERTA EDUCATION CATALOGUING IN PUBLICATION DATA Hiebert, Bryan Moving to the future : o utcome-based comprehensive guidance and counselling in Alberta schools. "Prepared for Special Education Branch, Alberta Education." ISBN 0-7732-1318-X L Educational counselling ~ Alberta. 2. Vocational guidance ~ Alberta. I. Title. II. Alberta. Alberta Education. Special Education Branch. LB1027.5.H633 1994 371.9 For more information contact: Special Education Branch 6240- 113 Street Edmonton, Alberta T6H 3L2 Telephone: 422-6326 Fax: 422-2039 The primary intended audience for this document is: Administrators y Counsellors y General Audience Parents Students Teachers y Copyright ® 1994, the Crown in Right of Alberta as represented by the Minister of Education. Alberta Education, Special Education Branch, 6240 - 113 Street, Edmonton, Alberta, T6H 3L2. Except for those items that teachers/counsellors are directed to reproduce, no part of Moving to the Future may be reproduced without the written permission of the copyright owner. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The Special Education Branch acknowledges with appreciation the valuable contributions of the following individuals: Writer: Bryan Hiebert, Professor, Counselling Programme, Department of Educational Psychology, Faculty of Education, University of Calgary. Advisory Committee Members: Garnet Millar, Chairperson, Coordinator, Guidance and Counselling Unit, Special Education Branch Marlene Bainborough, Counsellor, Bishop Pinkham Junior High School, Calgary LindCaa l Lguacrays , Principal, Queen Elizabeth High School, Stuart McRae, Head of Guidance, Central Memorial High School, Calgary Jayne Reynett, Counsellor, Annie Gayle Junior High School, Calgary. In addition to the advisory committee, the following people were helpful in validating the content in a field test: Stuart Adams, Principal, Haythorne Junior High School, Sherwood Park John Braun, Supervisor of Student Services, Pincher Creek School Division No. 29 Bart Eisen, Director of Student Services, County of Smoky Lake No. 13 Phyllis Geddert, Consultant— Program Design and Delivery, Fort McMurray RSSCD No. 32. Kathy Hickey, Special Education Consultant, Fort McMurray School District No. 2833 Kris Magnesson, Associate Professor, Counselling DCealpgaarrtym ent, Faculty of Education, University of Gerry Mowatt, Counsellor, Ross Sheppard High School, Edmonton i Dennis Simpson, Counsellor, Willow Creek Composite High School, Claresholm Carole Solberg, Counsellor, Glen Allan Elementary School, Sherwood Park Elaine Whitford, Director, Employee Assistance/Staff Development, Strathcona County Schools. This document was produced by the Special Education Branch, Alberta Education, under the direction of: Harvey Finnestad, Director Rick Morrow, Deputy Director Garnet Millar, Coordinator. ii CONTENTS Page PART A: INTRODUCTION 1 A Scenario for Future Planning 1 Sample Counselling Program Plan (CPP) 1 Basic Assumptions About School Counselling 6 The Need for an Outcome-based Approach to School Counselling 7 The Nature of Outcome-based School Guidance and Counselling 8 Scope of Practice 8 A Bottom-up Collaborative Approach 9 A Model for Comprehensive School Counselling in Alberta 10 Flexibility of the Model: Illustrative Examples 12 A Description of the Model 15 Keeping the Program Integrated and Comprehensive 21 PART B: EVALUATION - MODELS AND METHODS 23 Process and Outcomes: "Equal Partners" in a Counselling Program 26 A Framework for Evaluation 26 A Different Emphasis for Evaluation 29 A Final Comment on Evaluation 30 PART C: ILLUSTRATIVE OUTCOMES AT ELEMENTARY, JUNIOR HIGH AND SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL LEVELS 31 PART D: COUNSELLING PROGRAM PLAN (CPP): ADJUSTING THE MODEL TO MATCH STUDENT NEEDS 39 Counselling Program Plan: Illustrative Examples 41 Sample Counselling Program Plan: N.O.T. So Elementary School 41 Sample Counselling Program Plan: Mile High School 47 Evaluating the CPP 52 Structural Factors 52 General Factors 52 Program Specific Factors 53 iii Page PART E: SETTING UP A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING PROGRAM 55 I. Establish Support 55 II. Let's Get Started: Needs Assessment 55 III. Develop and Implement Program 56 CONCLUDING REMARKS 59 REFERENCES 63 APPENDIX A — Annotated Bibliography on Outcome-based School Counselling 65 APPENDIX B — Sample Tools, Forms and Checklists 69 iv PART A INTRODUCTION A Scenario for Future Sample Counselling Program Plan (CPP) Planning E.A. Ger Junior High School, Anywhere, Alberta Counselling Program Plan Guiding Principles The E.A. Ger Junior High School Comprehensive Guidance and Counselling Program is dedicated to fostering the social, personal and educational development of all students in the school and to assisting teachers and parents in their efforts to understand and foster adolescent development. The counsellor and teaching staff involved in the program offer: • individual counselling to students in crisis • individual and group consultation to students encountering educational, career or social/personal difficulties • group instruction that provides students with the skills needed to function effectively in social situations, achieve their fullest educational potential, and prepare them to make realistic career choices in the future • support to teachers, parents and the community at large in areas affecting the development of the students at E.A. Ger Junior High School. The program is guided by an advisory committee consisting of students, parents, teachers, support staff and school administration. The program emphasis is influenced by the results of an assessment of student needs conducted at least every three years. The program is staffed by a guidance counsellor, a resource teacher, a part-time school nurse and selected teachers in English, social studies, mathematics and home economics. The specific learning outcomes that the program strives to achieve are outlined on the following pages. They 1 represent the range of services that students, teachers, parents and the community at large can expect. The relative time allocation across the three counselling dimensions of the program are: Domains Approximately one-quarter of program time is spent on: • career preparation. The remaining three-quarters of program time are divided equally between: • educational planning • personal/social issues. Roles Approximately equal time is spent on: • service • instruction • system support. Functions Approximately half of the time is spent on: • preventive programs. The balance of time is divided between: • dealing with crisis situations that emerge (crisis) • assisting students who are encountering continuing problems that require attention (remedial). Figure 1.1 A Model for a Comprehensive Guidance and Counselling Program at E.A. Ger Junior High School Service / / Instruction Personal/Social Pi / Educational SSuypsptoermt Career Functions 2