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| Mindy Willard |
Pendergast counselors Mindy Willard, 2013 American School Counselor of the Year, and Jill Zitt, 2013 National Office of School Counselor Advocacy Award Winner, shared how the role of the counselor has changed over the past several years. 80 percent of time should be spent on delivery including core curriculum, individual student planning, responsive services, referrals, consultation and collaboration.
Each presenter spoke from experience of how they have built a comprehensive school counseling program that focuses on data, student achievement and the barriers that prevent student achievement. They have implemented a Response to Intervention program (RTI) where counselors work to be proactive, collaborative, use data to make decisions and assess programs. They shared that RTI is multi-tiered and includes the following:
- Tier I is prevention for all students. Counselors work with every student on campus, or at least in targeted grade levels with hopes of preventing the need for further interventions.
- Tier II is for the students who may need more support than Tier I. It is the intervention piece of the counseling program.
- Tier III is referred to as crisis response. Counselors work individually with a student to ensure they are safe and able to make healthy decisions.
“College and Career Readiness begins in Kindergarten,” said Ms. Zitt. Counselors in Pendergast use intentional programming to prepare students for college and career. This includes trips to colleges, career fairs, individual student planning, goal setting and career research.
School counselors continue looking for ways to advocate for students. Tying programs to current education initiatives and supporting it with data, ensures there is clear understanding about the role counselors play in a child’s education.
For more information on school counselors, visit www.schoolcounselor.org.
ASPRA Reporter Kim Mesquita, Glendale Union High School District
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