SOCSD has committed to a two-year partnership with the American School Counseling Association to review, assess and develop its program using ASCA’s National Model framework. School counselors will receive training and tools to guide the design and implementation of a results-oriented school counseling program based on the following key indicators:
- Effective and efficient management
- Data-informed decision making
- Developmentally appropriate service delivery aimed to improve student achievement, attendance and discipline
- Continuous assessment and improvement
This is the next step in a multi-year process that began with the development of the District’s K-12 Comprehensive School Counseling Plan as mandated by New York State starting in 2019-20. The District’s initial plan included the expansion of its school counseling staff with the addition of an elementary school counselor to serve grades K-5 and two prevention counselors to provide additional support for at-risk students at the middle and high schools and the development of collaborative “school support teams” comprised of school counselors, psychologists and social workers at each building.
“The National Standards for School Counseling Programs and the National Model for School Counseling Programs, both developed by ASCA, have shifted school counseling from a student-by-student system to a comprehensive program focused on academic, career, and personal/social development for every K–12 student,” explains Assistant Superintendent for Pupil Personnel Services Karen Tesik, Ed.D. “The ongoing transformation of our District’s program, in response to both our data and changing educational demands, will increase the continuity of services to our students across all four schools, help to close a variety of gaps and benefit student learning. We believe that our program will profoundly contribute to helping SOCSD maintain its position as one of the finest school districts in our state.”
The ASCA National Model partnership will be funded through a portion of the District’s American Rescue Plan grant monies.
