FSCA Newsletter - March 2007

The Florida School Counselor Association is a division of the Florida Counseling Association
and the American School Counselor Association.
_________________________________________________________
Click on the links within the Table of Contents (below left) to go

directly to a particular place in the newsletter. Click on any link
throughout this publication to visit relevant web pages or send
someone an e-mail.
______________________________________________
P RESIDENT'S M ESSAGE
In This Issue Greetings
Counselors!!!
President's Message. ............................. 1 Hopefully, most of
School Counselors and Administrators you are rejuvenated
.................................................. 2 after a nice, relaxing
Consultation and Student Suicide: spring break and
Prevention, Intervention, and have returned to
Postvention. ............................. 5 work to finish the
Warnings Are Sent but FOR MOST year with a bang.
.................................................. 9
Attorney General Highlights DOJEfforts Somehow, in the
To Combat Sexual Exploitation midst of checking
of Children. ............................ 10 and rechecking your students' transcripts and grade
reports to be sure they are meeting promotion
Education COMMISSIONER
requirements, you are expected to begin planning for
BLOMBERG ANNOUNCES the next year. While considering next year's projects
................................................. 12 and job assignments, I would like for you to consider
School Counseling in the Media: getting involved with your local and state
Promoting School Counseling professional association. Many opportunities for
Programs ................................ 13 involvement are waiting for you. At the state level,
Improve Counseling Service Delivery to we are in need of counselors who are seeking a
Students with Special Needs professional outlet for their ideas and energy. We
................................................. 16 are in the process of transitioning into our new
College Goal Sunday. ......................... 18 Bylaws that were voted on and approved in
Reach New Heights in Your November 2006. This created new positions for the
Professional Development. .... 18 FSCA board. The Vice president positions include:
Dade Counseling Association (DCA) and 5 regional representatives as well as a guidance
Student Services Awards supervisor representative. In addition, there exists
Breakfast. ................................ 19 many opportunities to become involved in
Cyberbullying..................................... 20 committee work.
The Florida School Counselor
Official Newsletter of the Florida School Counselor Association
There is so much to be gained from serving as a leader in your profession or on a committee. New
skills are learned and developed, ideas are generated, new passions are discovered or old ones
reignited and the networking opportunities are incredible. If you are eager to become involved,
please contact us.
Shanshera Quinn at shansheraquinn@yahoo.com or sbanks74@aol.com

Dr. Maddy Isaacs at misacs@fgcu.edu
Thank you for what you do for students!!!
Shanshera Quinn
FSCA President 06-07
Florida's School Counseling and Guidance Framework
Florida's School Counseling and Guidance Framework is a conceptual model that can be used
by districts and schools as a framework to develop, restructure, or improve comprehensive
counseling and guidance programs. This framework supports the career-development process of
students as well as their personal and social development and academic achievement. The
framework focuses on an integrated and outcome-oriented curriculum that targets all students.
Schools may extract those components that best meet their individualized needs.
http://www.firn.edu/doe/programs/cd_guide.htm
S CHOOL C OUNSELORS AND A DMINISTRATORS

A Mini Survey
I recently finished my Ed.S. in Educational Leadership.
In order to obtain this degree I had to complete a mini-thesis.
While I was writing the thesis I wanted to learn more about the
perceptions of school counselors, administrators and lead
teachers with regards to the degree of implementation of
comprehensive counseling and guidance plans. To do this, I
used a survey with a 5-point Likert scale which I adapted from
the Florida Department of Education’s School Counseling and
Guidance Framework Program Evaluation. I didn’t expect to
find much agreement among my small sample of participants. I
expected to find that the school counselors perceived the
comprehensive program to be only partially implemented. I also
expected the majority of administrators and lead teachers to not
be aware that a comprehensive plan for school counseling even
existed (I know it’s kind of cynical).
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The results that I obtained from the survey indicated that the counselors and lead teachers
for the most part agreed (although not strongly agreed) that the comprehensive plan was being
implemented. The administrators also agreed that it was being implemented (just not as strongly
as the counselors and lead teachers). This was actually a nice surprise.
There were some concerns, however. Some of the discrepancies that I found were due to
miscommunication or the use of differing terminology. An administrator may refer to the act of
having a counselor meet with a student to talk about grades, study skills, or create an improvement
plan and then provide follow-up as “progress monitoring.” I may call the same activity “academic
counseling.” I have encountered this kind of issue at more than one school. It causes problems
because it often hinders collaboration among school counselors and administrators.
Another thing that concerned me from as SAC in order to be more involved and get
the literature review I conducted was the fact the administration to notice that you are a
that most of the information put out by ASCA valuable part of the team. Inviting your
regarding the role of a school counselor and a administrator to join you at an ASCA
comprehensive plan is absent in the school conference is another idea. Sharing data from
administration literature. Furthermore, a counseling interventions done at the school
study of future school administrators’ can also help (check out the MEASURE book
perceptions of the school counselor’s role by Carolyn Stone and Carol Dahir). Finally,
conducted by Fitch, Newby, Ballestero and putting together a supportive advisory
Marshall (2001) reported that the participants committee can be a real asset.
believed that the following non-counseling
duties should be nevertheless be performed by I know that some administrators may seem
counselors: discipline (27.9% of participants), challenging or uncooperative, but sometimes
student record keeping (57%), registration gaining support from an assistant principal or
(57%), assisting in special education services another influential faculty member can help
beyond referral (50%), and standardized you get to the principal. Having your district
testing (54.7%). counselor support your initiatives and help you
communicate the benefits to your principal
So what can be done in order to more won’t hurt either. Participating in an active
fully implement a comprehensive school local chapter of FSCA/FCA is also a plus. My
counseling and guidance program? Principal suggestion is to have a positive attitude, be
buy-in is a must. Developing a good working tenacious, yet realistic and gather support.
relationship with your administrator is a wise Little by little things should improve. Just
first step. Once the relationship is established, remember, if you always do what you’ve been
then you can start to share your ideas with doing, you’ll get the same result. Try different
her/him. Communication is essential. Share approaches and make them need you!
research findings that support school
counseling initiatives. Join committees such
Vincent Geigel, Ed.S.

School Counselor
geigelv@yahoo.com
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BULLYING - WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO DO THAT?
DELRAY BEACH, Fla. (March 20, 2007) - More than 5.7 million teens in the United States --
a whopping 30 percent -- are estimated to be involved in school bullying as either a bully, a
target of teen bullying, or both, according to familyfirstaid.org.
Sidney Goodman, an entrepreneur with an interest in social issues, created the classroom
workbook "Bullying - Why Would You Want To Do That?" to teach children at an early age
about the effects of bullying before they reach their teen years. Ten chapters examine a range
of subject matter including "Humiliation," "Criticism," "Name Calling" and "What You Can
Do" and are set up in a "Question & Discussion" format to open up dialog between children
and adults.
"The "Bullying" workbook is the first in a series of workbooks designed to facilitate

in-classroom discussion among third and fourth grade-aged students on a wide variety of
social situations that children deal with daily," said Goodman. "By presenting different
situations with contemporary, edgy illustrations in vibrant colors, we hope the children may
recognize themselves or their friends and feel comfortable to relate it to their own personal
experiences."
Goodman, along with Billy Attinger, a successful illustrator, and Sally Roman, an
internationally recognized elementary school teacher, designed the personal workbook in a
convenient twenty-four page, 8" x 8" format so that after using it in the classroom it can be
taken home to parents hoping to enhance the communication between children and their
parents or guardians.
The "Bullying - Why Would You Want To Do That?" workbook is available individually for
parents for $4.95 or for schools and youth organizations for a discounted bulk price. Visit the
website at www.whywouldyoubooks.com to learn more and to order sample books.
Media Contact:
Wendy Greenhut, Sales and Marketing
561-330-0631 (office) 561-866-0735 (cell)
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C ONSULTATION AND S TUDENT S UICIDE: P REVENTION,

INTERVENTION, AND P OSTVENTION
Unlike many other issues that require a consultant,
consulting in a school setting involves a number of faculty
ranging from parents to the principal and possibly other
students. This type of process in a school environment is also
never completely “terminated” like most consultation issues.
The specific issue may be terminated, however, the counselor’s
“door is always open” if students, parents, or other faculty have
re-occurring apprehensions.
There are many techniques in which to consult with

parents and school personnel. Varying consultation procedures depend on the timing for which
the process is for; for example, there are consultation practices for preventing student suicide,
consulting for a student that shows suicidal warning signs, and consulting for the aftermath of
student suicide for the parents, school faculty, and students in need of counseling. The obvious is
to put much emphasis in educating everyone around children of the warning signs and ways to
prevent suicide. Such education is not only necessary for faculty and parents, but also for students
themselves; so they too, can recognize such warning signs in friends and in turn, save the life of
someone important to them. This article focuses on how to consult with a school system before,
during, and after student suicide by explaining what to do during each of the four stages of
consultation.
Statistics
To start off, suicide has increased significantly over the past years and is the second leading
cause of death in the United States among 15 to 21 year olds (Smaby, et al, 1990.) According to
Capuzzi (2002), there are between 7,000 and 9,000 competed youth suicides a year for 15-19-year
olds. In addition, for every youth suicide there are between 100 and 200 suicide attempts in the
United States. According to King (2000), because of these shocking statistics, many states are
requiring their schools to include: guidelines for suicide prevention, crisis management, and
postvention in their planning. With this said, it is visible to
see how suicide is becoming more acceptable among youth
(Malley, 1994) and therefore essential to include such plans
when consulting with a school system.
Risk Factors & Warning Signs
Before getting involved with what to do during

consultation, I would first like to discuss possible risk factors
that may be crucial to identify in order to prevent suicide.
According to Maples, Packman, Abney, Daugherty, Casey, and
Pirtle (2005), adolescent suicide differs from suicide in
adulthood. There were three conditions linked to suicide in
adolescence. The first is psychopathology, for example, major
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depressive or bi-polar disorder. The second is a history of sexual or physical abuse or neglect.
Lastly, stressful family environment or poor family communication has been found to cause suicide
(Maples, et al, 2005.) According to Capuzzi (2002), a teen attempts suicide for one of three
reasons: avoidance, control, or communication. The student may want to avoid situations that
may be embarrassing. The student may want to gain a sense of control and by implying suicide;
this way they feel they can control their life. Lastly, the student may want to commit suicide to
communicate to a family member or someone in their life that they have dealt with enough
negative factors.
Neurotransmitter imbalances, poor self-efficacy/problem solving skills, sexual identity

concerns, substance abuse, availability to firearms, violent rock music, divorce, and disability are
some other risk factors that may be more easily identified in school (Capuzzi, 2002.) In addition,
Maples, et al. (2005), concluded that low self-esteem, social withdrawal, concentration difficulties,
decline in academic performance, and feelings of hopelessness, shame, humiliation, and
depression are also some warning signs for school personnel to be aware of when dealing with a
potentially suicidal child. In addition, family influence may play a large role in the causes of teen
suicide. According to Maples, et al. (2005), it was found that many youths who have attempted
suicide had both mothers suffering from depression and family conflict. These factors along with
the physical, social, and academic changes teens go through play a major role in suicide (Maples, et
al, 2005.)
Myths & Misconceptions
It is important to educate counselors, teachers, parents, administrators, and all other

school personnel about the myths of teen suicide. The goal of this type of behavioral consultation
is to prevent suicide altogether among adolescents. However, it is not guaranteed that it will
completely stop suicide. This is why it is also necessary to have interventions and postventions
planned in the event of a student death. If the correct information is being learned by school
professionals, students will have a greater chance of obtaining factual information that may inform
them of where to go for help for themselves or a friend. According to King (2000), there are many
misconceptions about teen suicide. Many professionals believe most teen suicides occur without
warning signs, however, most of the time there are many signs. Secondly, some believe that
adolescents who attempt suicide are fully intent on dying; however, this is not the case. Many
teens attempt suicide for attention from others or to have a feeling of control over their life. Lastly,
some think adolescents who talk about suicide never attempt suicide. This is also a common myth
(King, 2000.)
Prevention & Intervention
In order for the prevention of student to King (2000), most high school counselors
suicide to take place the school must work displayed knowledge about risk factors,
collaboratively and involve every school appropriate steps to take, and knowledge about
professional and staff member. Everyone postvention strategies pertaining to adolescent
involved in the prevention and intervention suicide. A school-based community
plan should know the warning signs of student intervention approach was suggested.
suicide, who to make a report to, and have According to Smaby, et al. (1990), this type of
knowledge of their role in the plan. According intervention is designed to achieve four goals.
Page 6 of 21
These goals consist of: enhancing one’s life and with crisis management, Capuzzi (2002) stated
developmental process, successful resolution to be calm and supportive; be non-judgmental;
of challengers and tasks, and decreasing effects encourage self-disclosure; acknowledge reality
of psychopathology. In addition, for this of suicide, but do not “normalize” it; actively
school-based community intervention to be listen; do not assess alone or attempt in-depth
effective, it must focus on the student counseling; ask questions to assess the degree
population as a whole and must be both of risk the student is at for following through
comprehensive and systematic. Such with suicide; notify parents and consider
programs intervene before, during and after a hospitalization; and refuse to allow the student
suicide and are an ongoing part of a school’s back to school without a
student services (Smaby, et al, 1990). psychological/psychiatric assessment
performed by a qualified professional.
It is best to be able to communicate and
maintain a professional relationship with co- There are many factors to remember
workers when consulting as a school counselor. when dealing with a suicidal child. It is
If this positive relationship is maintained, it important that the consultant or school
will be easier to follow through with an counselor is familiar with such protocol. King
intervention when needed. According to (2000) reported some factors to remember
Capuzzi (2002), involving and notifying all when faced with a suicidal youth. The
administrators and faculty of plans is important factors consist of: referring the
necessary. If this communication is not student to a community agency, contacting the
established, the counselor will most likely have principal, remaining with the student until
no support with following through with the their legal guardian is present, asking why they
plan. In addition, parent and student feel the way they do. King (2000) also
education and presentations should be reported what to remember not to do. As a
conducted regarding knowledge about suicide successful collaborator, one would not promise
in the school. Presentations to students should not to tell a student’s parents, nor have other
be on an educational level and never should a students help you talk to the student.
presentation demonstrate a successful suicide
plan (Capuzzi, 2002.) When following through
After Suicide/Postvention
As a collaborator, one does not want to “glamorize” suicide. The school system should
acknowledge the student and pay respects to the family. In addition, the school should provide
counseling for students who may want to talk to someone about their feelings. However, teachers
should not hold long conversations about the death, nor should they make the student out to be a
“hero.” According to Siehl (1990), the principal should inform all faculty on the same day a
suicide occurs in order to avoid confusion and mixed information about the death. The effects of
student suicide can last up to 2 years in a school system. Therefore, students at “high risk” should
be monitored for up to 6 months after the death of their peer (Siehl, 1990.) Since the suicidal
student was not the only victim, the crisis team must follow through with a crisis plan. Maples, et
al. (2005) suggested a specific crisis intervention plan for the aftermath of a suicide. The plan
included helping students affected by the suicide with; relaxation strategies to help focus, stopping
guilt by practicing with substitute thoughts every time they think of “what they could have done,”
journal writing (bibliotherapy) and sharing in group counseling, and developing positive future
goals and how to achieve them.
Page 7 of 21
Conclusion and Implications
It is visible to see how essential a crisis and intervention plan is when dealing with issues of
student suicide in the school system. It is stressful as a community to think about the possibility of
a student suicide; however, it is reassuring when a school has a plan of action that may not only
deal with the aftermath of the death, but hopefully aid in the prevention. It is necessary for every
school personnel to be involved one way or another and to also involve students and parents. The
plan should be organized in order to relieve some stress and keep the school under control. The
counselor should always remember that it is their duty by law to protect and act in the best interest
of the children in their school (Malley, 1994.) With this said, hopefully, more schools will develop
prevention plans to lessen the chances of student suicide and help assist parents, students, and the
community with the effects of the aftermath through appropriate interventions.
Works Cited
Capuzzi, D. (2002). Legal and ethical challenges in counseling suicidal students.

Professional School Counseling, 6(1), 36-45.
King, K., Price, J.H., Telljohann, S.K, & Wahl, J. (2000). Preventing adolescent suicide: do
high school counselors know the risk factors. Professional School Counseling, 3(4), 255-63.
Malley, P. (1994). School-based adolescent suicide prevention and intervention programs:

a survey. School Counselor, 42(2), 130-36.
Maples, M., Packman, J., Abney, P., Daugherty, R., Casey, J., Pirtle, L. (2005). Suicide by
teenagers in middle school: a postvention team approach. Journal of Counseling and
Development, 83(4), 397.
Siehl, P.M. (1990). Suicide postvention: a new disaster plan-what a school should do when
faced with suicide. School Counselor, 38(1), 52-57.
Smaby, M.H., Peterson, T.L, Bergmann, P.E., Bacig, K.Z. (1990). School-based community
intervention: the school counselor as lead consultant for suicide prevention and intervention
programs. School Counselor, 37(5), 370-377.
Taryn Gaffey, BA
Barry University
School Counseling Program
Page 8 of 21
National Alcohol Screening Day

Information about National Alcohol Screening Day, which takes place annually during
National Alcohol Awareness Month (April). Provides a fact sheet and a location map for
screening event sites, "located in community, college, primary health care, military and
employment settings." From Screening for Mental Health, a nonprofit organization (run by
psychiatrists) that organizes large mental health screenings.
URL: http://www.mentalhealthscreening.org/events/nasd/
W ARNINGS A RE S ENT BUT FOR M OST

T HERE IS N O E SCAPE H ATCH
We are in trouble if we do not listen to the research that says children who have been held
back in school are more likely to dropout.
Across Florida, thousands of letters from grades K-9 have been sent home to parents
warning them that their child is in danger of being retained. For many parents and children alike
this sharply raises anxiety or depressed resignation. When parents ask about a summer school
program for their struggling learner, in most cases they are told there will be none. There is no
funded safety net for most children as the few summer school programs in elementary schools are
reserved for those in third grade whom the state has mandated grade retention. Even with
research showing grade retention as the least favorable educational intervention for struggling
learners, we continue down this path in education. Studies have shown that children who are
retained once have a 40% chance of dropping out and children who are retained multiple times
have a 90% CHANCE OF DROPPING OUT. Over the past three years, in Orange County Public
Schools alone there have been 269 children in the third grade for the third time. Clearly
throughout the state, the numbers are soaring each year. Thousands of children are retained in K-2
across Florida to try and “catch them up” to be ready for the 3rd grade FCAT. Threats of being left
behind a grade or two or three take a terrible toll on children. Grade retention punishes
disadvantaged or special needs children for circumstances beyond their control. Even the death of
a parent, homelessness or child abuse are not considered good cause exemptions from State
mandated grade retention.
When it costs on average $6,995 per child for a year of school, why are we not spending the less
than $800 per child to attend summer school programs instead? In the State Legislature, Senator
Wilson of Miami has a bill in committee trying to address the huge problem of 9th grade kids
dropping out. Her efforts to save these students are commendable but by the time a child has been
retained multiple times the psychological damage and the sense of alienation from schooling has
already taken a toll. Most of our fourteen-year-old children in 5th and 6th grades will not make it
to 9th grade because dropping out of school at 16 is more likely. Raising the legal age for dropping
out to age 18 will not address the problem we have with students struggling to learn or who come
from disadvantaged circumstances and are behind. If we really want to close the achievement gap
for disadvantaged children and struggling learners, then we must put our dollars to implement
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sound remediation programs. Summer learning opportunities are far more beneficial to kids and
to society than repeating an entire year over. The many costs of mandated and multiple year grade
level retentions for most children are not worth the casualties this practice creates. Fully funded
summer programs will provide for us all a badly needed escape hatch. The 2007 legislature and our
new governor are in the position now to do what is right for our children and for our State.
Call and write to your State leaders or forward this article. Please do not delay. The time is now.
Barbara Barry
School Counselor
Florida School Counselor Association Legislative Committee Chair
barrydmin@yahoo.com
Technical Assistance Meetings on the Major Areas of Interest
New on the FSCA Website ... Video of Presentation given at Technical Assistance Meetings on
the Major Areas of Interest (requires Windows Media Player). Brought to you by the Florida
Department of Education and the Florida School Counselor Association.
http://www.fla-schoolcounselor.org/videos/
Visit http://www.fldoe.org/aplusplus/ for more information.
A TTORNEY G ENERAL H IGHLIGHTS DOJE FFORTS T O C OMBAT

S EXUAL E XPLOITATION OF C HILDREN
On March 22,
2007, the U.S.
Department of Justice
(DOJ) issued the
following press
release:
St. Louis, MO - Attorney General Alberto R. Attorney General Gonzales was also joined in
Gonzales today joined U.S. Attorneys today's roundtable by Director of Missouri
Catherine Hanaway and Bradley Schlozman to Internet Crimes Against Children Joe Laramie,
highlight the ongoing efforts of federal, state Founder of the INOBTR campaign Steve
and local law enforcement, as well as Shankman, and other members of the Project
community leaders, in combating the sexual Safe Childhood initiative for the state of
abuse and exploitation of children in St. Louis. Missouri.
Page 10 of 21
Launched in May 2006, Project Safe Childhood responsibility, it should be everyone's

is a nationwide initiative designed to protect responsibility," said U.S. Attorney Hanaway.
children from sexual exploitation and abuse. "The people assembled here today have made
Led by the U.S. Attorneys Offices, Project Safe that commitment, which is reflected in the
Childhood marshals federal, state and local increase in the prosecutions of these crimes."
resources to better locate, apprehend and
prosecute individuals who exploit children via "As a result of Project Safe Childhood's
the Internet, as well as identify and rescue unprecedented effort to bring an entire
victims. community together to tackle the problem of
online child exploitation, predators and
Last year, the Department of Justice would-be predators are now fully aware that
prosecuted 1,543 cases involving the sexual their actions will not be tolerated in the state of
exploitation or abuse of children. In the state Missouri," stated U.S. Attorney Schlozman.
of Missouri, more sexual predators were "Rest assured, we will find you, we will
federally indicted on a per capita basis than in aggressively prosecute you, and we will make
any other state in the country. Additionally, the sure you will never be in a position to harm the
number of cases prosecuted in the state of vulnerable youth in our communities ever
Missouri has more than tripled since 2000. again."
"Protecting our children is not only a parent's
Project Safe Childhood partners for the Eastern District of Missouri include: Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC);
Regional Computer Crime Education and Enforcement Group; St. Louis City Police Department; St. Louis County Police
Department; Festus Police Department; Pevely Police Department; FBI; Postal Inspection Service; ICE; St. Louis
Circuit Attorney; St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney; O’Fallon Police Department; St. Charles County Sheriff’s
Department; St. Charles County Prosecuting Attorney; Franklin County Sheriff's Department; Big Brothers Big Sisters;
Hoover Boys and Girls Town; Family Resource Center, Inc., and Kaminer & Co. The Office of Juvenile Justice and
Delinquency Prevention is a component of the Office of Justice Progams in the U.S. Department of Justice.
Prevent Child Abuse America
This organization works toward "building awareness, providing education and inspiring hope to
everyone involved in the effort to prevent the abuse and neglect of our nation's children." Its
website features a description of advocacy efforts, research publications (such as fact sheets and
reports), materials for Child Abuse Prevention Month (April), and prevention tips. Also includes
event listings and links to local chapters. Access to some material requires free registration.
http://www.preventchildabuse.org
Page 11 of 21
E DUCATION C OMMISSIONER B LOMBERG A NNOUNCES

“G O H IGHER—G ET A CCEPTED” CAMPAIGN
Campaign helps high school seniors enroll at community colleges.
TALLAHASSEE – Education Commissioner Jeanine Blomberg announced the launch of a new

campaign, “Go Higher—Get Accepted,” to help high school seniors enroll at a community
college in Florida before graduation. “It is vitally important for students to continue their
education after high school,” said Commissioner Blomberg. “Nearly 90 percent of students say
they want to pursue more education after graduation, but only half of them do. This campaign
helps students understand their options and achieve their goals.”
The Florida Department of Education and FACTS.org, Florida’s online student advising system,
are coordinating the statewide campaign. During April, a team of 23 community college
administrators will visit 94 high schools throughout Florida. These teams will help students assess
their career interests, choose the type of degree or certificate to pursue, submit an application for
admission and apply for financial aid. FACTS.org is coordinating the statewide campaign and
providing promotional support with Web pages, direct mail pieces, posters and other materials. It
is expected that the campaign will successfully reach more than 32,000 students.
"Community colleges are a great opportunity for all Florida students to get
a quality education at an affordable price,” said Community College Chancellor
David Armstrong. “We encourage every high school student to enroll in their local
community college and achieve the American Dream through a great college
education that will lead to an outstanding career and higher quality of life."
The campaign is modeled after the 2006 “College Connection” program at Austin Community
College at San Marcos High School in Texas. In the first year of the program, the percentage of San
Marcos students enrolled at Austin Community College increased from 34 to 45 percent. That
program has now expanded to include 22 of the 30 districts in Austin’s service area. Several other
community colleges in Texas are now considering modeling their programs after the Austin
program.
“Florida saw an opportunity to borrow a campaign that was so successful

in Texas and apply it here in Florida,” said FACTS.org Executive Director Connie
Graunke, Ph.D. “Our goal is that every high school senior, by the time they walk
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across the stage to get their diploma, will have received a letter of acceptance to a
college or university. That will make the next step of going to college easier.”
For a list of “Go Higher—Get Accepted” events, including participating community colleges and
high schools, visit http://www.facts.org/
S CHOOL C OUNSELING IN THE M EDIA: P ROMOTING S CHOOL

C OUNSELING P ROGRAMS
School counseling has evolved a great deal since its inception in
the early 1900s, which leads to the public being generally unsure about
what school counselors do. Parents, students and often administrators
may be unaware of what the American School Counselor Association
National Model (2005) promotes. In addition, duties already
performed within the existing role, whether endorsed by the ASCA
National Model™ or not, are often duties inadvertently hidden from
public view. As advocates for the role in the schools, and to help
promote what the profession outlines in the National Model, school
counselors have a responsibility to publicize good deeds in the interest
of all: student, parents, teachers and other school counselors.
Reaching Within the School Community
Due to each school program being slightly different, even within the guidelines of the
National Model, promotion of each individual program is important. In the process, the
promotion allows school counselors to highlight special things counselors are proud to have in the
program that will pique the interest of those in the community. With all the many responsibilities,
school counselors have promoting the program needs to be simple and uncomplicated.
There are two basic areas school counselors can aim to reach: the school community and
the larger, overall community. In the following sections, ideas will be shared to first, enlighten
those within the school, and second, to reach those in the larger community in which the school is
located. The school suggestions are from a school counselor’s perspective on what has worked.
The media suggestions are from a journalist’s perspective illustrating the needs and goals for both
areas. Working in tandem, school counselors and journalists can enlighten others on what school
counselors do and how this job is so very important.
The following are a few easy steps to allow parents, school staff and the school community
to understand the school counselor’s role in schools.
• Use the parent newsletter and other school-wide publications to promote interesting
activities. Don’t reinvent the wheel – just mention an intervention that is already in
progress that others may not know about. For example, add a quick note to a parent
Page 13 of 21
newsletter about the classroom guidance in seventh grade on diversity. Tell parents to ask
their seventh grader where Rosa Parks sat on the bus!
• Give a short presentation at a faculty meeting. In five minutes, update the school staff on
topics the program will address in small groups this coming quarter. The principal and
teachers now have an idea how the counselor is intervening with students. This can be
broadened to every meeting and called “The Guidance Minute”.
• Create a Guidance Committee comprised of the principal, a few teachers, and parents. Meet
just a few times each semester to update and get support for programs and interventions.
Don’t forget to highlight the great things already happening and garner support for new
ideas.
• Formal promotions are always beneficial. Create a brochure to have available in the
welcome area of the school. This can outline the services provided for those that may need
them and inform those that do not. In Florida, with so many new students each year, it can
be included in the new student registration packet and new families will know the school
counselor’s role instantly.
• Seek outside mentors or volunteers from the community. A wonderful resource for the
author has been retired mentors from the local community for middle school student
mentoring. These relationships become exciting for the student and the adult while letting
community members know what counselors do.
• Use parent night for school counseling information too. Once per year, do a short
presentation for parents about “The Role of the School Counselor for 2007 (2008, 2009,
etc.)”. Make it brief, entertaining and informative. The goal is to be appreciated and
understood by parents.
• Use e-mail to get your message out. Use technology to help spread the word about the
school counseling program. A quick update can be sent to parent e-mail lists in the form of
a guidance newsletter or simple e-mail update. E-mail reaches the audience instantly with
little time commitment.
• Advertise within the school. Posters, bulletin boards, any visual around the school can
communicate what the school counseling program wants to convey to students, parents,
teachers and visitors. Displaying student work completed in a classroom guidance activity
can illustrate how the counselor spends time and how students understand the basic
concepts.
Reaching the Larger Community
Counselors can have a tremendous effect publicizing works throughout the school to
administrators, students and parents through the techniques described above, but in order to
educate and inform the community at large, cooperation of the media will be needed. Fortunately,
if handled correctly, members of the media are not only willing to assist in the task, but will see it
as a tremendous benefit and do a large part of the work themselves. All that counselors must do is
Page 14 of 21
light the fuse, and more often than not, journalists will see the story is made available to the public
in accurate and engaging ways.
Jim Murray, the legendary sports columnist for the Los Angeles Times, once said “People
think they want to read about baseball. But what they really want to read about is baseball
players.” This bit of advice may seem irrelevant to the world of school counseling, but it is
applicable to bringing the work of school counselors to the public. While school counselors may
see the goal as educating the community about the positive aspects of school counseling programs,
what will pique the interest of the general media consumer are relatable stories about people. By
telling stories through the media, the public will learn peripherally what school counselors
accomplish and begin to appreciate their role in the lives of children and schools.
The goal of school counselors then is twofold. First, identify the people and stories to be
seen and second, interest the media in telling those stories. Once accomplished, the gears of
journalism will engage and complete the task.
Here are some suggestions from a journalist’s perspective that should streamline the
counselor-media relationship.
• Find a good story. The day-to-day existence of a school counselor is full of interesting
stories. Everyday, school counselors help parents, teachers and students with problems to
which all can relate. Find stories with a strong “hook” that will interest first the media
member and second, the audience. Use good judgment; consider the need for
confidentiality in each case. The goal must be to benefit the program as well as the
individual highlighted in the story. If, for example, someone wishes to publicize the issue of
friendship, identify a counselor who has a unique take on how to counsel students on
making friends. Be ready to explain what is unique about the story idea interestingly and
succinctly before attempting to contact a media representative.
• Identify the proper media vehicle. Once a counselor has a story in mind, the next step is to
find a media member to bring that story to the public. A press release sent to a newspaper
or television station will often be placed with hundreds of other releases and summarily
ignored. However, media outlets generally have a person assigned to education stories.
The school counselor should contact the media outlet targeted to find out who it is. School
counselors should identify the correct employee and make contact through e-mail or via
telephone to discuss the idea or multiple ideas. Furthermore, identify this person in
various types of media: newspapers, television, local parent magazines, etc.
• Make the media’s job as easy as possible. Journalists generally have more work than time,
and are grateful for anything done to expedite the job. When a school counselor brings an
idea to the attention of a reporter, have contact information ready, and be sure the subjects
of the story are informed and ready to participate. Reporters will want people to interview,
background information, activities to photograph and film, and time. People often make
the mistake of contacting a media organization too late – sections of newspapers and
newscasts are often planned weeks in advance. Daily news is immediate, but feature stories
are planned well ahead of time.
Page 15 of 21
• Develop and maintain relationships. Once contact has been made and an individual is
seen as a reliable source of story tips and information, the connection can continue to be
rewarding for both parties. Reporters and editors maintain a comprehensive list of experts
from which they choose interview subjects when confronted with issues in various subject
areas. School counselors can make media contacts aware of their willingness to participate
in future stories; make media members privy to their area of knowledge. When school or
counseling-related issues emerge, school counselors can participate in the accurate
dissemination of information related to the sphere of knowledge.
The partnership between school counselors and the community media has the potential to
spread the word about what school counselors do today. School counselors can use the
opportunities available within and outside the school to promote the great things they do to help
kids, parents and communities.
Jill A. Geltner
Ted Geltner
Thirteenth School Attendance Symposium:

Call for Proposals Brochure and Save the Date Flyer
Copies of the Thirteenth School Attendance Symposium Save the Date flyer and Call for
Proposals brochure are available at http://sss.usf.edu/AttendanceSymposium/2007/
The Save the Date flyer is an announcement of the symposium date and location and is intended
for distribution, reproduction, and posting throughout your district. The Call for Proposals
brochure provides instructions for online proposal submission. Members of your staff working
with school attendance prevention, intervention, and/or enforcement programming whom wish
to submit an application to present at the Symposium are encouraged to do so.
IMPROVE C OUNSELING S ERVICE D ELIVERY

TO S TUDENTS WITH S PECIAL N EEDS
A Book Review
Hot off the press! A joint publication of Corwin Press and the
American School Counselor Association, Assisting Students with
Disabilities: A Handbook for School Counselors, Second
Edition (2007) is a “must have” resource for every school counselor’s
bookshelf. Authors Julie Baumberger and Ruth Harper updated their
1999 edition to include all the newest information in the field of
educating disabled students. Since the inception of No Child Left
Behind and the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities
Page 16 of 21
Education Act there is even more need for school counselors and administrators to have this type
of guidebook right at their fingertips for quick reference and accurate information.
The authors provide an outstanding overview of the professional school counselor’s role
when working with students who have disabilities. Following the ASCA position statement, The
Professional School Counselor and Students with Special Needs, the authors clarify appropriate
counselor responsibilities from the pre-referral phase through the writing of IEP goals and
objectives. An entire chapter is devoted to the subject of “Knowing the Whole Child” and collecting
appropriate data about the student so that appropriate, strategic, and individualized interventions
can be developed.
Perhaps the most thought-provoking chapter in the book, “Making a Difference in the
Wider Circle of Caring”, challenges school counselors to think differently about how they link
disabled students and their families with additional resources within the community. Strategies
such as advocacy, collaboration and teaming, transition planning, small group counseling, and
leadership are explored from the perspective of developing a school counselor who is skilled and
highly competent within their role in the education of disabled students. Systemic change requires
effort and determination on the part of the school counselor as they advocate for equity for all
students.
The authors state, “Professional school counselors can and do make a difference in the lives
of the students they serve, but they are sometimes expected to do too much or to assume
inappropriate roles.” Armed with this valuable tool, counselors will be able to determine which
activities and roles are appropriate and how to make the most impact within their comprehensive
school counseling program for students with disabilities.
LeAnn Pollard
FSCA Elementary VP
leannjax@yahoo.com
Note: FSCA members Mary Lanham, Orange Park Elementary, Orange Park, FL and LeAnn
Pollard, Hogan-Spring Glen Elementary, Jacksonville, FL provided the peer review for this
manuscript for Corwin Press, Inc.
For additional information and ordering go to www.corwinpress.com

Paperback ISBN- 9781412941822
Paperback Price- $24.95
CounselorAudioSource.Net has been in production since January 6, 2006 and in 14 months

has had over 56,000 downloads of CAS podcasts. For a listing of available podcasts see our
current archives at http://www.counseloraudiosource.net/archives.htm
Page 17 of 21
C OLLEGE G OAL S UNDAY

I am so very proud of the Osceola Counseling Association for undertaking sponsorship of
College Goal Sunday this year in Osceola County. Last year was the first year for this initiative in
Florida. This year 40 counties provided this program for our rising seniors. College Goal Sunday
provides all students with assistance in completing the financial aid form. Many students and
parents do not successfully complete this process due to the complex nature of the aid form. They
become frustrated and quit.
Donna Hart, lead counselor in Osceola County and Kelly Gray, the president of our
association decided to take on this project at the last minute and did a great job putting on a very
successful event. The parents and students were so very appreciative of the help that they received.
Most of the volunteers were counselors from elementary through high school. We were fortunate
to have the assistance of two financial aid persons from Valencia Community College. This is the
kind of initiative that can help close the achievement gap.
Be sure to make your kids aware of this event next year. If your county does not have one, then
make sure that your county gets in the game and initiates this program. It’s not that hard to do.
By Jim MacGregor
Counselor at Gateway High School
macgregi@osceola.k12.fl.us
Reach New Heights in Your Professional Development

ASCA's 2007 annual conference, "Reaching New Heights," June 23-26, 2007, at the Hyatt
Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center, will bring together approximately 1,800
pre-kindergarten to post-secondary professional school counselors, counselor educators,
supervisors and graduate students.
From educational sessions to networking events, pre-conference workshops to inspiring keynote

speakers, ASCA’s conference helps professional school counselors across the country meet their
professional development needs.
Conference sessions allow attendees to take away solid, practical ideas they can put to work
tomorrow, make valuable contacts in the school counseling field and discover the latest
techniques in school counseling.
Download the complete conference brochure (PDF).

http://www.schoolcounselor.org/content.asp?pl=325&sl=129&contentid=182
Page 18 of 21
D ADE C OUNSELING A SSOCIATION (DCA) AND S TUDENT

SERVICES A WARDS B REAKFAST
The rhythmic drumming lured the Student Services professionals into the annual Dade
Counseling Association (DCA) and Student Services Awards Breakfast on Friday, Feb 9, 2007 at
the “Parrot JUNGLE” in Miami Florida. This years’ theme of “It Takes a Village” inspired
attendees to dress the part. There were no pastels or rainbow colors; only a room full of warm rich
earth tones, animal print outfits, and African accent pieces honoring African American History
month. Many donned their African attire wearing beautiful outfits; some hand made and some
originally from Africa, boasted a few attendees. The drumming group created an ambience of
authentic character encouraging all to loosen up and join in and enjoy the sounds and feel the beat.
You were able to lose yourself in the moment, keeping the beat by participating in the sensation of
the sound.
An added feature this year was to escort the award winners to and from the stage area. The
highlight of this part was the “Tribesmen.” The mood was set with the palm tree decorations for
backdrop photo taking and natural fronds placed at each of the 60 tables along with hand painted
tree bark masks created by the elementary art students. A hand made “HUT” assembled by the
DCA Board served as the centerpiece. African proverbs were placed on each table to add to the
dimension of wisdom we received from the high chief. Gifts, trinkets, and hard candy were
scattered on the tables along with specially marked programs indicating winners for special gifts.
We had lots of support from the community and our sponsors through their generous donations.
We held a special raffle of 5 great prize packages for “DCA members only” including a T.V., basket
of cheer, cooking class at the culinary arts college, restaurant vouchers, massage/facial certificates,
tickets to a live performance at the new Carnival Center, fragrances, cigar handbag, an adventure
pack complete with animal print boots and tickets to all the local theme parks.
DCA President Candy Hertsch, was truly honored to have the support of so many to make
this event a success. As Sister Kate, who was born in Africa and served as a missionary, now an
educator at Barry University said in her invocation, “Each one of us makes a difference. May you be
guided and blessed and follow your heart.” YOU ARE THE DIFFERENCE.
YOU can make a difference in your local professional organization by showing an interest
and possibly taking a position on the board or supporting a planned activity. Get involved. DCA
along with other Student Services organizations enjoy networking events including a night out at
Don Shulas where one of our guests won 2 SUPERBOWL Tickets and we have 2 Multicultural
dinners each year, which were German and Haitian this year. Continuing with our community
service, so far we have collected over 32K soda can pop tops for the Ronald McDonald House in
Miami. We also support “nights out” for the residents of a girls’ group home, treating them to
movies, snacks, roller skating and pizza. Annually, we hold a “school supplies” collection for the
Homeless Student Program here in Miami.
Dade Counseling Association is enjoying a full and prosperous year.
Candy Hertsch
DCA President 2006-2007
Page 19 of 21
Psychologists Publish 3 New Studies on Violent Video Game Effects on Youths
AMES, Iowa – New research by Iowa State University psychologists provides more concrete
evidence of the adverse effects of violent video game exposure on the behavior of children and
adolescents.
ISU Distinguished Professor of Psychology Craig Anderson, Assistant Professor of Psychology

Douglas Gentile, and doctoral student Katherine Buckley share the results of three new studies
in their book, "Violent Video Game Effects on Children and Adolescents" (Oxford University
Press, 2007). It is the first book to unite empirical research and public policy related to violent
video games. >>> Click here to read more.
C YBERBULLYING
NOTE: The following can be used as part of a newsletter that goes home to parents.
Cyberbullying involves the use of information and communication technologies such as e-mail, cell
phone, text messaging, instant messaging, defamatory personal Web sites, and defamatory online
personal polling Web sites, to support deliberate, repeated, and hostile behavior by an individual
or group, that is intended to harm others.” It seems to be even worse than live bullying because
the perpetrators are not bound my time or space, and the audience can be much, much bigger.
With the power of technology, the offenses can be much more cruel as they can incorporate a rich
array of media (sounds, altered graphics, text, video, slide shows, and photos) to deliver the
attacks. Consider the following real situations among cyberbullying victims as reported in one
national newspaper:
• When Joanne had a row with a longtime friend last year, she had no idea it would spill into
cyberspace. But what started as a spat at a teenage sleep over swiftly escalated into a
three-month harangue of threatening e-mails and defacement of her weblog. "It was a
non-stop nightmare," says Joanne, 14, a freshman at a private high school in Southern
California. "I dreaded going on my computer."
• Ashlee, a former elementary school teacher in Birmingham, Ala., says she was "sickened" by
the manner girls manipulated one another with instant messages. "I grew to hate that," she
said.
• "If I find you, I will beat you up," one message read. Frightened, Michael blocked their IM
addresses but didn't tell his parents for two weeks. "It scared me," he recalls. "It was the
first time I was bullied."
• At one Elementary School in Fairfax, Va. last year, sixth-grade students conducted an
online poll to determine the ugliest classmate, school officials say.
• Cyberbullying is so pervasive in one New York county that officials held a half-day
conference last month for students, parents, teachers and law-enforcement officials. Six
hundred attended.
Page 20 of 21
• "The person was pretending it was me, and using it to call people names," the 14-year-old
Seattle student said. "I never found out who it was."
Continue and read the full article here.
Russell A. Sabella, Ph.D.

Adapted from SchoolCounselor.com eNewsletter Issue #70, October 4th, 2006
sabella@schoolcounselor.com
Latest Headlines at FSCA News

http://www.fla-schoolcounselor.org/news/
• Summer Institute on College Admissions (SICA) r Institute on College Admissions

(SICA)
• Psychologists publish 3 new studies on violent video game effects on youths
• Plans for the Revised GRE? General Test Cancelled
• "Go Higher-Get Accepted" CAMPAIGN
• Plans for Revamped G.R.E. Are Abandoned - New York Times
• 1 in 6 self-injure
• Rejected by Harvard? Your Valedictorian Probably Was, Too
• Should single parents stay that way?
• Attorney General Highlights DOJ Efforts To Combat Sexual Exploitation of Children
• Many Charter Schools Are Failing under NCLB
• The Suicide Prevention bill (HB 139) passed the House today unanimously with 114
votes!
Page 21 of 21

FSCA Newsletter - March 2007

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The Florida School Counselor Association is a division of the Florida Counseling Association

and the American School Counselor Association.

Click on the links within the Table of Contents (below left) to go

Shanshera Quinn at shansheraquinn@yahoo.com or sbanks74@aol.com

Thank you for what you do for students!!!

Florida's School Counseling and Guidance Framework

S CHOOL C OUNSELORS AND A DMINISTRATORS

Vincent Geigel, Ed.S.

BULLYING - WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO DO THAT?

"The "Bullying" workbook is the first in a series of workbooks designed to facilitate

C ONSULTATION AND S TUDENT S UICIDE: P REVENTION,

There are many techniques in which to consult with

Risk Factors & Warning Signs

Before getting involved with what to do during

Neurotransmitter imbalances, poor self-efficacy/problem solving skills, sexual identity

Myths & Misconceptions

It is important to educate counselors, teachers, parents, administrators, and all other

Prevention & Intervention

Conclusion and Implications

Capuzzi, D. (2002). Legal and ethical challenges in counseling suicidal students.

Malley, P. (1994). School-based adolescent suicide prevention and intervention programs:

National Alcohol Screening Day

W ARNINGS A RE S ENT BUT FOR M OST

Technical Assistance Meetings on the Major Areas of Interest

Visit http://www.fldoe.org/aplusplus/ for more information.

A TTORNEY G ENERAL H IGHLIGHTS DOJE FFORTS T O C OMBAT

Launched in May 2006, Project Safe Childhood responsibility, it should be everyone's

"Protecting our children is not only a parent's

Prevent Child Abuse America

E DUCATION C OMMISSIONER B LOMBERG A NNOUNCES

Campaign helps high school seniors enroll at community colleges.

TALLAHASSEE – Education Commissioner Jeanine Blomberg announced the launch of a new

“Florida saw an opportunity to borrow a campaign that was so successful

S CHOOL C OUNSELING IN THE M EDIA: P ROMOTING S CHOOL

Reaching Within the School Community

Reaching the Larger Community

Thirteenth School Attendance Symposium:

IMPROVE C OUNSELING S ERVICE D ELIVERY

For additional information and ordering go to www.corwinpress.com

CounselorAudioSource.Net has been in production since January 6, 2006 and in 14 months

C OLLEGE G OAL S UNDAY

Reach New Heights in Your Professional Development

From educational sessions to networking events, pre-conference workshops to inspiring keynote

Download the complete conference brochure (PDF).

D ADE C OUNSELING A SSOCIATION (DCA) AND S TUDENT

Dade Counseling Association is enjoying a full and prosperous year.

Psychologists Publish 3 New Studies on Violent Video Game Effects on Youths

ISU Distinguished Professor of Psychology Craig Anderson, Assistant Professor of Psychology

Continue and read the full article here.

Russell A. Sabella, Ph.D.

Latest Headlines at FSCA News

• Summer Institute on College Admissions (SICA) r Institute on College Admissions

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