(K-12) Comprehensive School Counseling Programs

Presented by | Dr. Eva Gibson, APSU

Clear Target
I can:
● identify the process to define,
manage, deliver, and assess a
comprehensive school counseling
program
● integrate culturally-affirming
considerations into practice
 Name
 School
 What brought you to this session?
What do you
want your
students to
experience?
 What are the similarities
between school counselors
and architects?
 What are the 4
components of the
ASCA National Model?
 Define Updated
summer 2021

● Purpose: Identify the student and

professional standards that
characterize comprehensive school
counseling programs.
● Standards: used to create
programing, guide services, and
evaluate student development Define

● Domains: • Student standards

– Academic Development
• Professional standards

– Career Development
– Social/Emotional Development
 Culturally Affirming Considerations Within the Define Component

Standards often reflect the norms and assumptions of the group that holds the most power
and other subgroup norms may be viewed as deficit

Consider the following:

1. What values are embedded and what groups align with (and benefits from)
these values?
2. What contextual factors are considered during criterion interpretation?
3. Do the student's expectations overlook the values of historically marginalized
groups?
4. How can biases impact evaluation of demonstrated behaviors?
It is important that programing is culturally relevant and reflects a commitment to
diversity in delivery and assessment
 Define

Define
How will this impact your • Student standards
practice? • Professional standards

What will you do differently?

 Manage

Provides tools that SCs can utilize to design

and implement effective comprehensive
school counseling programs that meet the Manage
• Program Focus
needs of ALL students • Program Planning
 Manage, cont.
data
annual
annual
student
Program Focus administrative
outcome
conference
● identification of counselor beliefs goals

and development of program

vision and mission statements
○ introspection is important in this advisory school data
process as personal beliefs impact council summary
the delivery of student services Program
● development of a program vision Planning
statement illustrating a desired
future of student outcomes along
with a mission statement that calendars action plans

clearly aligns with the school's

mission
program
lesson plans
results data
Culturally Affirming Considerations Within the Manage Component

As SCs focus on culturally-affirming program development, they

identify beliefs and create a vision and mission statement.
Potential points of exploration:
● With regard to equity for all students, I believe…
● With regard to our role as advocates, I believe…
● With regard to culturally relevant teaching strategies, I believe…
● With regard to embracing and respecting students’ home cultures, I believe…
● Regarding culturally alert classroom management strategies and discipline
policies, I believe…
Grothaus et al. (2020)
Culturally Affirming Considerations Within the Manage Component

Vision Statement
Culturally Affirming Considerations Within the Manage Component

Mission Statement
 Culturally Affirming Considerations Within the Manage Component

Utilize a social justice lens and consider these questions:

• What gaps are evident between groups as we review achievement, attendance, and
discipline data?
• Are we discussing culturally relevant factors as we create student outcome goals?
• Do our goals serve to reduce barriers?
• Are we integrating culturally-relevant perception data in our planning process?
• Do we plan lessons that celebrate diversity and various cultures?
• Are we creating culturally inviting climates?
• Do our calendars include cultural considerations such as diverse events, holidays and
programs? Are they in languages other than English?
• Do we utilize our annual administrative conference as an opportunity to advocate?
• Does our advisory council reflect a variety of cultural groups?
 Deliver

● Identifies the means in which school counselors

provide services to students and stakeholders.
● Broken into two categories:
 Direct student services – services provided to Deliver
students • Direct services
 Indirect student services – services provided to • Indirect services
other partners (i.e. administrators, teachers,
parents, school staff, and community partners)
on behalf of students
 Deliver: Direct and Indirect Services
Direct Student Services
Instruction: provided in classroom, small-group, or
individual settings
Appraisal: used to help students identify their
abilities, interests, and skills
Advisement: recommendations for students as they
develop goals and plans
Counseling: short-term, theory-based sessions
Indirect Student Services
Consultation: means in which SCs provide (or solicit)
information and expert recommendations to support
student needs
Collaboration: engaging in shared work to achieve a
common goal; may be accomplished through
teaming/partnering, school/district committees, parent
workshops, community partnerships, and crisis response
Referrals: provided when student needs are beyond the
scope of counselor practice; may encompass academic,
career, or social/emotional supports
C
Culturally Affirming Considerations Within the Deliver Component

In response to a rash of public

displays of racial injustice, ASCA
released the Eliminating racism
and bias in schools Standards in
Practice (2020) that explicitly
outlines responsibilities for
school counselors as advocates
within the Deliver component.
Culturally Affirming Considerations Within the Deliver Component

Culturally-affirming direct student services

Instruction deliver lessons that facilitate cultural awareness & address
racism/bias; utilize culturally-inclusive materials and elevate the
voices of diverse guest speakers; adopt restorative approaches to
classroom management

Appraisal & Advisement
Counseling
deliver and interpret assessments with a culturally-affirming lens;
provide equitable opportunities
utilize counseling approaches that center socio-cultural
understandings of students (narrative, social constructivism,
strength-based approaches, ecological frameworks, and critical
theories
Culturally Affirming Considerations Within the Deliver Component

Culturally-affirming indirect student services

Consultation Flexible process; apply a culturally-affirming, multi-tiered approach; engage
cultural brokers
Collaboration Communal process; utilize a collaborative, assets-based approach; invite
diverse members, elevate their voices, and bring up cultural considerations
if these voices are not represented

Referrals community asset mapping; appropriate response to incidents of racism &

bias
Local Examples
 Assess

● Offers tools and resources for

school counselors to evaluate the
effectiveness of their program and
services.
● Includes two sections: Program Assess
assessment and School counselor • Program assessment
•
assessment and appraisal School counselor assessment & appraisal
Assess: Program Assessment Section
Old school vs. new school
Assess: School Counselor Assessment & Appraisal Section
 Culturally Affirming Considerations Within the Assess Component

When conducting program evaluations, consider the following:

▪ Do we lead (or initiate) equity-related trainings for faculty and staff?
▪ Do we engage in efforts to bolster school climate?
▪ Are we soliciting feedback from diverse groups?
▪ Is our programming accessible?
▪ Do we utilize cultural brokers and engage in community asset mapping?
▪ Are we promoting positive behavior supports and restorative practices in classroom
management?
▪ What policies/practices do we have in place that are oppressive?
▪ What are we doing to disrupt systemic barriers?
 I can:
Clear Target ● identify the process to define,
manage, deliver, and assess a
comprehensive school counseling
program
● integrate culturally-affirming
considerations into practice
 Session Survey

❏ Navigate to the PLAN Homepage.

❏ Click Courses.
❏ Then, under My Surveys, click the Take Survey button for the desired session.
 Dr. Eva M. Gibson
gibsone@apsu.edu
https://drevagibson.weebly.com/
(K-12) Comprehensive School Counseling Programs
Dr. Eva Gibson, gibsone@Apsu.edu
https://drevagibson.weebly.com/

What new strategies will you implement within the "Define" component?

What new strategies will you implement within the "Manage" component?
 What new strategies will you implement within the "Deliver" component?

What new strategies will you implement within the "Assess" component?

What new culturally affirming

practices will you integrate
into your work?