Table of Contents
The Regulations of the Commissioner
The School Counseling Department Overview
Role of the School Counselor
Tasks Performed by the School Counselors
The Regulations of the Commissioner Section 100.2 General School Requirements
(j) Guidance programs and comprehensive developmental school counseling/guidance programs.
(2) Comprehensive developmental school counseling/guidance programs. Beginning with the 2019-2020 school year, each school district shall have a comprehensive developmental school counseling/guidance program, for all students in kindergarten through grade 12. Each school district shall also ensure that all students in grades kindergarten through twelve have access to a certified school counselor(s), which for the city school district of the City of New York and the city school district of the City of Buffalo shall include a licensed guidance counselor(s) pursuant to Part 80 of the Commissioner’s regulations.
(i) For all grades kindergarten through twelve, district and building level comprehensive developmental school counseling/guidance programs shall prepare students to participate effectively in their current and future educational programs as age appropriate, and be designed to address multiple student competencies including career/college readiness standards, and academic and social/emotional development standards. The comprehensive developmental school counseling/guidance program (“program”) shall include the following activities or services:
- In grades kindergarten through five, the program shall be designed by a certified school counselor in coordination with the teaching staff, and any appropriate pupil personnel service providers, for the purpose of preparing students to participate effectively in their current and future educational programs, to provide information related to college and careers, and to assist students who may exhibit challenges to academic success, including but not limited to attendance or behavioral concerns, and where appropriate make a referral to a properly licensed professional and/or certified pupil personnel service provider, as appropriate, for more targeted supports.
- For students in grades six through twelve, certified school counselors shall provide an annual individual progress review plan, which shall reflect each student’s educational progress and career plans. For a student with disability, the plan shall be consistent with the student’s individualized education program;
- school counseling/guidance core curriculum instruction for the purpose of addressing student competencies related to career/college readiness, academic skills and social/emotional development by a certified school counselor(s);
- other direct student services which may include, but need not be limited to, responsive services, crisis response, group counseling, individual counseling, appraisal, assessment and advisement, for the purpose of enabling students to benefit from the curriculum, assisting students to develop and implement postsecondary education and career plans, assisting students who exhibit attendance, academic, behavioral or adjustment concerns and encouraging parental involvement. Provided that nothing herein shall prohibit certified or licensed school psychologists or certified or licensed school social workers pursuant to Part 80 of the Commissioner’s regulations from providing other direct student services within their applicable scope of practice;
- indirect student services which may include but need not be limited to, referrals to appropriately licensed or certified individuals, consultation, collaboration, leadership, advocacy, and teaming.
(ii) Each school district shall develop district-wide and building-level comprehensive developmental school counseling/guidance plans which set forth the manner in which the district shall comply with the requirements of this subdivision. In the case of the City School District of the City of New York, the Department of Education shall submit separate plans for each community school district, for the High School Division and for the Special Education Division. Such district and building level plans shall be developed by or under the direction of certified school counselor(s) and be updated annually, available for review at the district offices and each school building, and made available on the district’s website.
- Each plan shall be developed annually and shall include program objectives, activities, program development and maintenance planning, school counseling curriculum , professional development planning, evaluation methods based on data analysis of program results and closing the gap analysis reports to inform program improvement, and assessment of the resources necessary to support positive student outcomes.
- Each plan shall also include the preparation of a program outcomes report that includes an analysis of all systematic components of a comprehensive developmental school counseling/guidance program as defined by this subdivision. Such report shall be annually presented to the board of education, or in the case of the City School District of the City of New York, the Chancellor of the City School District of the City of New York, or to the extent provided by law, the board of education of the City School District of the City of New York.
(iii) Each school district shall establish a comprehensive developmental school counseling/guidance program advisory council to be comprised of representative stakeholders (such as parents, members of the board of education, school building and/or district leaders, community-based service providers, teachers, certified school counselors and other pupil personnel service providers in the district including school social workers and/or school psychologists). In the case of the City School District of the City of New York, the Department of Education shall establish a comprehensive developmental school counseling/guidance program advisory council for each community school district. The advisory council shall meet no less than twice a year for the purpose of reviewing the comprehensive developmental school counseling/guidance program plan and advising on the implementation of the school counseling/guidance program. The advisory council shall create and submit an annual report to the board of education, or in the case of the City School District of the City of New York, the Chancellor of the City School District of the City of New York, or to the extent provided by law, the board of education of the City School District of the City of New York.
(3) Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize any individual to provide professional services where certification is required under Part 80 of the Commissioner’s regulations or where licensure is required under Title VIII of the Education Law.
New Hartford Central School District School Counseling Department
New Hartford Central School’s counseling program is designed to meet the needs of students’ academic, social/emotional, and career growth. School counselors are professionals who serve as student advocates and collaborate with families, school social workers, teachers, other educators, and outside resources. Working in conjunction with these interested parties, school counselors facilitate the acquisition of knowledge and skillsets necessary for students to become productive and contributing members of society. The New Hartford Central School District has the following school counselors: 3 at the High School, 2 at Perry Jr. High School, and 2 school counselors shared between 3 Elementary Schools (each Elementary School has a School Counselor 4 days out of the 6-day cycle).
The Role of the School Counselor
“Today’s school counselors are vital members of the education team. They help all students in the areas of academic achievement; career and social/emotional development, ensuring today’s students become the productive, well-adjusted adults of tomorrow.” American School Counseling Association, https://www.schoolcounselor.org/administrators/role-of-the-school-counselor
Our School Counselors:
- Conduct an Individual Annual Review (grades 6-12)
- Provide Career Exploration and Planning
- Annual career exploration related activities with each grade level K-12
- Post-secondary planning with students 10-12
- College planning and application process for students 10-12
- Consulting and coordinating with higher education resources
- Provide Academic Support
- Academic planning /graduation requirements
- Monitor academic progress
- Connect with support services for struggling students
- Consultation with teaching staff
- Facilitate student/teacher conferences
- Facilitate parent/teacher conferences
- Provide Social/Emotional Counseling when personal difficulties impact academic success
- Individual counseling
- Group counseling
- Crisis intervention and response
- Prevention based classroom lessons
- Consult with/refer to school social workers, school nurses, etc.
Tasks Performed by the School Counselors
The High School Counseling Calendar which is available the Counseling website has specific dates of the student activities. The calendar is set up for the upcoming school year by mid-July and updated throughout the year as needed.
Individual Annual Review in Grade 6
The school counselor meets individually with 6th-grade students to provide social/emotional support, academic counseling, and career counseling. During the formal Individual Annual Review, the school counselors review:
- the Individual Annual Review Survey and Review form student completed
- the students’ academic program and grades
- the students’ post-secondary plans
- the students’ goals
- the students’ extracurricular activities
- how the student feels he/she is doing
- any issues the student would like to discuss.
This Review takes place during academic planning (January – early March).
7-12 Individual Annual Review
The school counselors meet individually with students throughout the school year to provide social/emotional support, academic counseling, and college/career counseling. During the formal Individual Annual Review, the school counselors review:
- the students’ progress in Naviance
- the students’ academic program and grades
- the students’ post-secondary plans
- the students’ goals
- the students’ extracurricular activities
- how the student feels he/she is doing
- any issues the student would like to discuss.
This Review takes place during academic planning for grades 7 – 11 (January –March) and in late Sept./early Oct. for students in grade 12.
K-12 Career Development Program
The elementary school counselors work in conjunction with classroom teachers to make sure age-appropriate Career Development activities take place throughout the school year. The students learn about various careers with a focus on skills needed to be successful in school and in a job. Some of
the activities include:
- Positivity Project (a character education program)
- 6th grade Job’s program (6th grade students learn about different jobs in the school building, apply for positions, interview, and then are given jobs to perform around the building)
- Counselors push into classes to read books about a career(s) and then discuss various aspects of the job and look at the skills used.
- Counselors work with students at looking at the skills they are using in schools and how they relate to different jobs.
- Guest speakers
- Career Week activities
The school counselors at the Junior and Senior High Schools will use Naviance to follow the students Career Development. Naviance activities give students the opportunity to explore personal strengths and interests, and vocational/college/career awareness. The following Naviance career activities will take place at Perry: Cluster Finder, Career Key, Learning Style Inventory/AchieveWorks® Learning & Productivity, Strengths Explorer, and Road Trip Nation. The following Naviance career activities will take place at the HS: Career Interest Profiler, Do What You Are/AchieveWorks Personality®. MI Advantage/AchieveWorks Intelligences®, and Cluster Finder. Road Trip Nation will be introduced at Perry and used by the students interested in seeing a video as needed during grades 7-12. The Cluster Finder will be shown at multiple grade levels and used by students as an added tool to help in their career search/research.
Grade 7
- Naviance introduction (December or March)
- Complete AchieveWorks® Learning & Productivity (a learning styles inventory)
- Saving at least 1 Career to Favorites (by end of school year)
- Academic Planning Individual Meeting (March)
- Decision Day Activities to promote future planning (May)
Grade 8
- Naviance Career Review (December or March)
- Complete Strengths Explorer (is designed to help students discover & develop their strengths)
- Review Saved Career Clusters/Careers
- Saving at least 1 Career Cluster to Favorites (by end of school year)
- Academic Planning Individual Meeting (February)
- BOCES Visitation (all students visit BOCES to see what programs will be available in 11th grade)
- Decision Day Activities to promote future planning (May)
Grade 9
- Naviance Career Review (November or February)
- Naviance College basic introduction
- Complete Career Key (a career interest inventory)
- Cluster Finder
- Review Saved Career Clusters/Careers
- Academic Planning Workshop (February/March)
- Academic Planning Individual Meeting (March)
- Decision Day Activities to promote future planning (May)
Grade 10
- Naviance Workshop (November/December)
- Naviance Review
- Complete Career Interest Profiler
- Academic Planning Workshop (February)
- Post-Secondary Plans as of 10th Grade Survey
- Naviance Career Cluster Finder
- Academic Planning Individual Meeting (February/March)
Grade 11
- Naviance Post-secondary Planning Workshop (October)
- Naviance Review & College Search overview
- Complete Game Plan
- Complete AchieveWorks Personality® (identify learning strengths & relate them to activities)
- Academic Planning Workshop (February)
- Option to complete AchieveWorks Intelligences® (helps students identify & use their strengths, work with their challenge areas, and be more successful in school)
- Post-Secondary Plans as of Jr. Year Survey
- Academic Planning Individual Meeting (February/March)
- Jr. Review Meeting (April)
Grade 12
- Naviance Ready, Set, Apply! Workshops (September)
- Naviance Career & College Search Review
- Update Game Plan
- College application procedures (for students looking at 2 & 4-year colleges)
- Military/employment application procedures (for students looking at those options)
- Introduction to Working Solutions (for those planning on working after graduation)
- Sr. Review Meeting (September)
- Confirm Post-secondary Plans (May)
Academic Support
Grades K-6
The counselor works with students, teachers, social workers, and parents/guardians to help students be as successful as they can be academically. The goal is to have all students be successful in the classroom and are able to be promoted. The following activities take place to support students academically:
- Report Cards are issued 4 times a year
- The counselor and social workers work with students who are struggling in classes
- AIS letters are mailed to parents/guardians of students scheduled for AIS services
Grades 7-12
The school counselors work with students in groups and individually to gain knowledge about their strengths, weaknesses, and learning style. Counselors work with students, teachers, social workers, and parents/guardians to help students be as successful as they can be academically. The goal is to have all students meet requirements needed for graduation. The following activities take place to support students academically:
- Report Cards are issued 4 times a year
- Counselors meet with students not passing classes and collaborate with teachers on how to help students
- Counselors work with students who are struggling in classes
- AIS letters are mailed to parents/guardians of students scheduled for AIS services
- “Senior Jeopardy” letters are mailed to parents/guardians of seniors who are in jeopardy of not passing a course required for graduation (December/May)
- Counselors meet weekly with students who are in jeopardy of not graduating to review progress and map put a plan to be successful
- “Low Credit” letters are sent to parents/guardians of students entering grades 10-12 who are below the required number of credits (grade 10 – 5.0+; grade 11 – 10.0+; 12 – 15.5+) earned indicating the student may not graduate on time (August)
- Courses/Regents Exams required for graduation letters sent to seniors and their parents (September)
K-12 Social/Emotional Support
The school counselors and social workers work with students in groups and individually to gain knowledge about themselves and provide social-emotional counseling when personal difficulties impact their academic performance. Counselors often work individually with students on these issues and make referrals to the School Social Worker for ongoing services. The School Social Workers are integral in supporting our students social-emotional needs. The goal is to have all students able to function in school and learn how to manage their social/emotional issues to be successful in life. The following activities take place to support student’s social/emotional well-being:
- Individual counseling, as needed
- Group counseling, when appropriate
- Crisis Intervention and response
- Prevention based classroom lessons
- Monthly Character Education topics integrated into the classes (grades K-6)
- Health classes include mental health topics (grades 7, 9-12)
- Physical Education classes include healthy lifestyle topics (grades 7-12)
- Counselor and Social Workers will do in-class presentations when requested by teachers
- Consult with/refer to school social workers, school nurses, etc.
- School Counselors, Social Workers, and School Nurses provide support strategies for teachers to use in the classroom