The School Counseling and Graduation Support Team believes that all students, K-12, will achieve academic, personal/social, and career success as the result of a District-wide integration of comprehensive school counseling programs. The team supports the development, implementation and evaluation of comprehensive school counseling programs through professional development, consultation, and assistance relevant to school counseling, and the use of relevant performance appraisal instruments.
- default_titlebe academically successful,
- default_titlemeet promotion and graduation requirements,
- default_titlebe college and career ready,
- default_titlemaximize social and emotional wellness, and
- default_titlebecome good citizens.
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School counselors are certified educators with a minimum of a master’s degree in school counseling. They are uniquely qualified to address all students’ academic, social/emotional and college-career needs through structured, planned, and comprehensive services. Elementary, middle and high certified school counselors deliver programs that help students to develop essential competencies, learning skills, social skills, self-management skills, and college/career readiness skills. They work in collaboration with parents, other educators, and the community to provide core curriculum and structured lessons, individual student planning, individual counseling, small group counseling, crisis response, consultation, and parent conferences in support of student achievement.
The American School Counselor Association (ASCA), Florida School Counselor Association (FSCA) and the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) provide school counseling program models, support evidence-based school counseling, and establish student standards and competencies.
The Student Development Plan (SDP) is a comprehensive, developmental program designed to serve all K-12 students and prepare them for productive citizenship. It is an essential part of a school’s multi-tiered system of supports, based on national standards adopted by the American School Counselor Association, the Florida Department of Education’s School Counseling and Guidance Framework, and research-based strategies. The Student Development Plan is mandated by Florida Statute 1006.025. The student competencies identified in the Student Development Plan guide certified school counselors as they support students. These competencies guide the certified school counselor in the development of high quality programs centered on three domains: academic, career and personal/social development. The three interrelated components of the SDP include systems for delivery, management and accountability, all focused on student outcomes. Infused throughout the program are anticipated qualities of leadership, advocacy, and collaboration evidenced by certified school counselors, teachers, administrators, community, and educational partners.
Certified school counselors report on student outcomes through the Student Development Plan Annual Report, which is completed in May of each school year. A review of SDP Annual Report outcomes leads to the identification of school counseling best practice that produce positive outcomes for the students in the District.
The essential question is: “How are students better off as the result of school counseling?” The following four major initiatives are producing positive results for students.
The School District of Palm Beach County is a partner in an Institute of Education Sciences (IES) grant to study the impact of the school counselor led Student Success Skills classroom program on 5th grade students in fifteen elementary schools. This large scale, four-year study explored learning skills, social skills and self-management instruction, and its impact on academic achievement (report card grades and FCAT), attendance, and classroom academic and social behaviors.
The results are impressive. After eight classroom guidance lessons, students were:
- default_titlemore cooperative in class,
- default_titleless disruptive in class,
- default_titlemore engaged in core instruction,
- default_titlemore assertive in class, and
- default_titleless test anxious in the classroom.
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IES is the research arm of the U.S. Department of Education and has helped raise the bar for all education research and evaluation by conducting peer-reviewed scientific studies, demanding high standards and supporting and training researchers across the country. Partners in this project included Florida State University, Florida Atlantic University, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, The School District of Palm Beach County, Duval County Public Schools, approximately 60 school counselors, and over 4,500 students in 240 classrooms.
The 2013-2014 College-Career Fair broke all previous attendance records! Over 4,300 students and families attended this annual event. Students and their families were able to meet with over 150 representatives from colleges, universities, the military, and other postsecondary institutions. The 2014-2015 College-Career Fair was held on October 22, 2014 at the Palm Beach County Convention Center.
HBCU and HSI Recruitment Tour is designed to connect college-ready seniors with public, private community, and university educational options. The 2014 HBCU/HSI Tour included representatives from 14 institutions and the Florida Office of Student Financial Aid. Over 620 college-ready seniors from 22 schools attended leading to 823 admissions offers, and $626,224 in scholarship offers. The 2015 HBCU/HSI Tour is scheduled for January 13-14, 2015 at the Palm Beach County Convention Center.
In partnership with The Johns Hopkins University and the Ryan Licht Sang Bipolar Foundation, school counselors and other educators were trained in the Adolescent Depression Awareness Program (ADAP). The ADAP program and curriculum educates high school students, teachers, and parents about the illness of depression. A total of 1,123 students at three high schools (Boca Raton Community High, Seminole Ridge Community High, and Suncoast High) were taught the curriculum. As a result of this instruction, students increased in their awareness about mood disorders and the need for evaluation and treatment with post-test knowledge gains of 43%.
The 1st Annual Student Mental Health and Wellness Conference was a huge success! Over 175 certified school counselors, school psychologists, classroom teachers, school nurses, school based team leaders, school and district administrators, and community partners attended this inaugural professional development conference.
Attendees learned about:
- default_titleCreating a School Culture, Meeting the Needs of Students with Chronic Illness,
- default_titleIssues Faced by LGBT Students and their Impact on Mental Health,
- default_titleRemoving Barriers to School Success for Youth Caregivers,
- default_titleEngaging Youth in Bullying and Dating Abuse Prevention,
- default_titleFrom Despair to Hope through Renewed Self-Perception,
- default_titleAccepting Yourself, Accepting Others: A Presentation on Media, Body Image, & Eating Disorders,
- default_titleHow to Build a Stress Resistant School Culture,
- default_titleGrief and Loss Through the Ages, Strategies for Communicating with Parents,
- default_titleGroup Counseling with Elementary School Children,
- default_titleTrauma Training, and
- default_titleParents & Teachers as Allies-Recognizing Early Onset Mental Illness
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Conference participants gave the event high marks:
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90% or more of the participants strongly agreed or agreed that the keynote speaker was knowledgeable, prepared, and organized with content relevant to their work.
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95% or more of the participants strongly agreed or agreed that the session speakers were knowledgeable, prepared, and organized with content relevant to their work.
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92% or more of the participants strongly agreed or agreed that the conference was organized and easy to follow.
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92% or more of the participants strongly agreed that the Community Resource Fair would be useful in their work.
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90% or more of the participants strongly agreed or agreed that the conference was relevant to their work.
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Their comments included: great topics, loved the networking, lots of resources, learned about community agencies, great variety, informative, loved the collaboration, right on!, quality of speakers was great, great ideas, specific examples, communication with others was helpful, THANK YOU!
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We will see you in June of 2015 for the 2nd Annual Student Mental Health and Wellness Conference!
