East Middle School

Counseling Department Program Model

• To meet the goals of the five-year plan as mandated by the Office of Public Instruction and No Child Left Behind by 2005. We will improve math and reading skills by one NCE as measured by the Iowa Test of Basic Skills scores.
• To instruct students in positive social skills promoting a safe, respectful, educational environment.
• To maintain and build the partnership with our community, including opportunities for service.
• To provide an inclusionary environment whereby all students can achieve success.

Philosophy

We believe that all students should have equitable opportunity to benefit from the Counseling Program.

Program Components

School Counseling Curriculum

Skills to the Future, the Great Falls Public Schools Board approved K-12 Counseling Curriculum is based on the ASCA National Standards and addresses three areas of student growth: academic, career and personal-social. Our curriculum provides for the students in this middle school in these ways:

1.Classroom Guidance Component

• Counselors implement the classroom component of the curriculum through the use of effective instructional skills and the careful planning of structured group sessions. They are in the classroom on a regular basis to teach and model skills to meet curriculum benchmarks. The intent is that all students will have the opportunity to learn these skills.

2. Structured Groups

• Small groups for select students are provided for more intense support when needed. These are held for a two to eight week period and can be formal or more casual in structure. Some examples are groups for students with failing grades, students impacted by divorce, high and low academic abilities, or poor attendance impacting learning.

3. Individual Consultation

• The benchmarks of the curriculum are sometimes met by individual work with the students. Students, parents, staff members or the counselor may initiate contact with a counselor and the counselor will address these concerns as needed. These are also opportunities to support issues that are serious enough to interfere with their ability to concentrate or learn.

Individual Planning

Our counselors implement the Individual Planning Component by guiding individuals and groups of students and their parents through the development of plans to improve their learning. Various services are provided to facilitate student's individual academic needs. Individual planning may be accomplished by:

• Parent conferences
• Special Education meetings
• Teacher/student conferences
• Team conferences
• New student orientation
• Individual assessment and evaluation

Responsive Services

At East Middle School, in a time of crisis, we strive to meet the immediate needs of students, their families and staff. The counseling department is an integral part of the school crisis response team. On going training for counselors is provided in crisis intervention strategies. A building plan is in place at EMS to address crisis situations.

Through the Responsive Services Component we also use individual and small group counseling, consultation and referrals to meet the needs of identified students and to provide additional services as needed at that time.

System Support

The counseling department is actively involved in management activities that establish, maintain and enhance the learning environment for the students in this school.

Counselors:

• work within the building to provide programs, plans and services to assist with on-going school improvement.
• facilitate communication with parents
• plan and coordinate transition issues for students entering and leaving our school
• serve as an information resource for students, family and faculty
• maintain professional contacts within the district and community for professional development opportunities
• participate and support the school community through committee involvement

Professionalism Statement

As a department, we are committed to our professional responsibilities. We feel it is important that we:

• participate in professional activities such as membership and involvement in professional organizations, coursework, workshops and conferences.
• seek opportunities to learn from colleagues, students, parents, and community members.
• Keep abreast of developments in the counseling profession including the use of technology.

Ethical Guidelines

The counselors at EMS strive to adhere to the profession's ethical standards and guidelines as delineated in the ethical standards of the American School Counseling Association and the American Counseling Association.

Back