Comprehensive School Counseling Program

Abstract

Parts I and II contain a review of information available on the districts program and some sample information middle guidance programs website.  Part III is background information and analysis on the Catskills Central School District and Community.  The information was used to identify needs. Part IV contains an individualized development of a comprehensive school counseling program for Catskills Central School District.  In essence, the program is revamped, not modeled after their district, but developed based on data from the Census Bureau of the community of Catskills in 2000.  To adequately design a school counseling program one must be familiar with the needs of the community within which the program exists.  The individually designed program is based on Catskills needs and may be compared to the available information presented in Parts I and II of the current program in place.
Comprehensive School Counseling Program:

Individual Design and Selected Comparison Analysis

Part I: Target School

School:        Catskill School District Pre-K – 12

District:      Catskill Central School District

Location:    Catskill, New York

Mission Statement:

The mission of the Catskill Central School District is to provide all children with the opportunity to fully develop their academic and creative potential, and to assist them in becoming mature, humane, responsible and productive members of society.

                                   (Catskill Central School District, 2007)

District Goals for 2007-2008:

• Provide educational opportunities for all students to achieve high academic success
• Collaborate with our community
• Communicate with all stakeholders
• Continue with long-term facilities maintenance projects (Catskill Central School District, 2007)

Target District Issues:

• Communication with families and stakeholders
• Facilities projects
• Achievement of high academic success by all students

Catskill Central School District Guidance Staff:

Catskill Elementary School

770 Embought Road
Catskill, NY 12414

Guidance Counselor:                         Marlene Merchant      518-943-0574 ext.104

Catskill Middle School

345 West Main St.

Catskill, NY  12414

Guidance Counselor:             Jean Duncan               518-943-5665 ext.1352

School Social Worker:           Susan Sorkin              518-943-5665 ext. 1362

                                               Kimberly Bushane      518-943-2300 ext 2101

                                               Julie Staber                 518-943-2300 ext 2166

Catskill High School

341 West Main Street

Catskill, NY 12414

Guidance Counselor:             Kelly Konsul              518-943-2300 ext. 2182

                                               Beth  Daly                  518-943-2300 ext. 2181

Psychologist:                          Bettina Young                       518-943-2300 ext. 2183

Social Worker(s):                   Susan Sorkin              518-943-2300 ext. 2183

                                               Kimberly Bushane      518-243-2300 ext. 2101

                                               Julie Staber                 518-243-2300 ext. 2166

Catskill Central Elementary School

Mission Statement:

Elementary School Goals:

Guidance Program Goals: (limited information avail.)

• Prevent and Eliminate Bullying (local and cyber bullying)
• Resources:

Anti-Bullying:  http://www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov

Cyber Bullying: http://www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/indexAdult.asp?Area=cyberbullying

(Catskill Elementary School, 2007)

Catskill Central Middle School

Mission Statement:

Middle School Goals:

Guidance Program Target Issues:

• Scheduling
• Orientation
• Providing assistance with social/emotional/psychological/special/academic needs
• Scheduling/Placement
• Performance Issues/Grades
• Character Education Program
• Preventing Drug Abuse/Illegal Use
• Promoting Awareness of Enrichment Opportunities and Extracurricular Summer Events for Student Engagement

Part II:  Catskill Central Middle School Guidance Program Sample Information

Extrapolated from CCMS Website

Catskill Central Middle School Guidance Program

The guidance staff consists of a psychologist, a school counselor, and two social workers that are here to serve their students in many different ways. In addition to keeping student files updated, the School Counselor assists with scheduling and orientation.  All students may meet with a counselor at any time.

Students and parents are encouraged to contact the guidance staff any time they have questions about scheduling and/or placement, or if they are concerned about academic performance, psychological or social issues.  The guidance office can also provide parents with information about resources for a variety of special needs.  This may include summer programs, accelerated programs, contacting tutors, academic support, mentoring, peer mediation, Tech Valley High School and the John Hopkins Talent search.  Decisions made during the middle school years often affect a student’s high school scheduling.

Parents, students and the school personnel should be partners in the decision making process.  The guidance staff is available to help students sort through the many options and pressures of the 21st Century.  They are here to help students learn how to be good decision-makers, how to communicate, how to solve problems and to value their individual skills and abilities

(Catskill Middle School Guidance Program, 2007)

Upcoming Events

Spring 2008  – Important Dates

• Wednesday March 19^th – 1 PM  Rachel’s Challenge Assembly www.rachelschallenge.com *
• Thursday March 27^th – Character Education Conference, The Academy for Character Education, At the Sage Colleges  http://old.sage.edu/resources/charactereducation/*
• Friday April 4^th – 3^rd Marking Period Ends
• Friday May 9^th – Eligibility Review
• Friday May 16^th – Interim Reports Mailed
•  Monday June 9 – Friday June 13^th – Summer School Pre-registration – CMS Guidance
•  Friday June 13^th – Marking Period Ends
•  Tuesday June 17^th – CMS 10 am dismissal begins
•  Wednesday June 25^th  – 8^th grade moving up day rehearsal 7:45 – 9:00 am
•  Thursday June 26^th – CMS Awards & Moving Up Day – 8:00 am
•  Wednesday July 2^nd – Summer School Registration – 8:00 – 10:00 am CES Cafeteria

Informational WEB Sites for Parent And Students

                                    (Catskill Middle School Guidance Program, 2007)

• Summer Programs at RPI in Troy:

http://summer.rpi.edu

• Summer Programs From John Hopkins University:

www.cty.jhu.edu

• Tech Valley Summer Camp:

http://www.TechValleyCamp.org

• Summer Programs for Girls:

 http://girlsquest.org

• Summer at Cobleskill:

http://summeroncampus.com/

• Educational Resources:

 http://www.usa.gov/Topics/Parents_Education.shtml

• Click here to download the flyer for Teen Drug Use-34 Warning Signs. Check out the website. teens-in-crisis.com

                                (Catskill Middle School Guidance Program, 2007)

Pillars of Character

Character Education is alive and well at Catskill Middle School! The Pillars of Character will be posted on the website monthly and on our school newsletter. The teachers are also implementing them into their everyday lessons

Pillars of Character

• September Respect
• October Trustworthiness
• November Thankfulness
• December Kindness
• January Responsibility
• February Honesty
• March Perseverance
• April Resourcefulness
• May Cooperation
• June Friendship

Catskill Central High School

Mission Statement:

High School Goals:

High School Guidance Program:  No Information Available

Part III:  Comprehensive School Counseling

Program Individual Design: 

District Demographics 

1. Target District: Catskill Central School District

      Location:  Catskill, New York

     Schools:     Catskill Central Elementary School

                        Catskill Central Middle School

                        Catskill Central High School

    Support Staff:

                            1 Guidance Counselor –Elementary

                            0 Psychologists

                            0 Social Workers

                            1 Guidance Counselor – Middle School

                            0 Psychologists

                            3 Social Workers – Shared with High School

                            2 Guidance Counselors – High School

                            1 Psychologist

                            3 Social Workers – Shared with Middle School
    1.  Poverty

Catskill Community Poverty Status Affecting Present and

Future School-Age Populations based on data from U.S. Census (2000).

II.                Disability

Catskill Community Disability Status based on U.S. Census data (2000). 

Eighteen percent of the population in 2000 under age 65 had one or more disabilities.  Seven percent of the population in 2000 ages 21-64 had employment disabilities.  Two thousand, nine hundred thirteen persons in the 2000 census were recorded as disabled with one or more disabilities.  This represents approximately 18% of the population of the town of Catskill, New York.  Thirty-seven percent or 1,066 persons who are disabled belong to the following age groups:  5-15, 16-21, and 65+.  Sixty-three percent of the population who report having a disability is in the age group from 21-64.  This raises significant concerns for the community, schools, and families regarding socials issues such as poverty, education, and economic growth for the community, etc. because this age group is the predominant working age in society.  Thirty-nine percent of this age group who has a disability has an employment disability.   This represents 7% of the disabled population, or 781 of the 2,913 persons with disabilities.  Employment disabilities represent 27% of the population of individuals with disabilities and 7% (781)  of the total population of 11,849 as recorded in the 2000 Census Report.

Part IV:  Comprehensive School Counseling

Program Individual Design

(Re-Vamp of Target District Program)

Target School:  Comparison School District (Catskill Central School District)

Location:  Catskill, New York

District Mission: 

            To provide all student’s with an equal and quality educational opportunities that will enable them to be prepared for life beyond public school and able to reach their potential in the pursuit of their ambitions, dreams, work, and have an understanding of ways and./or connections to resources that will enable them to maximize their overall quality of life and health.

District Goals:

• Develop and Maintain District Wide Curricular and Special Programs Teams with

development, standards, programs, and ongoing assessments/data-based monitoring and improvements.

• Establish a district wide School Guidance Program Team.
• Establish a Special Funding and Research Coordinator Position (for grants/needs community needs assessments/etc.)
• Establish a Grade-Card Evaluation, five-year plan with strategic long-range continuous planning to raise the graduation rate, employment status of graduates, and decrease the numbers of individuals ages 21-64 who are becoming employment related individuals with disabilities after leaving public school.
• New 5-year theme for school year will be “Partnerships…Families, Children, Schools, Community….United to Make a Difference in the lives of Children, Families, Communities, Nation, and World.”
• Hold a monthly parent forum in the community.
• Place a parent representative from each of the schools on the school board.    Diversity must be accounted for in the selection.  Parents will have responsibilities for representing other parents.
• Place a student council representative from the middle and secondary schools on the board.

Catskill Central School District Guidance Program Mission: 

To provide a comprehensive, developmental, unified guidance program district wide that works in coordination with one another to meet student needs with ongoing assessment and refinement to the ever-changing needs and demands of the population.

Catskill Central School District Guidance Program Goals: 

• Form District Wide Guidance Program T.E.A.M. (Together Everyone Accomplishes More)

• To establish district wide guidance program standards, programs, and monitoring procedures.
• To hold monthly team meetings.
• To base program information planning on reliable and objective data.
• To obtain grant writing training for guidance staff.
• To obtain more social workers for the middle and high schools; to place social workers in the elementary school; to obtain a social worker for early intervention.
• To have a guidance representative at parent meetings.
• To have a guidance representative as a member on the strategic planning committee to improve high school graduation rates and reduction of post-secondary employment disability outcomes..

Catskill Central Elementary School

Elementary Mission: 

To provide all students with the pre-requisite foundational skills needed to succeed according to their abilities in school and an equal opportunity to all educational resources in the least restrictive and safe learning environment possible to ensure and promote their future school career.

Elementary School Goals: 

• Promote positive family alliances.
• Ensure a safe and productive learning environment.
• Provide all students with equal access to learning opportunities.
• Ensure all students are receiving adequate nutrition and healthcare.
• Promote success and achievement of learning and behavior of all students . . .

Focus is always positive and encouraging with students . . . no aversive means of disciplinary procedures by any staff persons.

Elementary Guidance Mission Statement:

To reduce stressors and barriers that inhibit children from acquiring their foundational educational skills training and foster a positive, supportive, nurturing environment for children to learn and grow.

Elementary Guidance Program Goals:

• Conduct surveys to assess family and children needs.
• Hold open houses to establish relationships with families.
• Assist families in accessing needed resources.
• Assist children in accessing needed academic, emotional, and health support resources.
• Implement a child-fingerprinting/photo program for every child –enrolled; afterwards, each new child enrolled; information to be copied for parent; transferred to child’s next school.
• Have safety programs for children, which include, but are not limited to strangers and touch.
• Implement a school-wide Catch-Them-Being Good Program that promotes both teachers and peers rewarding each other for good things (grades, behaviors, random acts of kindness, etc.).
• Establish a school newsletter to communicate with families regarding information, resources, and sharing Catch-Them-Being Good, and honor rolls, improvements, etc.

Catskill Central Middle School

Middle School Mission:

To establish a positive, encouraging, and safe environment that is conducive and supportive to learning where students can excel and reach their potential.

.Middle School Goals:

• Form positive family alliances.
• Every student will be involved in at least one extracurricular activity.
• Avoid any aversive measures of disciplinary control or consequences.
• Ensure successful transition of elementary students to the middle school environment.
• Prepare middle school students for success in high school.
• Support and role-model positive relationship building skills.

Middle School Guidance Program Mission Statement: 

To align the middle school guidance goals and target programs with data based identified needs within the current population, societal trends, constantly track the needs of students who progress out of the middle school into secondary school and those who will be upcoming into middle school in order to promote optimal success and quality of life for students within school, school activities, relationships, home life, and transition to secondary school, and post-school adjustment into adulthood

Middle School Guidance Program Goals: 

• Ensure successful preparation and transition of elementary students.
• Ensure successful preparation and transition of middle school to high school students.
• Guidance team will assist the school in developing school disciplinary procedures.
• Develop and implement suicide prevention program.
• Develop a school-wide drug/alcohol abuse program with field trips.
• Develop and implement relationship/communication skills training programs.
• Develop leadership training programs.
• Develop a school-wide Rewards/Honors/Leadership/Citizen Program
• Develop tutoring program for all courses, including both peer/teacher tutoring options.
• Develop online assistance options.
• Safety training: runaways, pedophiles, internet, etc.
• Write a grant for a middle school summer guidance program.

Catskill Central High School

High School Mission:

To prepare all students with the skills to be successful for transition to post-secondary life in accordance and to the maximum extent possible the skills for successful independent living according to their needs and goals.

High School Goals:

• To provide a transition plan for all students, developed the freshman year and reviewed annually.
• For all students to be involved in at least one extracurricular activity.
• To improve the school graduation rate.
• To improve the long-term employment success rate for students exiting school.
• Avoidance of aversive means of discipline by all staff persons.

High School Guidance Program Mission Statement: 

To ensure successful transition of middle school students to secondary school and promote the social, emotional, intellectual, and physical well-being and positive quality of life through enrichment, support, guidance, programs, and other activities in order to successfully prepare all students regardless of ability, class, or any other difference the opportunity to achieve and excel to their potential, pursuit dreams, and quality of life in post-secondary life

High School Guidance Program Goals:

• To promote a high school positive peer buddy/role model program targeted at

Reducing drug/alcohol use, bullying, and preventing suicide.

• Implement a Catch-Them –Being Good Program
• Develop and coordinate transition planning for all students beginning freshman year.
• Design a tracking system for graduates.
• Host open houses for all grades coordinating with transition plans, resources including

Agencies such as vocational rehabilitation, schools, summer camp opportunities, hands-on-work opportunities, mentoring programs, enrichment opportunities, etc.

Invite persons with disabilities who still find ways to become full-time workers and overcome obstacles to be guest speakers to the student body.

• Establish a local Student Council for Exceptional Children (SCEC) organization
• Coordinate with Special Education Faculty for training transition with students with disabilities.
• Access university faculty for targeting risk factors in identifying those who are later becoming disabled who were not in high school…and establish a prevention program

to alleviate risk factors.

• Establish a school-wide tutoring program and web-based school home-work help.

References

   Catskill Central School District (2008).  On the internet at:

Home Page

   Catskill Central Elementary School (2007).  On the internet at:

http://www.catskillcsd.org/elementary/index/teacher_resources

   Catskill Central Middle School (2007).  On the internet at:

http://www.catskillcsd.org/middle/index/cmsguidance

   Catskill Central High School (2007).  On the internet at:

http://www.catskillcsd.org/high/

   U.S. Census Bureau  (2008).  Catskill, New York.  On the internet at:

http://www.census.gov/

http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFPopulation?_event=ChangeGeoContext&geo_id=06000US3603913013&_geoContext=&_street=&_county=Catskill&_cityTown=Catskill&_state=04000US36&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=geoSelect&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=010&_submenuId=population_0&ds_name=null&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=null&reg=null%3Anull&_keyword=&_industry=