Module 2
In Module 2, you read about the foundational elements of a comprehensive school counseling program. Now, it’s time to start creating those elements. After completing the prompts in this section of the journal, you will have created or revised the first parts of your program.
In completing the needs assessment, what did you learn about the needs of your students that you did not previously realize?
Do you now see more depth or breadth of the needs?
Which groups of students are you already serving well?
With which groups of students might you want to do a focus group to better determine the needs of that group of students?
As your team prioritized students' needs, what did you learn about each other and come to value about each other's commitments to serve your students?
You are nearly finished with half of this course! This means, your CSCP journey is well on its way. Take a moment to appreciate the hard work and time you have put into your program. Now, imagine how your students will benefit from your time and energy in developing a CSCP. Consider these benefits globally as well as thinking about specific students and their respective benefits.
At this stage of your CSCP journey, it is important to decide when you will form an Advisory Council, if you haven’t already. Some schools have chosen to form a council after the bulk of their CSCP has been developed. Others have decided to form an advisory council earlier in the process to support the development of the program. Consult with your team, including your building administrator, to determine what is the best choice for your school.
Starting with equity and your professional lens and expertise, brainstorm a few needs you see in your school. Once you have identified a few, list out one possible needs assessment tool that you could use in the near future to gather additional information about the depth and breadth of this identified need.
How can you use your Beliefs, Vision, Mission, and Social Equity statements to advocate for your program? Remember that these statements begin to define who you are and what you want to do on behalf of your students. Let your voice be heard such that if your students, staff, administrators, school board, community were asked questions about the comprehensive school counseling program in your schools, team members could step forward and share knowledgeably about who your leadership team is and the steps you have taken and are taking to build your district’s CSCP.
We will discuss program advocacy more fully in Module 4; for now, notice that in addition to using your Beliefs, Vision, Mission, and Social Equity statements in advocating for your program, you can also use the ASCA Ethical Guidelines. The ethical guidelines state that the purpose of the document is to “Inform all educational stakeholders, including but not limited to students, parents/guardians, teachers/staff, administrators, community members, legal professionals and courts of justice, regarding the ethical practices, values and expected behaviors of the school counseling professional.”