Our Awesome and Amazing High School

Comprehensive Counseling and Guidance Program

Anna Romero, Chanel Sykes,

Hannah Leoni, Jessica Krall
Foundation:
Mission: The mission at Our Awesome and Amazing HIgh school is to deliver a
comprehensive program that will help prepare every student socially, academically, and
emotionally for present and future challenges. Through a robust and enhanced collaboration
system with key stakeholders including students, parents, school support staff, administrators,
and community agencies, we will ensure academic success and empower students to enhance
social/emotional development and their career/vocational goals.

Vision: The students at Our Awesome and Amazing High School will leave school filled
with insight, education, and the social skills to start their new paths in life. Students will meet
competency standards in a variety of areas. Students will receive guidance and instruction
throughout their years at Our Awesome and Amazing High School coordinated by a highly
collaborative partnership of parents, teachers, counselors, administrators, and community
organizations.

Student Standards:
B-SMS 7. “ Demonstrate the ability to balance school, home and community
activities.”
B-SMS 9. “Demonstrate personal safety skills.”
B-SMS 10. “Demonstrate the ability to manage transition and ability to adapt to
changing situations and responsibilities.”
BSS-6. “Use collaboration and cooperation skills”
B-SS 1. “Use effective oral and written communication skills and listening skills”

Professional Competencies:
M-5. “Effective school counseling is a collaborative process involving counselors,
students, families, teachers, administrators, other school staff and education
stakeholders.”
B-PF 7. “Demonstrate leadership through the development and implementation of
a school counseling program.”
B-SS 6. “Collaborate with families, teachers, administrators, other school staff
and education stakeholders for student achievement and success.”
B-SS 4. “Make referrals to appropriate school and community resources.”

Management:
Advisory councils
● Career Advisory (CTE programs, College, Employers in community): School
counselors will serve on a career advisory committee allowing them to meet
potential employers within the community, leading to enhanced relationships that
 build an understanding of what skills and attributes students need to be successful
after graduation. Each school counselor shall participate in two career advisory
groups per year.
● Academic Advisory: The goal of this program will be to motivate students to
achieve success in their current grade level, while gaining life and academic skills
to help them transition after high school. Students will be immersed in an
environment that fosters community and positive interaction with peers and
teachers through meaningful discussion about current events, education, and
social issues.
● Multicultural Advisory Committee: A student leadership team that helps to ensure
on campus cultural diversity and awareness. Students will identify and bring
forward areas of concern for different students on campus, resulting in student
level gap identification. This student-led team, facilitated by two counselors, will
encourage peer to peer engagement through the organization and participation of
on campus cultural events.
● Culture and Climate Committee: The Culture and Climate committee is composed
of counselors, teachers, and administrators for the purpose of gathering data about
the campus learning environment in order to formulate resources that address
campus-specific needs. The leader of the committee will organize and facilitate
monthly meetings in order to address data findings and data-related student, staff,
and faculty concerns.

Core Curriculum: While a robust curriculum that focuses on all areas of academics exists,
research has shown that individuals need to have their basic needs met to succeed. We
understand that some of the barriers students face are out of our control, so we have to be able to
provide them resilience strategies.
All students who score below a 60% for the week will be referred to the counseling department
for immediate academic follow up.
80% of all students are at grade level 75% of the school year
85% of students will utilize tutoring services
Referral rates will increase by 50% within the next school year for all students

Annual Agreements: The yearly meeting between counselors and administrators, at which time
all will discuss the plans and responsibilities for the year. Our annual meeting with
administration will discuss our identified gaps; percentage of homeless students, percentage of
students who are socially economically disadvantaged along with the need to do further data
analysis to see if the correlation between the rise in graduation rates is related to the intervention
strategies included in the suspension plan. We will discuss our strategies for the year that
include Tea and crumpets, the comfort closet, teaching conflict negotiation strategies to all and
Wednesday morning donuts.
Planning Calendars: The calendar is developed to ensure that all students, parents, teachers, and
administrators know what and when school activities are scheduled. A simple overview is below.

Delivering
Direct Student Services Activities
(Include dates of school counseling
initiatives or events, classroom and
group activities, career or college
nights, schoolwide academic
Month support events, etc.)
Ongoing ● Wed. mornings- Donuts
Services with a counselor for
students
● monthly food distribution
-3rd Thursday of the
month
● Comfort closet
Program Planning and School
Indirect Student Services
Support
Activities
(Defining, Managing, Assessing,
(Significant collaborations,
Fair-Share Responsibilities)
leadership and advocacy
activities)
● 2nd Tuesday- BIT Resource listing on website and
meeting in building is up to date
● 3rd Wed. of the month
Community
Collaborative meeting
● Wed. Afternoons- Tea
and Crumpets with a
counselor for school
staff, community
members, parents

August Freshman/ New student orientation, Staff Dev. Conflict Management Schedule change requests
Community Resource night staff to staff

September Back to school night

October College parent night

November

December

January Welcome back semester FAFSA night,

February

March Career day

April Graduation evaluations for seniors

May Open House

June Graduation
Timeline for implementation: We will use the entire 2020-2021 school year to implement the
various components of the program.

Finances: The program will utilize the current staffing/ counselors at the high school, therefore
not increasing the staffing budget. Annual budgeting needs would include the following items:

● Donuts/juice/milk
● Tea and crumpets
● Cost for advertising
● Incentives/door prizes for family events
● Food for family events
● Field trips to different organizations
● Personal hygiene supplies
● Monthly food bags
These costs can be offset by seeking donations and creating partnerships with local businesses
and organizations to provide these goods. The costs for these items will need to be assessed on
an annual basis based on popularity of the services, cost of goods purchased and availability of
donations.

Additional costs will be offset by applying for grants through a variety of funding sources. These
will include local, state and federal awards as well as private awards.

Delivery:
Our Awesome and Amazing High School’s comprehensive counseling program will make sure
that every student is provided with a wide variety of opportunities to gain competencies in all
three domains of Academic Development, Career Development, and Personal/Social
Development. The comprehensive program will work in conjunction with the MTSS program
that has already been implemented.

Direct Student Services

● Comprehensive Program Overview Assembly for all students: The assembly will
highlight the comprehensive school counseling plan. It will discuss the referral process
and what it means to be referred, the purpose of the referral and the expectations from all
parties. It will teach students how to complete a self referral or a peer referral. The
upcoming classroom lessons on classroom management will be discussed and each
student will be provided with the foundational understanding and knowledge of why
conflict management is vital.
 ● Classroom Instruction: Counseling staff will provide conflict management lessons to
each grade throughout the first 3 months of school. School counselors will work closely
with teachers to identify the periods and classes that it fits best to teach it in.
● Small group counseling sessions dealing with conflict negotiation, resource management,
and career/college planning are done weekly with the counselor and no more than 8
students per group.
● Small group tutoring is offered to anyone who needs it. Counselors and teaching staff
work in collaboration to identify students who are at high risk of academic retention and
then offered this service.
● Family Education Nights offered monthly. Themes are based on participating families'
surveys of needs or input from the staff/teachers. A light meal will be offered at each
evening meeting that will feed the whole family. Door prizes and incentives will be given
out at each meeting as a means of encouraging attendance and participation. Child care
will be offered on site for all families for children age 2 and up.

Core Curriculum
All teachers are able to request counselors to collaborate and assist in developing meaningful
classroom lessons that will impact a large percentage of the students. Teachers and counselors
can rely on the vast resource list of community experts to help provide lessons as well.
● Conflict negotiation lessons: Lesson plans will be developed to conduct conflict
negotiation modules to be used with both small group and whole-class instruction.
● Basic Life skills: Students will be provided with instruction that teaches them about basic
life skills that they may not have the opportunity to learn due to their living situation.

Individual Planning
Academics are reviewed and students who are identified as at risk (defined by having 3 or more
key identifiers out of the 5 - academic grade of less than 65%, absence rate of 30% or more, self
identified in the focused population gap, 2 or more referrals for services, behavior concerns) will
meet with counselors to create an individualized plan.

Responsive Services
● Referral process: The plan includes an effective and quick referral process that all school
staff are able to utilize. A referral can be made for academics, behavior, social needs or
personal concerns. A school counselor will meet with the student within 24 hours of the
referral being made. Services will then be determined and provided within 24 hours.
Further follow up will occur a week from the initial referral date and within three months.
● Provided personal hygiene items will be available to all students at the school. Students
may utilize this service with no questions asked.
 ● Free shower service: School showers are available to students for use at select times per
school day. Students can contact their counselor for more information including shower
times and pass.
● Monthly food distribution: Occurs on the 3rd Thursday of the month. Students may pick
up a bag of food on their way home. Open to all students enrolled.
● Comfort closet: A program that partners with local retailers and community donations to
provide students with clothing and shoes to allow them to dress in a way to have them
feel included with their peer group.

Indirect Student Services

● “Tea and Crumpets” with counselors: The school counselors/psychologists will host a
Tea and Crumpets session as a time for unguided interaction with parents, staff and
community members. There is no agenda during this time and basic answers regarding
the school counseling program can be addressed. Student-specific questions will not be
answered during this time.
● Monthly school counselors and administrators team meetings to discuss students’
progress and to develop/track plans to address student concerns. This will be a time that
referral follow up can occur so school administrators are aware of the current pressing
needs of students enrolled.
● Serve on school improvement committee planning team
● Short term counseling services are provided to each and every student on a as needed
basis. Due to the diverse needs of the student population school counselors may adjust
schedules to accommodate student needs.
● Student parent orientation: Counselors will collaborate with administrators and students
to host the annual new student/parent orientation. They will ensure that all needed areas
are touched upon.

Staff development
● Staff Training that will equip teachers and staff with the skills needed to increase
productivity and effectiveness, build workplace relationships, and facilitate greater
student/parent interaction.
○ Conflict management - Staff to staff
○ How to be sensitive to diverse needs
○ How to discuss sensitive issues with others

● The counselor will check in with grade-level teams for consultation approximately once
per month. For example, counselors will be a part of teacher collaboration times to
inquire if teachers need any assistance from them in regards to areas such as staff
interactions, classroom behavior management, etc.

Accountability:
 Surveys that are administered to program stakeholders will be collected at the beginning
and end of the year to determine how responses differ over time. The surveys will then be
analyzed to determine if stakeholders are aware of a wider variety of services offered at the
school site, as well as in the community. In addition, the results derived from the survey analysis
will aid in the determination of areas of improvement in terms of collaboration among students,
staff and families.

The focus group that was conducted during this school year was used to determine
priority needs for the development of the current program components. For example, a response
that was received from one of the 2020-2021 focus group participants when asked about how
easy it is to receive assistance from the counselor states “You have to call and leave a message or
email and then wait. I have called and waited a few days before receiving a response.” At the
conclusion of the 2020-2021 school year, a second focus group will be conducted with the goal
of receiving responses that indicate an improvement in collaboration and communication among
counselors and other stakeholders. The second focus group will also assist in the determination
of changes that may need to be made to the program in order to meet the intended goal of
improved collaboration.

Needs assessment with links to surveys, data and focus assessments:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lY3KZ2czqwZX3rG9FP5NOZJyDbNuKFdr/view?usp=sharing

School Counseling Lesson Plan

School Counselor__________________ Date__________________

Lesson Plan
 Title of Lesson: Conflict Management

Grade Level: 9-12

Description: A few selected students will role play different

conflict scenarios while other students watch and
listen. A student will role play a time where he or
she faced conflict with another student. The
school counselor will ask other students questions
that will help resolve or manage the conflict.

Objective: The lesson plan introduces students to the concept

of conflict. Introducing the concept of conflict
teaches students that it is a normal part of life and
that there are ways to resolve them without
violence. Students come up with the best ways to
manage the conflicts presented to them.

ASCA Standards: PS:A1.A,PS:A2.2, PS:B1

Outcome Data:

Assessment ‐ How do you know if the lesson was effective?

How do you know if your goals were achieved?

Counselor Reflections:

School Counseling Lesson Plan

School Counselor__________________ Date__________________

Lesson Plan
 Title of Lesson: Exploring Win Win Situations

Grade Level: 9-12

Description: Students are put into small groups where they are
given different situations that involve conflict.
Students will use critical thinking skills,
communication skills and creativity to solve
problems.Students will reach an agreement
together and discuss techniques that can be used to
come to come up with a resolution.

Objection: Students will learn how to problem solve with

other students. Students will also practice
thinking up win-win solutions for conflict
situations.

ASCA Standards: PS:B1.1, PS:B1.3, PS:B1:6

Outcome Data:

Assessment ‐ How do you know if the lesson was effective?

How do you know if your goals were achieved?

Counselor Reflections: