School Counselor

Requirements : Master's degreein school counseling AND current ISBE Professional Educator License (PEL) witha School Counseling Endorsement

Reports to : Principal

Evaluated by : Principal

PRIMARYFUNCTION

Asvital members of the school's educational leadership team, professional schoolcounselors provide comprehensive, developmental supports within the academic,personal / social, and career domains to ensure that today's students become theproductive, well-adjusted adults of tomorrow. School counselors are uniquelytrained professional educators with a mental health perspective who understandand respond to the challenges presented by today's diverse student population.School counselors provide proactive leadership to engage all stakeholders inthe delivery of programs and services to help all students achieve success in school1.

MAJOR JOBRESPONSIBILITIES

Create, Implement, and Evaluate aComprehensive School Counseling Program aligned with the Chicago Public Schools(CPS) REACH Framework for School Counselors 1 :

TheFramework is aligned to the American School Counselor Association NationalModel for School Counseling Programs2 and outlines a comprehensivecounseling program that delivers services equitably to all students in the building.

Conduct Annual Needs Assessments andData Reviews to Determine and Prioritize Student Needs :

Theschool counselor will conduct an annual needs assessment and data review toidentify critical areas of student need. The school counselor will then createtargeted program goals aligned to the schoolwide goals, mission, and vision.This ensures that school counseling services address critical areas ofdemonstrated need, resulting in improved academic achievement.

Implement the School Counseling CoreCurriculum :

Inorder to reach all students, the school counselor will design, conduct, andco-teach learning activities in classroom, large group, and / or school widesettings, based on the academic, career, postsecondary and social / emotionalneeds of the students so as to facilitate the infusion of school counseling asan integral component of the total education curricula. Activities to supportthis objective may include : classroom guidance; high school / college / careerfairs; high school / college / career tours; grade-level or school-wide teambuilding activities.

Provide Individual Student PlanningActivities :

Incollaboration with students, staff, and families, the school counselor willcreate an academic plan that ultimately results in the successful obtainment ofa diploma and postsecondary option(s) of choice. Activities to support thisobjective may include : facilitation of completion of the Individual LearningPlan in Naviance; transition activities (i.e orientations, HS app process);events to inform families of test results and their implications foreducational planning; advisement to ensure students are on-track to the nextgrade level or phase in life.

Provide Responsive Services :

Incollaboration with students, staff, and families, the school counselor willprovide responsive services to address students' barriers to academicachievement. Activities to support this objective may include : facilitation ofsmall groups; structured, short-term, goal-oriented individual counselingsessions; participation in building-level student assistance teams;facilitation of conferences with students, teachers, and families; consultationwith teachers, families, and external partners regarding the developmentalneeds of students; schoolwide support during crisis or emergency situations;participation in IEP / 504 Plan teams. Please note that school counselors do NOTprovide therapeutic treatment of a mental, emotional, or bodily disorder.

Provide Indirect Student Support :

Indirectservices are provided on behalf of students as a result of the schoolcounselor's interactions with others. Activities to support this objective mayinclude : referral of students / families to district and community resources;sharing strategies that support student achievement with parents, teachers,other educators, and community organizations; serving as a student advocate topromote student development within the three domains; serving as the school'sresident expert on student development; reaching out to other experts andstakeholders to obtain information on students' needs;teaming / partnering / serving on committees and advisory boards; creatingformalized partnerships with community based organizations.

Provide System Support :

Asprofessionals, leaders, and advocates in the school building, the schoolcounselor will coordinate, conduct and participate in activities thatcontribute to the effective operation of the school consistent with theapproved school counseling program. Activities to support this objective mayinclude : creation of an annual school counseling Evidence-Based ImplementationPlan and Annual Agreement to support overall school goals and objectives;creation and delivery of needs assessments to determine the primary needs ofstudents according to a variety of audiences; collection and aggregation ofmultiple data sources in order to determine need, as well as to progressmonitor counseling interventions; protection of planning time for the creationand modification of counseling interventions; coordination of professionaldevelopment / inservice programs for faculty and staff.

Participate in Regular ProfessionalDevelopment :

Soas to stay current with evidenced-based practices in the field, the schoolcounselor will actively participate in district, state, and nationalprofessional development; participate in professional associations; readprofessional journals; attend workshops and conferences; engage in continuingeducation coursework.

References :

1 : REACH Framework for School Counselors

2 : American SchoolCounseling Association National Model for School Counseling Programs