National School Reform Faculty

Guidance Counselors in CFG's
Date: January 22 - 23, 2003
Listserv: Coaches

Wednesday, January 22, 2003 11:56 AM
Hello All-
I am coaching a CFG with a high school guidance counselor in it, and she is having a hard time thinking of work to bring for feedback. For those of you who have had successful involvement of guidance counselors in CFGs, what kind of work did they bring forward?
Thanks-
Edorah, Vermont

Wednesday, January 22, 2003 12:06 PM
Edorah,
What we re finding in many of the "failing" schools we visit is that the counseling department is engaged in institutional racism, based on the number of "status" course offerings (never enough to accommodate all "qualified kids" and the kids who do finally get programmed into them. In addition, we find the practices around how kids get "recommended" for these classes are also troubling. Add to that the counseling department's usual role in providing intervention for failing students, as well as who gets information about college and how parents are informed. We are finding that these are systemic issues that are rarely looked at, because the practices of creating a master schedule and programming kids go unexamined. So, when I work with counselors, I ask them to think deeply about the practices that have "always been that way," and how they counsel with equity in mind.
Hope this helps.
XXOOX J.
Juli, California

Wednesday, January 22, 2003 12:06 PM
We had 2 counselors in our CFG last year, and often they would bring case studies of a particular student (including transcripts, any documentation that could be shared, and anecdotal evidence as to the student's situation).
Michelle, Oregon

Wednesday, January 22, 2003 12:49 PM
We've done artifact analysis with guidance documents (a handbook, for instance) as well as tuning of support service plans. Guidance counselors are often great problem solvers, so questions and issues suitable for consultancy seem especially appropriate in their field.
Martha, Vermont

Wednesday, January 22, 2003 1:50 PM
I have a guidance counselor in a K-6 CFG and she likes the critical incident protocol, and the consultancy and just holds tight to anonymity of the children and families involved for confidentiality purposes and she adds A LOT to our dialogues stretching our perspectives to see and understand the whole child support system (+/-) when as educators we tend to see that "at school child" and be focused on their academic learning.
Susie, Maine

Wednesday, January 22, 2003 1:56 PM
I'm also wondering if a Success Analysis Protocol might not be particularly helpful in the area of guidance. What's working for all kids and why...instead of the starting with deficits and problem solving. Just a thought...

Guidance counselors might also be in a good position to pose family engagement dilemmas or plans for review.

Please keep us posted!
Debbie, Pennsylvania

Wednesday, January 22, 2003 2:19 PM
I have had guidance counselors present issues such as: how can we work more closely with classroom teachers? How can we let the school know more about our philosophy of guidance?
And, also, sometimes there is guidance curriculum that needs to be delivered and ways to do that well, as well as "groups" they run sometimes.

Also, they frequently put out publications such as handbooks, and frequently have presentations such as parent financial aid night that they could probably use tuning with.

I want to respond to Juli's excellent point. In more traditional high schools, guidance counselors are tremendously powerful gatekeepers and power brokers for kids.

In my work with the Upward Bound program, we actually had to hire advocates to help kids move tracks.
JoAnne, Maine

Wednesday, January 22, 2003 6:14 PM
Friends,
This has the makings of an incredibly exciting conversation about folks who sometimes get left "out of the loop" of collaboration. In our district, counselors have begun working on students' career portfolios.

Reviewing portfolio slices can be an excellent way to introduce protocols. I have begun facilitating a CFG of counselors at the district level who are working on a "Safe Schools" grant. We have had two meetings so far and are scheduled to meet once a month for the rest of the year. I know I will draw many benefits from this conversation and will certainly keep you posted of my progress.
Pete, Florida

Wednesday, January 22, 2003 10:26 PM
Hi,
CFGs are interesting places and attract diverse groups of people meeting for one common purpose, to reflect on our own practice in order to improve student learning. Folks not tied directly to classroom instruction often feel out of the loop because of perspectives about what improving student learning really means. Perhaps a conversation based on an essential question or reading about how all entities of school effect student learning might be a good starting point. Then the counselor or any other CFG member not directly in a classroom might further develop their own understanding of how they do effect student achievement and hopefully will then be more prepared to engage in a protocol or activity with a piece of work that is authentic to them.

Just a thought on pushing thinking.
Carol, Pennsylvania

Thursday, January 23, 2003 7:10 AM
Hi
You may want to have her to try and look at individual students problem, such as discipline, grades, letters to parents, etc....
Deavon, Florida