K-12 SCHOOL COUNSELOR JOB DESCRIPTION
GETTYSBURG SCHOOL DISTRICT
Revised June 2010
The district’s school counselor provides a comprehensive School Counseling Program for students in grades K-12. The school counselor provides activities to address the needs of the students, consults with teachers, staff, and parents to enhance their effectiveness in helping students and provides support to other school programs.
Mission Statement
The School Counseling program is an integral part of the Gettysburg School District’s
K-12 educational program. It is developmental by design and includes sequential activities organized and implemented by certified school counselors with the support of teachers, administrators, students, and parents.
The School Counseling program is designed to address the needs of all students by helping them to acquire competencies in the personal, academic and career development domains.
Philosophy
The Gettysburg School District believes that the School Counseling program is a key part of the overall educational process.
Since students develop emotionally, socially, and educationally, the school counseling program must address issues of growth and development. Growth and learning are developmental; therefore, school counseling must be developmental and sequential.
School Counseling is concerned with all students while recognizing the fact that individuals have needs that will continue to require special attention. As a result, the comprehensive school counseling program is for all students with the goal of being proactive as well as crisis-oriented.
Major Job Responsibilities
1. Implement the elementary, junior high & high school classroom guidance curriculum.
- Conduct guidance learning activities in the classroom as planned in conjunction with school administration and teachers. Topics covered in K-7 grades include areas such as self-esteem, relationships with others, bullying prevention, study skills, decision-making, tobacco/alcohol/other drug prevention and careers. Curriculum in grades 8-12 focuses on career exploration & planning, primarily using the SDMyLife website (state career exploration website).
- Consult with and be a resource person for teachers to facilitate the infusion of the above topics into the regular education curricula.
1
2. Guide and counsel groups and individual students through the development
of educational and career plans.
- Provide resources and guidance for students to help them prepare for various ability and career-related assessments.
- Inform students and their parents of test results and their implications for
educational planning.
- Provide resources, information, and activities to assist students and parents in the students’ educational planning, career awareness and career exploration.
- Coordinate various local, state and national scholarships.
- Provide seniors and their parents with scholarship and financial aid information.
- Assist grades 8-12 students in the development of their Personal Learning Plan.
- Conduct activities in grades 7-12, using the SDMyLife Career Program.
- Conduct pre-registration and registration for classes in grades 8-11
- Coordinate 8th Grade Transition Night.
3. Assessment Services: Provide information, coordinate, administer and interpret various aptitude, achievement and career-related assessments (See the School District’s Test Coordinator job description for state-mandated assessments).
- SDMyLife Interest Inventory – required for 8th graders.
- SDMyLife Aptitude Assessment – required for 10th graders.
- ACT PLAN Assessment - optional test for 10th graders.
- PSAT (Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test) - optional test for 11th graders.
- ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) – required for all 11th graders
- ACT Practice Test – through SDMyLife program – required for all 11th graders.
- ACT (American College Test) Students usually take in April of their 11th grade year. Gettysburg is test site for the month of April. Used for admission into colleges and universities.
- SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) – Used for admission into colleges and universities.
4. Counsel small groups and individual students with specific needs.
- Conduct structured, goal-oriented counseling sessions to meet the identified needs of individuals or groups of students. Sessions may include the following issues and problems: self-awareness, self-concept, academics, attendance, behavior, peers, family, sexuality issues, child abuse, substance abuse, depression, suicide, anxiety, and other identified mental health problems.
5. Consults with teachers, staff and parents regarding the developmental needs
of students.
- Coordinate the Student Assistance Team (SAT).
- Participate in staff meetings.
- Conduct in-service programs for faculty.
- Conduct and facilitate conferences with teachers, students, and parents.
- Assist families with school-related problems.
2
6. Refer students as needed to appropriate community resources in consultation
with their parents.
- Consult and coordinate services with in-district and community agencies, such as school psychologists, nurses, administrators, and community-based psychologists and counselors, service agencies, and physicians.
7. Coordinate, conduct or participate in activities that contribute to the effective operation of the school.
- Establish effective liaisons with the various instructional departments.
- Act as an advocate for groups or individual students as appropriate in conjunction with other staff.
- Member of the Crisis Team.
- Assist other school staff in the placement of students with special needs in appropriate programs such as gifted education and special education.
- Participate with the administration and faculty as a team member in the implementation of the district’s program.
8. Evaluate and revise the building school counseling program.
- Review periodically with staff and administration the school counseling
program.
- Review and modify the program calendar.
- Evaluate and revise the guidance learning activities as needed.
9. Pursue professional growth.
- Attend state and local staff development programs.
- Join professional organizations.
- Read professional journals.
- Attend relevant workshops and conferences sponsored by professional
organizations.
NOTE: The school counselor will have on file a summary of ongoing activities and monthly activities.
NOTE: Please see Test Coordinator job description for responsibilities associated with that position.
Position Requirements:
- The employee shall hold a Master’s degree in Education – School Counseling and be certified in the state of South Dakota as a School Counselor.
3