2016-2017School Counselor Professional Visits

Purpose:The purpose of these visits is for you to learn anything that may benefit your students. These visits give you first hand knowledge that can be shared in a confident and knowledgeable fashion with students and their parents. You have from September to April to visit other schools to see what your peers are doing or you can visit any place in the area that would benefit your students and their needs. Remember, counselors are seen as ‘resource experts’ so these visits are one way you can improve professional practice and knowledge of subject matter in order to help maximize student achievement and social and career development.

Expectations:

  • Every counselor must complete visit forms. Returning counselors must complete professional visits equaling 5 hours. PT (.5 or .6) must complete 2.5 hours.
  • New counselors must complete professional visits equaling 8 hours, two hours must be in

Career & Technical Education programs (in our middle and high schools and Technical Centers), and 2 hours must be in Alternative Education Programs.

  • Visitation days can be split in order to visit more sites.
  • Please make an appointment two weeks in advance.
  • Be sure to complete a School Related Leave Form two weeks in advance.
  • All visits must be completed by March 24, 2017.
  • Feedback form(s) documenting Professional Visits should be completed & submitted to the Regina Brown immediately following the professional visit. The last day to submit a feedback form is

April21, 2017.

Suggested Sites to Visit:

  • A collegial visit to a school counselor at another school
  • Specialty Centers at each high school
  • Maggie Walkers Governor’s School
  • Elementary Gifted Zone Schools (Three Chopt, Adams, Dumbarton)
  • International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program at Moody Middle School
  • International Baccalaureate Program at Henrico High School
  • Any Advanced Placement class in high schools
  • Any Advanced and/or Accelerated class in middle schools
  • Henrico Suspension and Intervention Program (suspension program for all schools, located at AVR)
  • Hermitage and/or Highland Springs Technical Centers
  • St. Joseph’s Villa
  • College and Career Night (Deep Run High School, Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2014 from 6-8 p.m.)
  • Crestview ESL Immersion Program
  • GRAD & PLC Centers
  • High Tech Academy @ Highland Springs High
  • JROTC Programs
  • ROSMY (Richmond Organization for Sexual Minority Youth)
  • Any post-secondary opportunity (colleges and universities, community colleges, technical schools, military, etc.)
  • Virginia School Counselors Association Conference (October 1-3, 2014)
  • Richmond Area Counselors Association Social (September)
  • Richmond Area Counselors Association Workshops
  • ESL Welcome Center @ Tucker High School

*See the attached 2015-2016Professional Visits Summary for sites visited by your peers last year.

License Renewal Points

Option #8 – Professional Development Activity

A. Maximum number of points: 180

B. Point Value: 1 point per contact hour or 1 CEU = 10 points

C. Criteria:

  1. Must be a minimum of five hours of activity—hours do not have to be consecutive.
  2. May include staff development planned by educational specialists, administrative training programs, Summer Institute classes, site-based classes, assessment-center activities, activities related to professional growth plans, attendance at in-service programs in another school system.
  3. Presentations – One point per hour of preparation time and instructional time up to 15 points. May include presentations for faculty meetings and Summer Institute classes. (Points for only one presentation on the same topic per validity period)

D. Verification:

  1. For calendar Staff Development days, submit an SD2 form (all copies) in May to validate points.
  2. For all other activities: Within one week after completion, submit SD2 form (all copies) to Staff Development to validate points.
  3. For CEUs, proof of participation or certificate of completion.
  4. Keep the returned/approved yellow copies in your individual license-renewal file.

Clarification:

C. Criteria

#1. Each Professional Visit must be at least 1 (one) hour long.

D. Verification

#2. Send SD2 form to Regina Brown for signature