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SECTION IIntroduction to theGuidance and Counseling Program ModelResearch SourcesThe South Carolina Guidance and Counseling Program Model draws extensively from thepublished works of Dr. Norman Gysbers, whose pioneering research and publications haveprovided the essential guidelines and standards for school counselor programs and thedevelopment of state and national program models now in use across the United States. Anumber of his documents are central to South Carolina’s program model:Gysbers, Norman C. 1990. Comprehensive Guidance Programs That Work. Ann Arbor, MI:ERIC Counseling and Personnel Services Clearinghouse.Gysbers, Norman C., and Patricia Henderson. 1994. Developing and Managing Your SchoolGuidance Program. 2nd ed. Alexandria, VA: American School Counseling Association.Gysbers, Norman C., and Patricia Henderson. 2000. Developing and Managing Your SchoolGuidance Program. 3rd ed. Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association.Gysbers, Norman. C., and Earl J. Moore. 1981. Improving Guidance Programs. EnglewoodCliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.Gysbers, Norman C., et al. 1992. “Improving School Guidance Programs: A Framework forProgram, Personnel, and Results Evaluation.” Journal of Counseling and Development70, no. 5:565–70.In addition, The South Carolina Guidance and Counseling Program Model draws upon theNational Occupational Information Coordinating Committee’s 1989 publication The NationalCareer Development Guidelines as well as the guidance and counseling program modeldocuments of a number of states: Alabama, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, NorthCarolina, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia whose documents were of specialbenefit to the writing teams. The following publications were also utilized:Campbell, Chari, and Carol Dahir. 1997. Sharing the Vision: The National Standards for SchoolCounseling Programs. Alexandria, VA: American School Counselor Association Press.Stone, Carolyn, and Carol Dahir. 2004. School Counselor Accountability: A Measure of StudentSuccess. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.The South Carolina Guidance and Counseling Program Model is further undergirded by theresearch and writing of the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), which hasgenerously granted permission to South Carolina to reprint and adapt material from two of itsseminal publications:ASCA. 2005. The ASCA National Model: A Framework for School Counseling Programs. 2nded. Alexandria, VA: ASCA.ASCA. 2004. The ASCA National Model Workbook. Alexandria, VA: ASCA.1

Program Scope and DesignA comprehensive developmental guidance and counseling program is an essential component ofan instructional program that provides all students the opportunity for optimum development.The South Carolina Comprehensive Developmental Guidance and Counseling Program Model isdesigned to assist the state’s school districts and communities with the planning, development,implementation, and assessment of a school guidance and counseling program that supports thepersonal, social, educational, and career development of all the state’s public school studentsfrom prekindergarten through grade twelve. In addition, the Program Model will assist the schooldistricts in their effort to comply with the requirements of South Carolina laws and regulationsregarding the function, design, and implementation of this vital program.This guide for school counseling programs—which sets out the standards and strategies thatschools need to follow in developing and implementing a comprehensive guidance andcounseling program—is intended for the following professionals: counselors—to help them establish, implement, and manage the guidance and counselingprogram that will benefit all students; teachers—to help them understand the goals of the guidance and counseling program andmaintain a teacher-counselor partnership for the maximum benefit of students; principals—to help them collaborate with counselors to design and deliver a quality guidanceand counseling program and to assist counselors in implementing the program; district administrators such as superintendents, assistant superintendents, guidance directors,and curriculum directors—to help them provide appropriate support for guidance andcounseling program development efforts, and to establish procedures that enhance theeffectiveness of the guidance and counseling program; boards of education—to help them set policies for effective guidance and counselingprograms in their schools; and counselor educators—to help them with the instruction and development of potential schoolcounselors.Philosophy and RationaleThe South Carolina Comprehensive Developmental Guidance and Counseling Program is basedupon the following beliefs: All children are unique and should be treated with respect and dignity. Every student can succeed. Learning is a lifelong process. Fostering a positive self-image is the collaborative effort of the school, home, andcommunity that leads to responsible and productive citizenship. The diverse needs of all students must be addressed at all educational levels through theguidance and counseling program. Every student needs appropriate personal and social skills to achieve optimum benefits fromthe educational program.2

A comprehensive developmental guidance and counseling program is not a support servicebut an integral part of the total education program. A developmentally appropriate guidance and counseling program provides important benefitsto individual students by addressing their intellectual, emotional, social, and psychologicalneeds.Program DomainsA comprehensive developmental guidance and counseling program provides developmentalopportunities and experiences that address three central student-development areas: learning tolive (personal/social), learning to learn (academic), and learning to work (career). It includessequential activities designed to address the needs of all students by helping them to acquirecompetence in the knowledge of self and others, in identifying their educational goals, and intheir own career development. The program is implemented in each school by the certifiedschool counselor with the support of the teachers, administrators, students, and parents.Program GoalsAt the elementary level, the guidance and counseling program promotes personal, social, andacademic skills that are necessary to be successful. It emphasizes responsible decision making,coping strategies, self understanding, and career development.The middle school guidance and counseling program focuses on the rapidly changing needs ofyoung adolescents. It is especially sensitive to the struggles of middle school students for identityand for balancing the demands for academic, career, and social competencies. The programsinitiated at the elementary level are expanded to fit the special needs of the middle schoolstudents. Counselors will work with the students to develop an individual graduation plan. Theplan will take into account students’ interests as well as educational and career plans.Building on the goals of the elementary and middle school, the guidance and counseling programin the high school assists students in becoming responsible adults who can develop realistic andfulfilling life plans based on clear understanding of themselves and their needs, interests, andskills. The individual graduations plan developed in the middle school moves with the studentsto the high school and is reviewed and updated annually in accordance with the students’postsecondary educational and occupational goals. Continued attention is given to assistingstudents to develop competence in decision making, career development, working with others,and taking responsibility for their own behavior.Program ActivitiesTo accomplish the program goals, the comprehensive developmental guidance and counselingprogram is an integral part of the school system’s total educational program. The programincludes sequential activities in the elementary, middle, and high schools.Counselors work with all students, parents, teachers, administrators, and the community througha balanced program of counseling and guidance services. Large- and small-group structuredlearning units provide systematic instruction for all students in all grade levels.3

Counselors plan with teachers and then teach, team teach, or assist in teaching these coordinatedunits in classrooms or in other large-group settings. Individual planning activities are provided toassist all students. They are initiated in the upper elementary grades and expanded in the middleand high school years. Individual, small-group, personal, and crisis counseling are available toall students. Consultation services concerning student behavior and academic progress areprovided for parents, teachers, and administrators. Referrals to other professionals in the schooldistrict or to agencies and institutions outside of the district are made as required or requested.Counselors support the overall district’s educational program through general consultationactivities and committee work. Counselors also support their local school program throughmanagement and research activities, community outreach, business and industry visitation, andprofessional development.Program ComponentsThe comprehensive developmental guidance and counseling program components organize thework of counselors into four major components: guidance curriculum, individual planning,responsive services, and system support.The guidance curriculum component includes structured experiences presented systematicallythrough large- and small-group activities from prekindergarten through grade twelve. Thecurriculum emphasizes decision making, self-understanding, career development, and theimprovement of study skills.The individual planning component includes counseling activities to assist all students inplanning, monitoring, and managing their own academic achievement as well as their personaland career development. Individual planning emphasizes test interpretation and educationalcounseling including postsecondary and career planning.The responsive services component addresses the immediate needs and concerns of students.Such services include personal counseling; crisis counseling; agency referral; consultation withparents, teachers, and other professionals; and support groups.The system support component includes indirect guidance management activities that maintainand enhance the total guidance and counseling program. The responsibilities of guidancecounselors in this component encompass staff and community relations, special researchprojects, committees, professional development, and student-support teams.4

Benefits of the Comprehensive DevelopmentalGuidance and Counseling Program1. Benefits for Students Improves academic performance and success in school Promotes knowledge for career exploration and development Develops decision-making and problem-solving skills Assists in acquiring knowledge of self and relating effectively to others Broadens knowledge of our changing world Increases opportunities for counselor-student interaction Increases opportunities for consistent counseling services throughout the school year Monitors data to facilitate student improvement2. Benefits for Parents Provides support in advocating for their children’s academic, career andpersonal/social development Supports partnerships in their children’s learning and career planning Increases opportunities for parent-school communication Increases knowledge of the assistance and information parents and students canreceive from the counselor and school3. Benefits for Administrators Provides developmental and comprehensive guidance program structure with specificcontent Provides a means of evaluating the guidance program and personnel implementingthe program Enhances the image of the guidance program and school in the community Promotes program accountability Promotes a program responsive to the student’s and school’s needs Provides a proactive school guidance curriculum addressing the students’ needs andenhancing school climate4. Benefits for Teachers Encourages positive, supportive working relationships Supports an interdisciplinary team approach to address student needs and corestandards and competencies Increases the likelihood of academic success Supports the learning environment5. Benefits for Local Boards of Education Provides an assurance that a quality comprehensive guidance and counseling programis available to all students Provides a basis for determining funding allocations Provides a rationale based on data for implementing a school counseling program Articulates appropriate credentials and staffing ratios5

6. Benefits for Business, Indu

This guide for school counseling programs—which sets out the standards and strategies that schools need to follow in developing and implementing a comprehensive guidance and counseling program—is intended for the following professionals: counselors—to help them establish, implement, and manage the guidance and counseling program that will ben.