High School Counseling, College and Career Center Advisory Council (C 3 AC) (BOE approved )

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1 In accordance with the Profile of a Shenendehowa Graduate, the high school community will pursue the highest levels of academic and personal achievement, as well as civic responsibility, cultural awareness and character development. Counseling Philosophical Statement Counseling services are an essential component of the services provided to Shenendehowa students. The priority of the Shenendehowa counseling program is on academic success for every student, including, those students who are less motivated and lack external supports. With counselors in every building K-12, they serve as student advocates to help ensure that the doors of opportunity are open for every student upon graduating from Shenendehowa. That is why it is crucial for counselors to build relationships with students, teachers, families and the community to support the academic, social, and emotional growth of every student. The counselors at Shenendehowa High School understand that: All students have intrinsic value All students have the ability to learn in a developmentally appropriate manner Being a student s advocate means understanding their needs and helping them to self-advocate We should celebrate and draw upon the diversity among our students All students must have regular access to a school counselor, fostering a sense that the journey to graduation and college matriculation is a progression of steps The Shenendehowa High School comprehensive counseling program should: Be based on well-established goals and developmentally appropriate student competencies Be evaluated by school and district administrators based upon pre-determined goals and student competencies Be proactive and data driven Draw upon the knowledge of the collaborative efforts of family, school, and community stakeholders Be willing to seek continuous improvement through self-assessment Utilize a team approach for planning and management purposes Embrace and utilize technology to enhance program delivery and efficiency, and to maximize contact time between counselors and students The expectation for all counselors at Shenendehowa High School is that they: Foster an organizational culture and decorum that leads to student-centered approaches and outcomes Abide by professional school counseling ethics Participate in professional growth and development activities to remain abreast of best practices

2 Purpose of the Counseling Advisory Council Recognizing that the counseling program exists within an environment of significant shifts and transitions, necessitating a formal, deliberative body to foster and facilitate a unity of effort and expectations, the Board of Education has sanctioned the formation of the Counseling, College and Career. The charge of the C 3 AC is to address key paradigm shifts that pertain to quality control (doing the right things), quality assurance (ensuring what is done meets the needs of customers) and strategic positioning. Said efforts are structured in three distinct time periods to explicitly stipulate the prioritization of actions: Priority Focus- Short-Term Initiatives (3-6 months): Quality Control Example: Assessing the strengths and weakness of the college search and application process, including the Naviance program. Mid-Range Initiatives (6 months to a year): Quality Assurance Example: Completion of focus groups to engage parents and students about their understanding and feedback on the counseling process and communications- determination of needs of the community and resource capacity. Long-Range Initiatives (beyond a year): Strategic Positioning Example: Exploring best practices (regionally, state-wide and nationally) and prepare recommendations pertaining to the integration of national counseling standards and practices. Recommendations shall be formulated, documented and made available to the high school administration and counseling staff to solidify a plan for completion. Further, the recommendations and corresponding action plan shall be shared with the Superintendent, who shall then share said documentation with the Board of Education. Acknowledging that the C 3 AC is advisory in nature and is not intended to subvert or supersede the responsibilities or authority of administrative staff, the C 3 AC shall provide on-going advisement on the following areas: Communicating student, parent/guardian and community perspectives to the counselors and the applicable administrator Communicating accurate and timely information to the school community Securing information for parents and community members who don t know where to turn for help Supporting guidance programs and services designed to enhance the educational experience for students and parents/guardians Assessing student services and, when necessary, acting as an advocacy group to enhance and improve counseling services to students

3 Supporting organizational functions linked to the Counseling, College and Career Center Participating in various sub-committees on topics that support the counseling goals and objectives and services to benefit the students Types of Issues Discussed at Counseling Advisory Council Meetings A variety of issues may be discussed at the C 3 AC meetings including, but not limited to, the following topics: Department communications & calendar Department sponsored events for students/parents Standardized Testing Course selection, registration, and scheduling process Graduation requirements Student registration and orientation programs Freshman transition to high school Post-secondary planning, the college planning and application process, including scholarships Innovative practices and the use of technology to enhance efficiency of overall counseling services Resources for personal/social/emotional/mental health issues Composition of the C 3 AC The C 3 AC membership is recommended by the superintendent and appointed by the Board of Education. The membership shall consist of a representative cross-section of students (5), parents (other than those of student members) (5), teachers (1), school counselors 4 (3HS, 1MS), administrators (2), Board of Education members (2), and representatives of higher education or mental health professional (1). Recommendation by the committee for membership : Students- (1) Freshman, (1) Sophomore (1) Junior and (2) Seniors. Parent- (1) Freshman, (1) Sophomore (1) Junior, (1) Senior and (1) Post Graduate parent. Members may serve on the committee for up to five (5) consecutive years. At no time shall the membership composition exceed the stipulated numbers for each category of constituent representatives.

4 OPERATING POLICIES FOR THE COUNSELING ADVISORY COUNCIL SECTION A: PURPOSE ARTICLE I: Define the purposes and duties of the advisory council. a. Help to identify the needs of the community and school. b. Aid and guide the counseling program, ensuring relevance in service provisions. c. Offer recommendations for improvement. d. Assist in developing a process for evaluation of the program. e. Assist the program in obtaining community support. f. Investigate programs in other communities to identify innovative practices and technology that may be applicable. g. Annually evaluate progress made toward stated objectives. h. Assist in collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data. ARTICLE II: This C 3 AC shall exist for as long as it may be authorized by the governing Board. ARTICLE III: This C 3 AC shall operate within the limits of the school counseling program for which it has been appointed. SECTION B: MEMBERSHIP ARTICLE I: Council member responsibilities include: a. Attend meetings regularly. b. Respect other council members. c. Help reach consensus on issues. d. Maintain objectivity and concentrate on the program s needs. e. Make recommendations. ARTICLE II: Members selected for a five-year term to represent a cross-section of the community. ARTICLE III: The terms of the original members will be staggered so that two-thirds remain each year.

5 SECTION C: MEETINGS ARTICLE I: Regular meetings of the C 3 AC will be held during the academic year. (Minimum twice per year for full council meetings and may have need for more sub-council meetings) ARTICLE II: Written notices of council meetings shall be mailed to all members (two weeks) before each meeting. ARTICLE III: A tentative agenda shall be prepared and provided to council members prior to meeting time. ARTICLE IV: Meetings shall not be more than two hours long unless a majority of the council members vote to continue a particular meeting beyond that limit. ARTICLE V: A quorum (majority of the total membership) must be present to vote on proposals. Once a quorum is obtained, a majority vote of the members present is needed to adopt a particular action, except as provided in Section F, Article I. SECTION D: OFFICERS AND THEIR DUTIES ARTICLE I: The officers shall be elected annually by majority vote of the council members at the first meeting. ARTICLE II: The C 3 AC has the option to request modification of leadership structure annually to include a Chair and Vice Chair, or Co-Chairs, as well as a secretary, elected by a majority vote of all appointed council members. CHAIRPERSON (S) RESPONSIBILITIES: a. Work with the counselor(s) and administration to plan meetings. b. Preside over meetings. c. Ensure agenda and schedules are followed. d. Promote the council s role as an advisory, not policy-making, body. e. Help members gain consensus on issues. f. Review minutes for accuracy. VICE-CHAIRPERSON RESPONSIBILITIES: a. The vice chair in the absence of the chair shall perform the duties of the chair and such other duties as delegated.

6 SECRETARY RESPONSIBILITIES: a. Keep records of the attendance of members at meetings. b. Keep a record of discussion and recommendations. c. Maintain a permanent record file of committee activities. d. Distribute minutes of council meetings and copies of other council documents to council members, and others as needed or requested. e. The secretary shall have the assistance of the instructional and support staff and use of the facilities in performing these functions. ARTICLE III: The executive council shall consist of a chair and vice-chair, or co-chairs, as well as a secretary. To ensure that the executive council reasonably reflects the composition of the overall membership, a member (s) may be appointed by majority vote to serve on the executive committee. No more than five members shall serve on the executive council. It shall: a. Act on urgent council matters between council meetings. b. Prepare agenda for council meetings when requested. c. Call special meetings of the council as needed. SECTION E: FUNCTIONS OF THE C 3 AC The C 3 AC can perform a wide variety of functions. The following list, not intended to be all inclusive, should be useful in providing direction. ARTICLE I: Provide advice and assistance, based on current data regarding: a. College and career trends. b. Effectiveness of the counseling program. ARTICLE II: Determine community needs and resources: a. Review program objectives to assure it meets the needs of students. b. Review present activity outlines and resources, and suggest revisions or additions. c. Assist in surveys (such as the Senior Exit Survey) for needs assessment from all stakeholder groups (staff, parents, and students). Determine data to be collected. Suggest methods of securing data. Assist in data collection and interpretation. d. Provide suggestions for public relations activities. e. Help plan special events. ARTICLE III: Advocate for the program - use the diverse backgrounds and interests of members to participate in making recommendations and suggesting changes to the school counseling department. Reports and recommendations of the Counseling Advisory Council shall be used by the Superintendent in reporting to the board of education at least twice per year. C 3 AC members may be asked by the Superintendent to present directly to the board of education.

7 SECTION F: POLICY CHANGES ARTICLE I: These operating policies, other than the composition of the advisory council and its voting requirements, may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the entire membership, and such vote may be conducted at any regular committee meeting or a specially called meeting with a 30-day written notice. Changes to the composition and voting requirements of the advisory council are reserved to the Board of Education. SCHOOL BOARD AUTHORIZATION Authorization for the establishment of the C 3 AC for the Shenendehowa Central School District The Board of Education of the Shenendehowa Central School District hereby authorizes the establishment of the C 3 AC. The Council will operate as prescribed by the operating procedures. The purpose of the Council is to advise school counselors and school administration with respect to the development and maintenance of the highest quality counseling programs, helping to ensure that programs and services meet or exceed the needs of the students and the community s expectations. The Board of Education reserves the right to change the composition of, amend the operating procedures as to voting requirements, and to terminate the services of any council member at any time it feels that such action would be in the best interests of the Counseling, College and Career Center and the school district.