school counselors solving discipline issues: a...

Jean & Donnellan © 2014

School Counselors Solving

Discipline Issues:

A Comprehensive Approach

Gloria A. Jean, CAS, President

Barbara Donnellan, Ed.D., President-Elect

NYS School Counselor Association


School Counselor vs Guidance Counselor


Increased student needs


Commissioner’s Regulations 100.2(j)

Each school district shall have a guidance program

for all students (K-6 and 7-12)

Each school district shall develop a district plan which

sets forth the manner in which the district shall comply.

The plan shall be reviewed annually by the school

districts, and revisions shall be made as necessary.


Comprehensive School Counseling Model


Foundation

• Program focus:

beliefs, mission, vision

• Student standards:

ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success

• Professional competencies:

knowledge, attitudes and skills


Management

• Assessments:

• Use of time analysis

• Annual and weekly calendars

• Annual agreements

• Advisory councils

• Use of data to measure results of the program

• Closing the gap action plans

• Program assessments


Delivery

• Direct student services

• School counseling core curriculum

• Individual student planning

• Responsive services

• Indirect student services


Accountability

• Program Audit

• Results Report

• Gap Analysis

• School Counselor APPR


What this looks like in action:


Directions:

• Select a scenario as a group.

• Assume a role:

• Teacher

• Parent

• Student

• Discuss the scenario in terms of the resources you have in your role.

• What resources do you find you still need?

• Building level administrator

• School board member

• School counselor


HIGH SCHOOL

SCENARIO # 1MEET EDMUND, who is 17 years old and still

In the 9th grade at his large suburban high school:

• With academic deficits and little support at home Edmund often cuts class

and hangs out on the street corners around his school.

• He has been offered peer tutoring, social work services and a variety of

other supports at school but he does not follow through on any of them.

• Edmund is often in the Assistant Principal’s office receiving detention and

in school suspension due to his cutting behavior. Recently he has also been

disciplined due to his acting aggressively toward his math teacher who

addressed his frequent absences. He used curse words and “got in the

teacher’s face” during the last encounter a few weeks ago.

• What can be done to help Edmund get back on track in school?


HIGH SCHOOL

SCENARIO # 2MEET JUANA, who is 14 years old in the 9th grade

in her small urban high school:

• Juana came to the US in the 8th grade from Dominican Republic

and is an Intermediate ESL student. Juana is bright but is more interested in the

social aspect of her high school and does not do class work or homework.

• Her parents do not speak English and work long hours at their jobs. It is difficult

to contact them, and when that does occur, there is poor follow up at home.

• Juana is often involved in fights with other girls, usually about a boyfriend issue

or remarks made through social media. In the last four weeks Juana has been

suspended five times for fighting. There is concern that these incidents will

escalate and could ultimately lead to a Superintendent’s Hearing.

• In addition other parents have complained about her behavior to the Principal,

Superintendent and school board members, asking what is being done to protect

their children from this challenging young lady.

• What can be done to help Juana change her behavior?


MEET KRISTA, who is 13 years old and in the

8th grade in her large suburban middle school:

• Krista is a student with special needs and is in a consultant

teacher setting presently. Last year she was in a more restrictive setting but due

to her academic progress her placement was changed at her annual review.

• Since entering the ICT setting she has exhibited significant behavior issues.

Krista disrupts class regularly with outbursts toward other students and the

teachers. She is often found wandering in the hallways between classes and

when she is told to go to class she is disrespectful to the monitor.

• Most recently Krista told her counselor she was cutting herself and was feeling

very blue because she was always in trouble in school and at home. Krista’s

parents are attentive to their daughter and don’t know what to do at this point.

• What can we do to assist Krista in her adjustment to her new class?

MIDDLE SCHOOL

SCENARIO # 1


MIDDLE SCHOOL

SCENARIO # 2MEET PAULO, who is a new entrant in grade 7 to

his small urban middle school (grades 5 through 8):

• Paulo moved to his new neighborhood over the summer and

left all of his friends and cousins behind.

• Paulo was doing well in his last school despite his tendency to

get into fights with other boys. Now in his new school he is not doing any work

and is trying to fit in with the other children by being the “bad boy” in class. He

was found smoking in the bathroom, he made rude comments to a few girls in

his classes and he is choosing to befriend a group of boys who are suspected of

drug involvement.

• He has now been given detentions and served several suspensions over the last

five weeks. His parents are busy with the move and with their jobs; they rarely

respond to phone calls from the school.

• What can we do to help Paulo to turn his behavior around and return to his

earlier success in school?


ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

SCENARIO # 1MEET JOSIE, who is a 4th grader in her

local elementary school in the city:

• Josie is a lively girl with good academic skills.

• She has never been “in trouble” in school prior to this year but now that her

parents are separating she has spent many hours in the Assistant Principal’s

office because she is acting out in the classroom and in the cafeteria.

• Josie loses her temper and sometimes kicks and scratches other girls when she

does not get her way. The school psychologist has been called in to speak with

her but there does not appear to be any serious underlying problems.

• It is felt that Josie is “looking for attention” at school to make up for her being

virtually ignored at home by her battling parents.

• What can we do to help Josie overcome her anger and unhappiness and change

her behaviors?


ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

SCENARIO # 2MEET MIKEY, a friendly and engaging 3rd grader

in his large middle school located in a rural area:

• Mikey is a special needs student who is currently in a fairly

restrictive setting with 10 students in the class with a special education teacher

and aide. He completes his work and participates in class, and usually receives

grades in the “C” range.

• Mikey’s mother often comes up to school to bring him his lunch and anything else

he forgets at home. He is diagnosed with severe ADHD and it is difficult for him

to concentrate and focus on his tasks. He is currently medicated for his disorder.

• Mikey has begun to exhibit some new worrisome behaviors: he has begun to tease

the girls in his class and on the bus. He has recently been disciplined for pulling

down a girl’s pants on the bus. He has been observed by his teachers trying to touch

the girls in his class in inappropriate ways. Both the other children and his teachers

are very upset about this behavior.

• What can we do to assist Mikey to understand his problem behaviors and curb them?


Scenarios processing

• Teacher

• Parent

• Student

• Building level administrator

• School board member

• School Counselor


This study explored relationships among school

counseling practices, secondary school

demographics, and student outcomes in the state

of Rhode Island during a 2-year period. The results

showed strong and consistent correlations between

increased amounts of school counseling services

and positive student outcomes.

Comprehensive School Counseling in Rhode Island:

Access to Services and Student Outcomes (2012)Carrey Dimmitt, Ph.D., University of Mass, Amherst

What the Research says:



Missouri Professional School Counselors: Ratios

Matter Especially in High-Poverty Schools (2012)Richard R. Lapan, Ph.D., University of Mass, Amherst

Results link lower student-to-school counselor ratios to

better graduation rates and lower disciplinary incidents

across Missouri high schools. In high-poverty schools,

those schools that met the ASCA criteria of having at

least one professional school counselor for every 250

students had better graduation and school attendance

rates, and lower disciplinary incidents.


At the school and district level, these studies

found that it matters which services school

counselors are providing for students, and

also how many counselors are providing

those services.

School Counseling and Student Outcomes:

Summary of Six State Studies (2012)John Carey, Ph.D., University of Mass, Amherst



Next Steps for School Counselors

and Directors/Supervisors

• Understand the true impact of student to school counselor ratios and share this with your stakeholders;

• Explore the benefits of implementing a comprehensive approach in your school and district;

• Engage in professional development opportunities on this approach;

• Promote your comprehensive program through parent programs, publications, web based communication tools and school board meetings.


Thank you!For additional information or support,

JOIN NYSSCAvisit www.NYSSCA.org

contact us:

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

http://www.nyssca.org/

mailto:[email protected]




HANDOUTS

The following handouts can be found on the NYSSCA

website on the Professional Development page:

1. ASCA Model Executive Summary

2. NYSED Part 100.2(j) Guidance Programs regulations

3. Research articles cited in this presentation

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