Ambridge Area High School Guidance Counselor

Purpose/Summary

The Guidance Counselor serves in a leadership role to provide a comprehensive school-counseling program that is preventative in design, developmental in implementation, and supports AASD students in the areas of academic achievement, career and college planning, and personal and social development.

Assists the professional teaching staff and administration in developing sensitivity to and in identifying the particular needs of individual students. Collaborates with staff to build a caring and supportive climate within the school and advocates for all students. Creates and maintains good relationships with students.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Provides professional counseling and guidance services to students in the areas of personal, social, academic and career development.
• Provides input and works on master schedule to generate and customize student schedules.
• Delivers effective classroom instruction and information in accordance with guidance curriculum and planned course of study.
• Uses data to develop and inform the school counseling program and evaluates the program's impact on the school's instructional goals and school assessment requirements.
• Collaborates with all building level teams and parents to identify and focus on programming for specific student needs.
• Intervenes during crisis situations and participates on school crisis team.
• Effectively prepares students for age appropriate transitions.
• Acts as an Ambassador for the District.
• Collaborates with referral agencies and initiates referrals as appropriate.
• Provides requested student information to external organizations as necessary.
• Provides information and assists with the college application and admittance process when
• Enforces and follows all state and federal guidelines, administrative policies and rules governing
• Maintains accurate and complete student records as required by District policies.
• Supervises students in one-on-one and small group settings and on occasion, responsible for supervision of students in a classroom setting.
• Develops and maintains a written plan for effective delivery of the school counseling programs based on the AASD annual student achievement goals and aligned with the American School Counseling Association (ASCA) National Standards for School Counseling Programs.
• Other duties as assigned by the building principal.

Education and/or Experience

• Bachelor's Degree in Education or related field and M.Ed. in Counseling

Certifications, Licenses, Registrations

• Pennsylvania State School Counseling Certification K-12 (previously Elementary Counselor K-6 or Secondary Counselor 7-12)
• Act 34/151/114/126/168 Clearances/Certifications required

Qualification Requirements

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability

Knowledge and Abilities

Knowledge of current research, theory and school counseling techniques and ability to apply that knowledge to positively impact student learning and behavior. Ability to think critically and problem solve, especially as it relates to human learning and behavior. Knowledge of human behavior as it relates to crisis situations and ability to react and respond appropriately to crisis.

Academic Skills - Knowledge of basic curriculum course content, assessment, principles and methods of curriculum and instruction and strategic planning. Knowledge of school counseling rules including assistance with academic goals, social and personal development and career development. Knowledge of special education and District, state and federal policies regarding special services. Knowledge of availability of community resources. Knowledge of human growth and development and ability to apply this information in the school setting. Knowledge of discipline policies and ability to make decisions to appropriately guide and counsel students through disciplinary situations. Knowledge of mental health diagnosis and trauma.

Language Skills — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar. Must possess the ability to use the language in both oral and written form. Be able to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences. Be able to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand. Ability to read, analyze and interpret professional journals.

Math Skills — Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, statistics and their applications. Possess the ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios and proportions to practical situations. Possess the ability to analyze and interpret data, particularly test scores and student surveys.

Technology Skills — Be able to utilize programs such as Microsoft Office and the District grading/ attendance packages. Be able to access, generate and analyze student assessment data. Utilize email, the Internet and Intranet. Utilize Smart Boards and coordinating technologies. Be able to gather data for Excel reports. Implement the use of technology for student and parent presentations.

Reasoning Ability - Ability to understand and interpret state and national standards and to integrate those standards effectively. Ability to observe students and evaluate student data to make decisions that improve the overall school environment and success.

Other Skills and Abilities

• The employee must possess the ability to maintain a high emotional energy and display enthusiasm for the school community and learning environment.
• Must develop effective coping strategies for dealing with the high expectations, frequent demands and significant responsibility of effectively supporting the educational process of students.
• Must be able to react quickly in volatile situations and maintain composure even under stressful
• Must be able to advocate for students to create a positive learning environment.
• Possess imagination, patience, creativity, sound judgment, logical reasoning and analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• Ability to make equitable decisions with sound emotional judgment.
• Must be able to concentrate with numerous interruptions.
• Maintain effective working relationships with students, parents, staff and the community.
• Ability to understand and facilitate needs of various personality types.
• Ability to perform duties with awareness of all District policies and professional obligations.

Physical Demands

When performing activities throughout the day related to the educating of students, the counselor spends the majority of the day in an office and may be expected to move through the building and work in classrooms. Dealing with the students can entail kneeling or squatting, stooping, and bending from 50-70 degrees at the waist on an occasional to frequent basis.

Must be able to exert up to 20 pounds of force occasionally and/or up to 10 pounds of force as frequently as needed to move objects (textbooks and materials). When in a classroom setting, the counselor may move student's desks and chairs to change the layout of the classroom to influence the learning situation. The counselor must see and hear on a continuous basis as well as speak frequently. Positions may vary from standing, sitting, or walking. On a rare occasion it may be necessary to move quickly, run, etc. over smooth to uneven surfaces such as on asphalt, pea gravel, on the playground, or on the grass. The counselor must have manual dexterity to use office equipment, manipulate books and other learning materials, and assist students with various activities. The counselor must have repetitive movement of fingers and hands for keyboarding.

The Physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. This position is considered to be a LIGHT Physical Demand Characteristic of Work position according to the physical demands strength rating is the Dictionary of Occupation Title, Fourth edition published by the IS Department of Labor. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Work Environment

The work environment will vary from potentially very loud situations such as cafeterias and playgrounds to more moderate situations such as offices, classrooms or large group professional settings. The majority of time will be spent indoors with consideration for adaptability to all weather conditions related to outdoor activities and/or travel. The employee must be able to work in air-conditioned and heated environments under florescent lighting.

The information contained in this job description is for compliance with the American with Disabilities Act (A.D.A.) and is not an exhaustive list of the duties performed for this position. Additional duties are performed by the individuals current! holding this position and additional duties may be assigned.