School Counselor

Job Title

Passage of the following PRAXIS exams School Counselor 5422 required.

Work with school faculty, staff, students, parents, and community to plan, implement and evaluate a comprehensive school counseling program based on the American School Counseling Association (ASCA) national standards. Counsel students to fully develop each student's academic, career, personal and social abilities, and address the needs of special population students.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

The following statements describe the general purpose and responsibilities assigned and should not be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, efforts, or working conditions that may be assigned or skills that may be required.

Complies with the Code of Ethics of the Education Profession; upholds and enforces rules, administrative directives, regulations, GISD school board policies, as well as local, state and federal regulations

Guidance Curriculum

School Counselors proactively provide guidance to assist all students in developing and applying skills for maximum academic, career, personal, and social development during school years and beyond.

• Use counseling theories in addressing personal, social, career, and academic development.
• Attend to diverse needs of students, participating in classroom guidance
• Determine guidance priorities based on local needs assessment
• Plan and conduct structured group lessons to deliver the guidance curriculum effectively and in accordance with students' developmental needs.
• Involve students, parents, teachers, and others to promote effective implementation of the school guidance curriculum.
• Work in conjunction with administration to develop and monitor student courses.
• Plan, monitor, and manage students own educational development, including information about post-secondary opportunities, career development/themes, and personal/social development (i.e., plan career day activities, university/college field trips, industry field trips, guest speakers).
• Conduct appraisal and advisement by assessing student abilities, interest and achievement to help them make decisions about their future.
• Provide exploration opportunities and activities to support the transition process from elementary to middle school and middle to high school.

School Counseling

School Counselors proactively provide guidance to assist all students in developing and applying skills for maximum academic, career, personal, and social development during school years and beyond.

• Use counseling theories in addressing personal, social, career, and academic development.
• Attend to diverse needs of students, participating in classroom guidance
• Determine guidance priorities based on local needs assessment
• Plan and conduct structured group lessons to deliver the guidance curriculum effectively and in accordance with students' developmental needs.
• Involve students, parents, teachers, and others to promote effective implementation of the school guidance curriculum.
• Work in conjunction with administration to develop and monitor student courses.
• Plan, monitor, and manage students own educational development, including information about post-secondary opportunities, career development/themes, and personal/social development (i.e., plan career day activities, university/college field trips, industry field trips, guest speakers).
• Conduct appraisal and advisement by assessing student abilities, interest and achievement to help them make decisions about their future.
• Provide exploration opportunities and activities to support the transition process from elementary to middle school and middle to high school.
• Consult with parents, teachers, administrators, and community members to promote and increase the effectiveness of student achievement and success.
• Provide prevention strategies which address current issues and at-risk indicators.
• Provide mediation for change in behavior and conflict resolution.
• Maintain a positive communication system that effectively collects and disseminates information appropriately.
• Conduct orientation and training programs for students, parents, and staff.
• Develop and maintain positive working relationships with other school professionals and representatives of community resources to promote student success.
• Use established district processes of referring students, parents/guardians, and others to appropriate programs and services.

Student Assessment

School Counselors interpret standardized test results and other available student data to promote sound decision-making for students and others involved in the student's development. School Counselors promote understanding of ethical and legal uses and limitations of assessment.

• Participate in planning and evaluation of campus standardized testing programs.
• Interpret tests and formal and informal assessment data to guide students in individual goal setting and planning in collaboration with school personnel, parents and/or guardians.
• Possess and promote an understanding of potential cultural and linguistic bias in assessment tools.
• Maintain confidentiality of student assessment and testing process.
• Utilize relevant data to participate and support the district MLSS framework.

Leadership

Provide leadership for the implementation of the schools' comprehensive developmental school counseling program.

• Provide leadership in the schools' responsiveness to the personal and social needs of diverse students.
• Provide leadership for the enhancement of learning environments that address the diverse needs of students.
• Educate school staff, students, parents, and community about school counseling program/services.

Advocacy

School counselors apply advocacy competencies and all four components of the comprehensive and developmental school counseling program.

• Advocate for a school environment that acknowledges and respects diversity.
• Advocate for individual for specific groups of students.
• Advocate for school policies, programs, and services that are equitable and responsive to diverse groups of students and enhance a positive school climate.
• Advocate for the elimination of factors that may impede student achievement and school success.

Professional Behavior and Standards

Professional counselors adhere to professional standards in all components of a comprehensive developmental school counseling program.

• Adhere to federal, state, district and campus legal standards, policies, regulations and procedures.
• Commit to current professional standards of competence and practice.
• Promote and follow school counseling ethical standards.
• Demonstrate professional and responsible work habits.
• Establish and maintain professional relationships with administrators, teachers, other school staff, parents, and community members.
• Demonstrate professional and responsible work habits by participating in continuous district and campus staff development programs that improve job-related skills.
• Attend and participate in district and campus meetings and serve on committees as needed.
• Ability to demonstrate the following core values: integrity, high expectations, commitment, respect, confidentiality, dedication to teamwork and passion for a student-centered environment
• Daily attendance and punctuality at work are essential functions of the job
• Support other duties as assigned.

Performs other duties as assigned.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

None

Qualifications

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

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

• Master's Degree in School Counseling

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

• Valid New Mexico Counseling License

Supplemental Information

TECHNOLOGY SKILLS

• Ability to use multiple virtual instructional platforms.
• Proficient in Google Suites
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suites

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Ability to read, analyze, and interpret common scientific and technical journals, financial reports, and legal documents. Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, or members of the business community. Ability to write speeches and articles for publication that conform to prescribed style and format. Ability to effectively present information to top management, public groups, and/or boards of directors.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS Ability to work with mathematical concepts such as probability and statistical inference, and fundamentals of plane and solid geometry and trigonometry. Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.

REASONING ABILITY

Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.