Organization and Management: Providing Direction for Your School Counseling Program

1. Organization and Management: Providing Direction for Your School Counseling Program Frank J. Phinney,M.Ed., LPC, NCC, NCSC Professional School Counselor Walker Freshman High School E-mail:frank.phinney@lpsb.org Phone: (225) 664-0243

2. Organization Functional Office Space Prioritizing Task Yearly Calendar Monthly Calendar Weekly/Daily Flex-Scheduling Leadership ASCA Model Teamwork Barriers/Breaking Barriers Leadership Top Ten List Organization and Leadership…

3. Organization: Remove the Clutter Workable stacks is one thing...

4. Organization: Remove the Clutter • REMOVE materials that are underutilized & outdated items, REPLACE with tools that are current & relevant Questions to ask yourselfDo I USE that…? Do I NEED those…? Do I EVER refer to…? • KEEP your desks & filing cabinets clean & organized Questions to ask yourself: What CAN I consolidate What CAN I destroy What CAN the Dust Fairy do… NOTHING! REDUCE, REUSE, & RECYCLE

5. Organization: Remove the Clutter ACTUAL COUNSELORS OFFICE… KIDDING, BUT YOU GET THE POINT!

6. Organization: Remove the Clutter PERFECTION… SO MAYBE THIS IS MY OFFICE, JUST SAYIN!

7. Organization: Remove the Clutter WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? • Portrays Professional Image – the stakeholders feel less stressed and/or have more confidence in your abilities • Provides Functional Environment – you get more done when unnecessary items are not in your way • Pattern of Pro-Activity – when you have a clutter free environment you can focus on present & future task

8. Organization: Office Set-up Furniture Placement is CRITICAL to the counseling relationship! Things to be mindful of: • Get from BEHIND your desk! • Think SOLER • Our offices come in all shapes & sizes (janitor closets to condemned T-buildings) • Do the best you can with what you have!

9. Organization: Remove the Clutter WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? You are a PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL COUNSELOR Body Language & Non-Verbal's can either be your greatest asset or your greatest detriment; the advantage you are provided is you decide how this looks! Sometimes we can not control the way a day unfolds or the task we are given that preclude us from being most effective… SO CONTROL THE THINGS YOU CAN!

10. Organization: Prioritizing Task In hopes to remain SANE with ALL the task that you must accomplish is: DETERMINE PRIORITY LEVEL When applying a priority level consider/ask the following: • COMPLETION date • is it realistic in regards to time to accomplish • TIME to accomplish task • will always determine completion date • PURPOSE of task • is this something you should be doing • STAKEHOLDERS involved • who the person is can impact priority regardless of other criteria

11. Organization: Prioritizing Task DETERMINING PRIORITY LEVEL: • Franklin Covey’s ABCD Model: • A – Important and Urgent Tasks • Proactive (Assessing At-Risk Students) • Mandatory (Superintendent needs data for board meeting) • B – Important but NOT Urgent Tasks • Active Tasks (Weekly meetings with At-Risk students) • Assist in fulfilling your daily functionality • C– Longstanding task do not require immediate attention • Beneficial and Expand functionality • Not necessarily task but something to PREVENT, i.e. Crisis Situations • D – Delegated Task • Require follow-up

12. Organization: Prioritizing Task ABCD (continue): • As the deadline approaches for tasks remember their priority level also shifts. • Example: IGPs and academic planning are not an immediate task, however are important. In August they are a level C, however as the year progresses their completion moves to an A.

13. Organization: Prioritizing Task Prioritize the following tasks: • Work on updating IGP’s • Work on organize testing • Scheduling guidance lessons • Principal needs data for tomorrow’s principals meeting • Organizing filing system • Collect needs assessments for group counseling • Report an abuse situation to OCS • Network with feeder schools to improve transition • Data analysis of most recent guidance lesson and report to stakeholders the results • Schedule a counseling referral

14. Organization: The Calendar! Your BEST FRIEND… THE CALENDAR!!!!!

15. Organization: Prioritizing Task • The Yearly Calendar • This is the BIG PICTURE! • Foundation of everything you do! • Includes the MUST DO items such as: • IGP’s • Testing • At-Risk Groups • Guidance Lessons • Scheduling • Drives the monthly and daily schedules • Share with leadership team for input and availability

16. Organization: Prioritizing Task • The Monthly Calendar • Includes items set in yearly calendar • Allows for adjustment due to unscheduled events, i.e. special speakers, weather days, etc. • Should be distributed to all members of school staff

17. Organization: Prioritizing Task • The Daily Calendar • Where the “Rubber Meets the Road” • Utilize “flex-scheduling” – simply meaning it is a workable document • Idea of addressing situations the exhibit: greater need and urgency that arise • Benefit of having daily calendar include: • Commitment to be somewhere means less intrusion on the task you have prioritized • Gives a better handle on how your day unfolds… provides sense of ACCOMPLISMENT! • Should be reviewed each afternoon before leaving… Know what is ahead and expect no surprises!

18. ORGANIZATION DISCUSSION

19. Management starts with LEADERSHIP

20. Leadership: ASCA Model ASCA National Model defines roles: Professional School Counselors(PSC) collaborate with many stakeholders to ensure a quality school counseling program. Administrators provide support for the organization, development and implementation… encourage counselor and teacher cooperation… recognizes importance of [each participant’s] role in implementing the school counseling program.

21. Leadership: ASCA Model What does the research say? • Emphasis on student achievement challenges the notion that principal's are the sole leader in a school (Janson, 2008). • Janson (2008) also noted additional research that indicated that a leadership model that empowers and utilizes the skills and knowledge of all professionals on a school campus serves as a catalyst to improve student achievement (Halverson, 2003; Leithwood, Seashore Louis, Anderson, Wahlstrom, 2005)

22. Leadership: ASCA Model Research (cont.): • Chata & Loesch (2007) indicated that research reveals the effectiveness of a school counseling program is largely determined by the principal's provision of support. • This serves as the basis for ASCA recommendation of principals and PSCs working as a team toward the common goal of assisting students’ in all areas where they may need assistance (Chata & Loesch, 2007).

23. Leadership: Barriers What barriers exist? Mallory & Jackson (2007) indicated potential barriers: • Training: received before ASCA Model • Inappropriate duties: lack of understanding by administrators of professional competencies of PSCs • Perception of PSCs: Communication on our part is necessary

24. Leadership: Breaking Barriers What can be done to break the barriers? • Self-Advocacy • Adherence to Professional Standards • Contribute to School Environment PSCs must learn how to discuss student development and provide data to support their assertions (Hardesty & Dillard, 1994).

25. Partners in Success: Top Ten At Walker Freshman High School we have gone to great lengths to ensure the PSC is directly involved in a leadership role and a collaborative partnership with the administrative team. School Counselor Magazine (Nov/Dec 2006), Covington & Grant provided a Top Ten List of why PSCs should be involved in leadership activities.

26. Leadership: Top Ten List #1 Visibility • “Presence” is Fundamental • Teachers, students and parents have to see you as leader #2 Availability • Counselor as advisor rather than chairperson • Engage in efforts directly related to student achievement

27. Leadership: Top Ten List #3 Extension of Leadership Team • Shared Philosophy and Passion = Buy-In for Entire school! • PSCs when in partnership with Administration can have dramatic impact #4 Knows the Trends • Front Lines – knows student perceptions • Communicates to administration student concerns • Assists new teachers with effective strategies

28. Leadership: Top Ten List #5 Big Picture Perspective • Solution-Focused approach to problem solving • “Changing Climate” partnership ensures we assist our students & their families access resources #6 Decision-Making Skills • Assimilate information, process information and make decisions on the data • Data-Driven decision-making – influence school policy, learning strategies, etc.

29. Leadership: Top Ten List #7 People Skills • Inherent in who we are as counselors: communicators and listeners • Principals are bombarded with information and request to see them… serve as first line of defense! #8 Coordination and Follow-Up Skills • Do this every day for our students… • Apply these skills globally: school improvement plans and presenting data to stakeholders

30. Leadership: Top Ten List #9 Leadership Skills • PSCs by position are seen as leaders within the school and community • Utilize this to develop and nurture other leaders #10 Principals Need Our Help • Roles and Expectations are ever-changing • Principals need leaders willing to step to the task… Gone are the days of the “Counselor in a Closet!”