Richard Woods, Georgia’s School Superintendent “Educating Georgia’s Future” gadoe.org Richard Woods, Georgia’s School Superintendent “Educating Georgia’s Future” gadoe.org HR 765-House Study Committee On School Counseling Results of the School Counselor Survey Dr. Myrel Seigler October 22, 2015

Richard Woods, Georgia’s School Superintendent “Educating Georgia’s Future” gadoe.org Richard Woods, Georgia’s School Superintendent “Educating Georgia’s Future” gadoe.org Background Draft developed and presented to committee for review. Suggested changes were made. Went through policy review at GaDOE. Suggested changes made. Sent out to school counselors via list serve CTAE Resource Network, via GSCA member database and posted on GA School Counselors Network FB page twice.

Richard Woods, Georgia’s School Superintendent “Educating Georgia’s Future” gadoe.org Richard Woods, Georgia’s School Superintendent “Educating Georgia’s Future” gadoe.org What is your current worksetting? 546 Elementary Counselors 302 Middle School Counselors 443 High School Counselors 43 Multiple Levels Counselors 19 Others Total that participated in survey: 1354 Total counselors in state as of March 2015: 3692

Richard Woods, Georgia’s School Superintendent “Educating Georgia’s Future” gadoe.org Richard Woods, Georgia’s School Superintendent “Educating Georgia’s Future” gadoe.org Geographical Location: 292 North GA 523 Metro GA 268 Central GA 271 South GA Type of setting school is located: 240 Urban 492 Rural 622 Suburban

Richard Woods, Georgia’s School Superintendent “Educating Georgia’s Future” gadoe.org Richard Woods, Georgia’s School Superintendent “Educating Georgia’s Future” gadoe.org Students on caseload: LPC Certification: 38 Fewer than or above The majority of school counselors ARE NOT LPC Certified. Yes: 192 No: 1011 Progress: 151

Richard Woods, Georgia’s School Superintendent “Educating Georgia’s Future” gadoe.org Richard Woods, Georgia’s School Superintendent “Educating Georgia’s Future” gadoe.org Perceptions regarding the counselors role in mental health situations in the school setting Provide responsive services including internal and external referral procedures, short-term counseling or crisis intervention focused on mental health or situational (e.g. grief, difficult transitions, self-harm, etc.) 1064 responses Early Identification by recognizing warning signs 1273 responses Provide school-based prevention and universal interventions and/or targeted interventions for students with mental health and behavioral health concerns 898 responses Provide long term mental health therapy (Important to note only 11 respondents indicated such)

Richard Woods, Georgia’s School Superintendent “Educating Georgia’s Future” gadoe.org Richard Woods, Georgia’s School Superintendent “Educating Georgia’s Future” gadoe.org Counselor’s Perceptions of the role they should play in a school— Top Five Providing individual and small group counseling services to students 1274 responses Helping the school principal identify and resolve student issues, needs and problems 952 responses Collaborating with teachers to present school counseling core curriculum lessons 893 responses Individual student academic program planning 841 responses Providing counseling to students who have disciplinary problems 785 responses

Richard Woods, Georgia’s School Superintendent “Educating Georgia’s Future” gadoe.org Richard Woods, Georgia’s School Superintendent “Educating Georgia’s Future” gadoe.org Top five barriers that prevent counselors from fully implementing a comprehensive school counseling program Serving as SST, 504 and/or RTI Coordinator 667 responses Assigned duties such as bus duty or lunchroom duty 542 responses Serving as test coordinator 437 responses Scheduling students into classes 380 responses Performing disciplinary actions or assigning discipline consequences 310 responses

Richard Woods, Georgia’s School Superintendent “Educating Georgia’s Future” gadoe.org Richard Woods, Georgia’s School Superintendent “Educating Georgia’s Future” gadoe.org How are School Counselors Evaluated? Georgia School Counselor Evaluation Program Instrument (GSCEP…Published 1990) System Created Teacher Keys Effectiveness System (TKES) Counselor Keys Effectiveness System (GSCA CKES) Not evaluated Using Job Description Classroom Observation Unsure

Richard Woods, Georgia’s School Superintendent “Educating Georgia’s Future” gadoe.org Richard Woods, Georgia’s School Superintendent “Educating Georgia’s Future” gadoe.org Anecdotal Themes Counselor-Student Ratios being too high Coordinator of SSTs/504s/RTIs/Testing Administrators Level of Understanding of School Counselors Roles and Responsibilities Counselors teaching classes daily School Counselor Identity (Often performing duties or viewed as Administrator, Teacher, Coordinator, Secretary) School Counselor Role Identity (“Catch All” type of duties and responsibilities)

Richard Woods, Georgia’s School Superintendent “Educating Georgia’s Future” gadoe.org Richard Woods, Georgia’s School Superintendent “Educating Georgia’s Future” gadoe.org Plans for GaDOE Counseling Division Review and Revise as needed our Comprehensive School Counseling Program Manual Review and Revise as needed Georgia School Counselor Standards Provide support and professional development to systems/schools via various methods (regional workshops, webinars, conference presentations, etc.) In Progress: Reviewing other states school counseling models to assist in revising Georgia’s model for school counselors.

Richard Woods, Georgia’s School Superintendent “Educating Georgia’s Future” gadoe.org Richard Woods, Georgia’s School Superintendent “Educating Georgia’s Future” gadoe.org Recommendations Consider funding for additional counselors and other student service personnel Consider funding for career development facilitator training as well as career development counselors Strengthen the urging resolution passed HR 552 and SR 617in 2013 to fund lower counselor ratios