Define Framework

  Here at the Jesse Owens School counseling program, we address the Define component by focusing on the student standards and the professional standards needed to ensure student academic, career, and social/emotional success, and the school counselor's ethical competencies required to promote the student standards.  There are 35 Mindset & Behavior standards to describe the attitudes, knowledge, and skills students should be able to demonstrate as a result of our school counseling program. These standards are used by Jesse Owens school counselors to assess the students, guide their development, and create activities and lessons to help them become successful. 

  To properly deliver the Mindset & Behavior standards for optimal achievement, Jesse Owens school counselors utilize the 7 steps of implementation. On the one hand, our school counselors must master the professional standards of the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) to ensure that we are capable of providing the students the kind of care and instruction they deserve. Jesse Owens school counselors have to meet the demands of the ASCA school counselor professional standards and competencies. These standards and competencies ensure our new and experienced school counselors are equipped to establish, maintain, and enhance our comprehensive school counseling program (s), These include assessing themselves in regards to Mindsets & Behaviors, and formulating professional development plans. One of the most formidable  Mindsets we hold as Jesse Owens school counselors is that we firmly believe all students can achieve success. In regard to behavior, our school counselors must demonstrate a professional bearing.

  There are 3 domains that we focus a great deal of our efforts on at Jesse Owens to ensure that students' outcomes are met: academic, development, career development, and social/emotional development. These are tied to the mindsets & behaviors that research suggests enhance learning and create post-secondary readiness. 

Regarding academic development, we focus on activities to strengthen students' ability to learn. In the area of career development, we help students understand the importance of transitioning from school to work or post-secondary educational opportunities and how to pursue this avenue. Finally, regarding social-emotional development, we help students manage and regulate their emotions and learn to apply interpersonal skills.

  Furthermore, another issue that defines our Jesse Owens school counseling program is the care we take regarding confidentiality. Here at Jesse Owens, we follow the ASCA standards for professional school counselors. By doing so, we follow guidance that encourages our school counselors to protect the confidentiality of students unless there is legal cause or the possibility of a student harming himself or someone else. However, there are limitations to our confidentiality protections, and we are transparent about these. We inform both students and parents of our duty to confidentiality unless there is of question, and we also advise that things discussed in groups, despite our requesting of confidentialty from participants, have the possibility of getting out beyond our control.

  A critical part of defining our Jesse Owens school counseling program is sharing our vision and mission statements with our stakeholders. Our vision statement at the Jesse Owens school counseling program is to give all those invested in our students an idea of what we hope to see as an outcome for our students within the next 5 to 15 years. Our vision statement states:   

Vision Statement

   The vision of the Jesse Owens School Counseling Department is that we will create a mindset and culture that will increase the data-proven abilities of our students, regarding their academic, social-emotional, and career endeavors.

  The counselors are committed to delivering on the learning strategies of assisting our students in developing critical thinking skills to make informed decisions and embracing media and technology skills to enhance learning. Furthermore, the counselors will assist in helping our students become culturally aware, sensitive, and responsive.

  On the other hand, our school counseling program has also created a mission statement that aligns with the goals of our school. In essence, our mission statement describes how we have assessed our school's needs, and convince our stakeholders of the importance of the Jesse Owens school counseling program, and how we believe it will contribute to the successful outcomes for all of our students.  Our mission statement states:

 

Mission Statement

       The mission of the Jesse Owens School Counseling Department is to deliver academic, social-emotional, and career readiness support to all students based on the most current and available data, which will align with the District’s and the school’s mission of providing high-quality education, in an effort to promote technology literacy, critical thinking, lifelong learners, passionate about giving back to our community, and demonstrating global leadership

   This will be accomplished by delivering social responsibility, relevant skills and knowledge, and access to training and information that align with all students' interests. The counselors will meet students where they are and actively pursue the understanding and embracing of acceptance and diversity for all. Foremost, counselors will advocate equal treatment in academics, social-emotional guidance, and career information and assistance, resulting in both immediate and future challenges and successes.               

  

  Finally, our counselors will help our students develop the ability to persevere to achieve long -term and short -term goals in future educational and career pursuits

  Furthermore, Jesse Owens school counselor's ethical standards help define the expectations of the school counseling program, which are to maintain the highest standards of integrity, leadership, and professionalism for our students and community.

 

 

ASCA National Model. (2019). A Framework for School Counseling Program. ( 4th ed.).  Alexandria, VA: Author.