The Ankeny Community School District (CSD) is renowned for its excellence across academics, athletics, the arts, and various activities. Situated in central Iowa, just 6 miles from Des Moines, Ankeny CSD caters to over 12,800 students from preschool through 12th grade, making it the 7th largest district in the state. With a strong reputation for its commitment to student success and a competitive salary and benefits package, Ankeny CSD is a standout choice for both educators and families seeking a high-quality educational environment.

JDE Locator:  4.12A

Elementary Professional School Counselor 

Purpose Statement

Professional School Counselors  provide counseling and guidance services to students; manage the Counseling Services Program; identify and counsel students with special needs and behavioral social and school adjustment problems; make referrals to other community resources, support groups and social service agencies as appropriate. Elementary School Counselors in Ankeny also teach as part of the elementary specials rotation.

Job Title:  Professional School Counselor (Elementary)

Wage:  See Teacher Salary Schedule

Benefit Summary: C

Reports To:  Building Principal

Minimum Qualifications:

• Iowa Board of Education School Counselor License
• Successful completion of a background investigation
• Current and past leadership positions including but not limited to Lighthouse Coordinator, Leader In Me (LIM) action team member, ILT, CAT/CLT, mentor; preferred

Essential Functions

Comprehensive School Counseling Program

• Delivers a comprehensive professional school counseling program for the purpose of improving student social/emotional, academic, and career development.
• Collaborates with the building leadership team to research, select, implement, and evaluate professional school counseling strategies focused on improving student social/emotional, academic, and career needs.
• Assist with all aspects of the school improvement process related to the high school professional school counselor program.

Collaboration & Support

• Collaborates with instructional staff, other school personnel, parents, and a variety of community resources to improve the overall quality of professional school counseling programs and support the school improvement plan.
• Supports classroom teachers in implementing strategies to support students’ social/emotional, academic, and career needs and/or goals.
• Participates in and/or leads a variety of meetings, including parent-teacher conferences, PLCs, IEPs, and 504 meetings, to convey and/or gather information required to support students.

Student Assessment & Advising

• Assesses student social/emotional, academic, and/or career goals to provide feedback to students, parents, and administration and inform next steps.
• Advises parents and/or legal guardians on student social/emotional, academic, and career needs and/or goals to communicate expectations, achievements, and methods for improvement.
• Administers programs, assessments, and inventories to make informed decisions and guide student growth and success.
• Interprets test data and other relevant information to students, parents, and teachers, utilizing diagnostic and assessment procedures as needed.

Behavioral & Safety Support

• Manages student behavior to provide a safe and optimal learning environment.
• Monitors students in various educational settings (e.g., classrooms, school campus, assemblies, events) to ensure a safe and positive learning environment.
• Reports incidents such as behavior infractions, suspected child abuse, or substance abuse to maintain student safety and comply with laws and school policies.

Professional Development & Research

• Researches, identifies, develops, and/or offers social/emotional and academic professional development opportunities for staff.
• Maintains current knowledge of community resources and recent trends in counseling techniques.

Communication & Documentation

• Responds to inquiries from teachers, parents, and administrators to resolve issues, provide information, and offer direction.
• Prepares various written materials to document student progress and meet mandated requirements.
• Maintains accurate records.

Other Functions

• Responds to emergency situations for the purpose of resolving immediate safety concerns and/or directing to appropriate personnel for resolution. 
• Demonstrates integrity and maintains confidentiality.
• Works well with others, maintaining positive and effective communication with school personnel and works well with other custodians on jobs that require more than one person. 
• Is respectful and appropriately interacts with staff, students, and visitors.
• Upholds and adheres to safety rules and policies of the Ankeny Community School District safety program. 
• Supports the goals and objectives of the school district and follow all district policies.
• Demonstrates the ability to attend work on a regular and routine basis to avoid disruption to district operations.
• Perform all duties in a safe manner to avoid injury to oneself and/or others. 
• Performs other related duties, as assigned, for the purpose of ensuring the efficient and effective functioning of the work unit.

Working Environment

Mental Demands/Physical Demands/Environmental Factors

The usual and customary methods of performing the position functions require the following physical demands: lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, climbing, reaching, driving, standing and walking. Working conditions may include extreme temperatures and humidity.  Hazards may include exposure to communicable diseases. This position requires one to maintain emotional control under stress.

Terms of Employment

Work year established by the District; Salary according to schedule adopted annually.

Clearances

Criminal Justice Fingerprint/Background Clearance

Evaluation 

Job performance will be evaluated annually, as per district policies and procedures

The foregoing statements describe the general purpose and responsibilities assigned to this job and are not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and duties that may be assigned or skills that may be required.

Approved by:  Justin Mohr                                              Date: January 3rd, 2024

The Ankeny Community School District is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer.