Secondary Guidance Counselor

Job Goal: 

To plan, coordinate, and implement a program which allows students to create individual plans for academic and career decisions. The Secondary Guidance Counselor provides counseling services that foster the academic, social, and emotional development of students.  Additionally, the counselor administers tests, interprets scores, and maintains other records pertinent to better understanding student achievement and potential.

Qualifications (minimum education, licensure, skills, and/or experience):  

• Valid Louisiana Teaching Certificate.
• Louisiana Certification as a School Counselor.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Establish and implement a comprehensive counseling program effectively as measured by the Louisiana Counseling Performance Evaluation Rubric and district evaluation policy.
• Support students in meeting academic and behavioral expectations.
• Provide support for students experiencing academic and/or behavioral challenges. Assist students with setting and achieving academic and/or behavioral goals.
• Develop annual calendar of recurring guidance and counseling activities.
• Plans and assist in the orientation of new students and their parents to school environment and activities.
• Supervise the maintenance of confidential records on each student including standardized test scores, and reports of psychological evaluations.
• Implement a standard procedure for referral of children from teacher to counselor and from counselor to appropriate outside agencies.
• Coordinate the administration of all educational and vocational testing conducted in the

 school.

• Compile or support the compilation of assessment (standardized test) data to assist school staff in formulating instructional procedures.
• Interpret test scores needed for students, parents, and teachers
• Administer individual evaluations, when needed.
• Assist students in evaluating their aptitudes, abilities, interests, and achievement to formulate appropriate vocational and educational plans.
• Collect and disseminate occupational-educational information to individual students, their parents, and to classes involved in vocational exploration.
• Supervise the preparation and processing of college, scholarship, and employment applications.
• Provide individual and small group counseling for students to facilitate personal social growth and development.
• Conduct guidance and counseling sessions designed to ensure students are on track to meet graduation.
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

Counselors shall be expected to perform the following duties, along with the completion of corresponding documents, forms, and reports.

Self-Evaluation

• Complete a self-evaluation and document the results on appropriate written forms.

Professional Growth Plan

• Develop a Professional Growth Plan in collaboration with the evaluation.

Supervision

• Supervise students as needed when students are on campus.
• Supervise students prior to school and/or drop-off, when assigned.
• Supervise students in the classroom, if needed
• Supervise students as needed between classes, during recess/intermission, during lunch, assemblies.
• Supervise students after school and/or pick-up, when assigned.

Instructional Components

• Fulfill duties traditionally expected of those in the counseling profession.
• Accept and discharge assignments.
• Practice and model punctuality.
• Collaborate with colleagues and departments.
• Adhere to federal, state, system, and school policies and regulations.
• Conduct conferences as needed. Maintain positive and timely interaction with parents relative to the performance or conduct of students assigned to the counselor.
• Follow recommendations made by school administrators and district staff.
• Take part in the continuing in-service program of the schools.

School Support Activities

• Provide for the care and proper usage of school property. Maintain current inventory of items assigned to position.
• Attend meetings generally associated with the instruction of students.
• Attend faculty, staff, and department meetings.
• Attend ILT meeting if applicable.
• Attend training sessions.
• Attend IEP/IAP meetings, upon request.
• Attend parent-teacher conferences, upon request
• Attend back-to-school and open-house events.
• Attend graduation.
• Attend student discipline meetings/hearings, upon request.
• Attend school board/committee meetings, upon request.
• Be responsible for a reasonable amount of co-curricular and other duties beyond the regular school day as determined by the building principal.
• Attend/work concessions/gates at athletic events within school year.
• Attend all meetings and functions of those activities, clubs, or groups of which the employee is a sponsor/coach.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands for an elementary school counselor are generally moderate, with the emphasis on emotional intelligence, communication skills and the ability to create a supportive and inclusive environment for students.  The school counselor should be prepared to respond calmly and swiftly in the event of a crisis, which may involve moving throughout the school and coordinating with relevant personnel. 

Terms of Employment:  202 days

Evaluation: Performance of this job will be evaluated in accordance with provisions of the Board's policy on Evaluation of Professional Personnel (Bulletin 130).