FAQ's/Mission Statement/Philosophy
WHAT'S ON THIS PAGE?
This page describes BETA's School Counseling Program mission statement, philosophy statement and contains a Frequently Asked Questions section. Confused about the difference between a mission and philosophy statement? The mission statement basically details the program's goals and expectations, while the philosphy statement discusses the fundamental values and beliefs of our program.
This page describes BETA's School Counseling Program mission statement, philosophy statement and contains a Frequently Asked Questions section. Confused about the difference between a mission and philosophy statement? The mission statement basically details the program's goals and expectations, while the philosphy statement discusses the fundamental values and beliefs of our program.
Bronx Engineering and Technology Academy (B.E.T.A.)
School Counseling Program Mission Statement
The mission of the BETA school counseling program is to provide a standards-based comprehensive program that addresses the academic, career/college and personal/social development of all students. Our goals align with the overall BETA mission to “empower and prepare” students to succeed in post-secondary school, as well as to help them develop leadership roles. School counselors are professional student advocates who work with educators, parents/guardians and the community to maximize the opportunities and resources of their students. The support system, created by the school counseling program, is dedicated to helping each student reach their full potential as life-long learners and contributors to society.
School Counseling Program Mission Statement
The BETA School Counseling Philosophy
The professional school counselors at Bronx Engineering & Technology Academy (BETA) believe:
And that the school counseling program should:
And that all counselors:
Adapted from the ASCA National Model (2005)
- All students have dignity and worth
- All students are capable of surpassing obstacles and achieving success
- All students have the right to have knowledge of and pursue the opportunities available to them
- All students have the right to participate in the school counseling program
- All students’ ethnic, cultural, racial, sexual differences and special needs are considered in planning and implementing the school counseling program
- All students shall have access to a professional school counselor dedicated to advocating for their needs and delivering a comprehensive counseling program
And that the school counseling program should:
- Be based on specified goals and developmental student competencies for all students
- Be planned and coordinated by school counseling teams in coordination with other school, parent or guardian and community representatives
- Utilize the many combined resources of the community to deliver programs
- Use data to drive program development and evaluation, as well as to close achievement and opportunity gaps
- Be evaluated on specified benchmarks and agreed upon student competencies
- Actively involve counseling team members, teachers and administrators to monitor students’ results and optimize student achievement
And that all counselors:
- Collaborate with individual students to create action plans for success.
- Implement NOSCA's eight components of career and college readiness counseling and prepare students for a successful transition from high school.
- Follow the New Vision for school counselor roles, and become assertive advocates of students by creating opportunities for all students to pursue dreams of high aspirations
- Maintain confidentiality of student records and matters, and abide by the ASCA Ethical Standards for school counselors
- Participate in professional development activities essential to maintain a quality school counseling program
Adapted from the ASCA National Model (2005)
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is a school counseling program?
2. What is the school counselor’s role?
3. What are TACKLE skills?
4. What are ACCESS Competencies?
5. Why must school counselors develop a curriculum, and planning for all students?
6. What are the ASCA Code of Ethics?
7. What is confidentiality, and why is this important?
8. What is FERPA?
9. What are the ASCA Standards?
10. What is the importance of the Gaps/Goals/Results tab?
1. What is a school counseling program?
Comprehensive school counseling programs integrate academic, career and personal/social
development. The components of a comprehensive school counseling program are individual planning, responsive services, the school counseling curriculum, and program support. (New York State School Counselor Association 2005)
2. What is the school counselor’s role?
Professional school counselors are certified/licensed educators with a minimum of a master’s degree in school counseling making them uniquely qualified to address all students’ academic, personal/social and career development needs by designing, implementing, evaluating and enhancing a comprehensive school counseling program that promotes and enhances student success. Professional school counselors are employed in elementary, middle/junior high and high schools; in district supervisory positions; and counselor education positions. (ASCA, 2009)
3. What are TACKLE skills?
The acronym TACKLE was created by Stuart Chen-Hayes to succinctly describe the specific skills that NCTSC-companion institution programs seek to develop in their school counseling candidates and access is the acronym for the skills that all K-12 students need to be able to learn and demonstrate from a transformed K-12 school counseling program:
TACKLE-Transformed school counselor skills:
Teaming and collaboration with all stakeholders to close achievement and opportunity gaps and ensure career/college readiness and access for every student
Advocacy for every student to close gaps and promote career/college readiness and access
Culturally competent counseling and school counseling program coordination to close gaps and promote career/college readiness and access skills.Knowledge and use of technology to close gaps and promote career/college readiness.
Leadership to close gaps by challenging school policies and procedures and ensuring all students receive ASCA-standards based school counseling program lessons (access) and educational planning (access plans) annually to close gaps.
Equity assessment using data—using school report cards, comprehensive educational plans and other information to create evidence-based gap-closing interventions and career/college readiness interventions with demonstrable results
(Chen-Hayes, 2010)
4. What are ACCESS Competencies?
ACCESS is an acronym summarizing the competencies all students should have if they have been through a data-driven, comprehensive, developmental school counseling program K-12 based on the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Model Framework/ASCA Standards with Added Emphasis on College and Cultural Readiness:
ACADEMIC
CAREER
COLLEGE/POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION
EMOTIONAL/PERSONAL
SOCIAL/CULTURAL
SKILLS PROGRAM FOR EVERY K-12 STUDENT
(Chen-Hayes, 2010)
5. Why must school counselors develop a curriculum, and planning for all students?
The School Counseling Curriculum presents structured developmental experiences designed to address academic, career and personal/social needs of students K through 12. (New York State School Counselor Association 2005)
6. What are the ASCA Code of Ethics?
This is a document created by the American School Counselor Assocation (ASCA) which specifies the principles of ethical behavior necessary to maintain the high standards of integrity, leadership and professionalism among its members. The Ethical Standards for School Counselors were developed to clarify the nature of ethical responsibilities held in common by school counselors, supervisors/directors of school counseling programs and school counselor educators. (ASCA, 2010)
7. What is confidentiality, and why is this important?
School counselors working with students and families must not disclose shared information with others. It is important for school counselors to maintain confidentiality in order to protect the individuals who come to them. However, in the case that there is a possible threat of danger posed to the individual or others, confidentiality must be broken.
8. What is FERPA?
FERPA-Family Educational Rights Privacy Act:
The law allows any parent/guardian access to all of a student’s educational records and any emancipated minor may have access as well. (Chen-Hayes, 2010)
9. What are the ASCA Standards?
The skills that all K-12 students should receive in school counseling programs for academic, career, college/post-secondary, and personal/social success. (Chen-Hayes, 2010)
10. What is the importance of the Gaps/Goals/Results tab?
A school counseling program must address the achievement/opportunity/attainment gaps that exist at their school. Through careful research, data and interventions, school counselors commit to maintaining accountability. The Gaps/Goals/Results tab highlights the aims and successes of the program, which are important for all within the school community to share.
2. What is the school counselor’s role?
3. What are TACKLE skills?
4. What are ACCESS Competencies?
5. Why must school counselors develop a curriculum, and planning for all students?
6. What are the ASCA Code of Ethics?
7. What is confidentiality, and why is this important?
8. What is FERPA?
9. What are the ASCA Standards?
10. What is the importance of the Gaps/Goals/Results tab?
1. What is a school counseling program?
Comprehensive school counseling programs integrate academic, career and personal/social
development. The components of a comprehensive school counseling program are individual planning, responsive services, the school counseling curriculum, and program support. (New York State School Counselor Association 2005)
2. What is the school counselor’s role?
Professional school counselors are certified/licensed educators with a minimum of a master’s degree in school counseling making them uniquely qualified to address all students’ academic, personal/social and career development needs by designing, implementing, evaluating and enhancing a comprehensive school counseling program that promotes and enhances student success. Professional school counselors are employed in elementary, middle/junior high and high schools; in district supervisory positions; and counselor education positions. (ASCA, 2009)
3. What are TACKLE skills?
The acronym TACKLE was created by Stuart Chen-Hayes to succinctly describe the specific skills that NCTSC-companion institution programs seek to develop in their school counseling candidates and access is the acronym for the skills that all K-12 students need to be able to learn and demonstrate from a transformed K-12 school counseling program:
TACKLE-Transformed school counselor skills:
Teaming and collaboration with all stakeholders to close achievement and opportunity gaps and ensure career/college readiness and access for every student
Advocacy for every student to close gaps and promote career/college readiness and access
Culturally competent counseling and school counseling program coordination to close gaps and promote career/college readiness and access skills.Knowledge and use of technology to close gaps and promote career/college readiness.
Leadership to close gaps by challenging school policies and procedures and ensuring all students receive ASCA-standards based school counseling program lessons (access) and educational planning (access plans) annually to close gaps.
Equity assessment using data—using school report cards, comprehensive educational plans and other information to create evidence-based gap-closing interventions and career/college readiness interventions with demonstrable results
(Chen-Hayes, 2010)
4. What are ACCESS Competencies?
ACCESS is an acronym summarizing the competencies all students should have if they have been through a data-driven, comprehensive, developmental school counseling program K-12 based on the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Model Framework/ASCA Standards with Added Emphasis on College and Cultural Readiness:
ACADEMIC
CAREER
COLLEGE/POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION
EMOTIONAL/PERSONAL
SOCIAL/CULTURAL
SKILLS PROGRAM FOR EVERY K-12 STUDENT
(Chen-Hayes, 2010)
5. Why must school counselors develop a curriculum, and planning for all students?
The School Counseling Curriculum presents structured developmental experiences designed to address academic, career and personal/social needs of students K through 12. (New York State School Counselor Association 2005)
6. What are the ASCA Code of Ethics?
This is a document created by the American School Counselor Assocation (ASCA) which specifies the principles of ethical behavior necessary to maintain the high standards of integrity, leadership and professionalism among its members. The Ethical Standards for School Counselors were developed to clarify the nature of ethical responsibilities held in common by school counselors, supervisors/directors of school counseling programs and school counselor educators. (ASCA, 2010)
7. What is confidentiality, and why is this important?
School counselors working with students and families must not disclose shared information with others. It is important for school counselors to maintain confidentiality in order to protect the individuals who come to them. However, in the case that there is a possible threat of danger posed to the individual or others, confidentiality must be broken.
8. What is FERPA?
FERPA-Family Educational Rights Privacy Act:
The law allows any parent/guardian access to all of a student’s educational records and any emancipated minor may have access as well. (Chen-Hayes, 2010)
9. What are the ASCA Standards?
The skills that all K-12 students should receive in school counseling programs for academic, career, college/post-secondary, and personal/social success. (Chen-Hayes, 2010)
10. What is the importance of the Gaps/Goals/Results tab?
A school counseling program must address the achievement/opportunity/attainment gaps that exist at their school. Through careful research, data and interventions, school counselors commit to maintaining accountability. The Gaps/Goals/Results tab highlights the aims and successes of the program, which are important for all within the school community to share.
Page created by Kalya Castillo, graduate student of Counselor Education Program at Lehman College.