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Best Practices for Effective Secondary School Counselors
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Best Practices for Effective Secondary School Counselors



November 2004 | 256 pages | Corwin
"Middle and high school counselors will find this book to be very helpful for its practical and hands-on approach."
—Karen Thompson, Assistant Professor Psychology & Counseling
Valdosta State University  

"This is a great collection of resources to aid secondary school counselors."
—John Littrell, Professor of Counselor Education/Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
Iowa State University  

"This is an outstanding addition to the field."
—Greg Brigman, Professor of Counselor Education
Florida Atlantic University  

"The material is especially helpful because of the separation in grade levels.  I often find it difficult to find material specifically designed for transitions from ninth to tenth grade AND from sixth to seventh. This is one of the most valued sections of the book for me."
—Judy Buchholz, Ninth-Grade School Counselor
D. W. Holmes Junior High School, CA  

"This is a major contribution to best practices in school counseling."
—Gerald Monk, Professor of Psychology & Counseling
San Diego State University  

"…an invaluable resource for school counselors."
—Barbara Blackburn, ASCA Secondary Vice President and President Elect

Innovative and essential strategies for charting a course toward an effective secondary school counseling program!

The recent wave of accountability reform movements has largely overlooked the needs of middle and high school counselors, yet has generated daunting pressure for guidance programs to be standards-based and data-driven. Written from the perspective of a practicing, certified counselor, this guide contains essential information needed to implement the American School Counselor Association's National Model and smoothly transition from service-based to program-based counseling. The book affirms that the school's guidance and counseling program play an integral role in the instructional program and overall school success.

Best Practices for Effective Secondary School Counselors centers on six best practices and highlights specific action plans and examples for each one, allowing counseling staff to easily implement the comprehensive programs outlined.

Key features include:

  • Time-saving checklists, surveys, and forms
  • Straightforward tactics for applying six best practices
  • Strategies for stress management
  • Tips for writing successful letters of recommendation
  • An extensive resource and Web site list
From evaluation, advisement and communication, to career education, transition, and professional development, this user-friendly text features relevant and proven solutions for counselors' primary concerns.

 
Preface
 
Acknowledgments
 
About the Authors
 
1. Best Practice 1: Utilize Data to Evaluate Program Effectiveness and Plan for Continuous Improvement
Section 1: Review the School Counseling Plan

 
Section 2: Develop a School Profile

 
Section 3: Obtain Stakeholder Perspectives

 
Section 4: Create a Self-Evaluation Instrument

 
Section 5: Formulate a Counseling Program Action Plan

 
 
2. Best Practice 2: Design and Implement a Comprehensive Advisement System
Section 1: A Schoolwide Advisement Program

 
Section 2: An Individual Advisement Program

 
Section 3: A Rising Ninth-Grade Advisement Program

 
 
3. Best Practice 3: Design and Implement an Extensive Career Education Program
Section 1: Basic Principles of Career Development

 
Section 2: Design Appropriate Career Development Plans for Middle and High School Students

 
Section 3: Design and Implement a Comprehensive Career Center

 
Section 4: Career Portfolios for Students

 
 
4. Best Practice 4: Create Transition Programs That Prepare Students for Success
Section 1: A Keystone Program for Rising Ninth-Grade Students

 
Section 2: A Credit Recovery Program for High School Students

 
Section 3: A Capstone Program for Twelfth-Grade Students

 
 
5. Best Practice 5: Establish and Maintain Communication With the School Community
Section 1: Establishing Communication

 
Section 2: Maintaining Communication

 
 
6. Best Practice 6: Design a Personal Plan for Professional Development
 
Appendix A: Stress Management for Secondary School Counselors
 
Appendix B: Writing Effective Letters of Recommendation
 
Form B1: Student Recommendation Worksheet
 
Form B2: School Profile
 
Resource B3: Tips for Writing Effective Letters of Recommendation
 
Resource B4: Word Bank of Adjectives
 
Resource B5a: Sample Letters 1
 
Resource B5b: Sample Letters 2
 
Resource B5c: Sample Letters 3
 
Resource B5d: Sample Letters 4
 
Resource B5e: Sample Letters 5
 
References
 
Index

“Middle and high school counselors will find this book very helpful for its practical and hands-on approach.”

Karen Thompson, Assistant Professor of Psychology & Counseling
Valdosta State University

“This is a great collection of resources to aid secondary school counselors.”

John Littrell, Professor of Counselor Education and Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
Iowa State University

“This is an outstanding addition to the field.”

Greg Brigman, Professor of Counselor Education
Florida Atlantic University

“The material is especially helpful. I often find it difficult to find material specifically designed for transitions from ninth to tenth grade AND from sixth to seventh. This is one of the most valued sections of the book for me.”

Judy Buchholz, Counselor
D.W. Holmes Junior High School, Davis, CA

“This is a major contribution to best practices in school counseling.”

Gerald Monk, Professor of Psychology & Counseling
San Diego State University

“…an invaluable resource for school counselors.”

Barbara Blackburn, ASCA Secondary Vice President and President Elect
Key features
  • Market to school counseling and special education lists (consider National Tech Prep Network, American School Counselor Association)
  • Includes national standards for student academic, career and personal/social development
  • Loaded with checklists, surveys, and other practical forms
  • Includes resource lists of relevant reading and websites
  • Includes tips for writing letters of recommendation
  • Listing of support organizations for parents and students
  • Nice complement to the new Career Pathways title from Howard/Ill and the 2nd edition of Brief Counseling That Works from Sklare
  • Speaker's Bureau candidate, especially in Georgia
  • Shelton and Edwards are very visible in Georgia, and will do a great deal of promoting. Their efforts should ensure that the book sells well.
  • May have cross-marketing potential with SAGE's extensive counseling list
  • 3 of 9 titles in Corwin's Professional Skills for Counselors series have sold over 3,000 copies, one with sales of almost 10,000 units. I would consider each book an anchor title for two reasons: visible and active authors, and broad topic. Shelton would fit both profiles.

Sample Materials & Chapters

Preface


For instructors

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ISBN: 9781483361154

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