Guidance Counselor (Middle School)

QUALIFICATIONS:

1. Certification as a counselor
2. A.B. and M.A. degrees plus four years teaching experience.
3. Such additional qualifications as the superintendent or Board may find
appropriate and acceptable.

REPORTS TO: Principal

SUPERVISES: N/A

JOB GOALS: To assist students in achieving their potential by: helping them gain the most from their educational experiences; by providing continuing services that include counseling information consultation coordination program selection and referral to students parents teachers and administrators.

RESPONSIBILITIES SPECIFIC TO ADMINISTRATIVE AREA:

The counselor shall spend at least seventy-five (75%) of his/her work time in activities that provide for direct guidance and counseling services with students parents teachers and administrators. The activities shall include:

1. Individual and group guidance and counseling services-provides individual and group counseling and guidance activities in the areas of development prevention and crisis situations for students and parents.
a. Evaluates grade reports following each grading period to determine
the need for individual assistance.
b. Intervenes in situations of excessive absence to forestall patterns
of truancy.

2. Information services-provides information for use in exploring and making decisions about educational career vocational personal-social and orientation issues.
a. Provides students with the necessary information relating to
secondary education.
b. Maintains an up-to-date file of college and vocational reference
materials.
c. Computes student grade averages and ranks class members.
d. Attends faculty meetings and shares necessary information with the
staff.
e. Provides students with information concerning course offerings and
curriculum requirements graduation requirements etc. prior to
preregistration.
f. Provides orientation for new students who enroll during the school
year.
g. Maintains a library of current guidance reference materials;
inventories materials on hand and orders materials for the
upcoming school year.

3. Consultation services-confers with parents teachers administrators and community resource people in developing programs or activities to address personal social or instructional needs of students.
a. Notifies all students who have deficiencies in grades; schedules
individual counseling sessions concerning these deficiencies when
necessary.
b. Provides students with information concerning summer school when
appropriate.
c. Provides the staff with information concerning the special needs of
students.
d. Aids teachers in dealing with underachieving students.
e. Arranges and participates in parent/teacher conferences to consider
problems students may be having.
f. Attends curriculum planning meetings at the request of the
superintendent.

4. Appraisal services-assists in the collection maintenance dissemination and interpretation of information based on individual intellectual assessments group tests student records individual assessments observations and other methods enabling parents students teachers and other support professionals to provide students with appropriate instructional programs.
a. Provides and interprets test results to parents and students and to
members of the school staff.
b. Provides students with information concerning test deadlines and
provides help to students in preparing for KIRIS.
c. Provides appropriate information concerning grades and point
averages to the athletic coaches and activity sponsors upon
request.
d. Attends school-based Admission and Release Committee meetings upon
request of the teacher parent or principal and participates in
appropriate placement.
e. Informs students concerning the Duke University talent search
ACT/SAT and provides necessary registration materials; interprets
test results to those individuals who take these tests.

5. Coordination services-provides leadership assists in plan development and orchestrates the implementation of guidance activities for use by parents teachers administrators and the community.
a. Aids teachers in finding resources to meet student needs and works
with teachers in planning career oriented materials.
b. Provides the community support organizations with pertinent
information (as permissible with confidentiality procedures)
concerning cases in their care.
c. Assists in coordinating activities and curriculum of the middle
school with that of the high school.
d. Assists the principal in planning and conducting the middle school
Awards Program.
e. Coordinates 8th grade graduation.

6. Program selection services-assists in placing students in appropriate instructional vocational and career programs.
a. Pre-registers all students within area of responsibility for the
next school year.
b. Schedules all students within areas of responsibility making
changes as needed.
c. Networks with the following programs to assure student needs are
met: Gifted Migrant Special Education Homebound.

7. Referral services-uses local and state resources and agencies that provide specialized services to students and parents.
a. Provides information about the Youth Service Center available in the district.

The school counselor shall spend approximately twenty (20) percent of his/her work time in activities aimed at planning and implementing the guidance and counseling program. These activities shall include but are not limited to:

8. Developing the annual Guidance Plan and evaluating the effectiveness of the guidance program and activities. All counseling staff should work together to:
a. Prepare a guidance evaluation checklist for staff to complete and completes own guidance evaluation checklist.
b. Annually submit the evaluation of the schools guidance plan to the
school council and Board of Education.
c. Meets with administration the SBC and staff members to plan for
the following school year.

8. Coordinating the maintenance of guidance records.
a. Maintains a cumulative record folder for each student of assigned
responsibility containing all pertinent information related to the
students medical and school history and any other significant
data concerning the student.
b. Initiates requests for records of students who transfer to and
supplies records for those transferring from the high school.

10. Developing and coordinating a planned and continuous public relations program.

11. Maintaining professional standards skills and competencies by attending courses workshops conferences serving in professional organizations and reading professional literature.

12. Conducting research and follow-up studies that help evaluate and improve guidance programs in the school.

The school counselor may spend approximately five (5) percent of his/her work time in activities not defined above.

13. Performs such other tasks as may be assigned by the principal or the superintendent.

TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT: Salary and extended employment as established by the
Superintendent and Board.

EVALUATION: Performance of this job will be formally evaluated annually in
accordance with provisions of the Boards policy on Evaluation of
Administrative Personnel.