SCHOOL COUNSELOR

NATURE OF WORK

Utilizing leadership, advocacy, and collaboration, guidance counselors promote student success, provide preventive services, and respond to identified student needs by implementing a comprehensive school counseling program that addresses academic, career, and personal/social development for all students.

The major functions of the guidance counselor job description incorporate the North Carolina State Board of Education's guiding mission that every public school student will graduate from high school globally competitive for work and postsecondary education and prepared for life in the twenty-first century.

MINIMUM TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE

Must hold NC license in Counselor (license code 005) with experience preferred.

PERFORMANCE RESPONSIBILITIES

1.    Discusses the comprehensive school counseling program with the school administrator.

2.    Develops and maintains a written plan for effective delivery of the school counseling program based on the NC Comprehensive School Counseling Standard Course of Study and current individual school data.

3.    Communicates the goals of the comprehensive school counseling program to education stakeholders (i.e., administrators, teachers, students, parents, and community/business leaders).

4.    Maintains current and appropriate resources for education stakeholders.

5.    Uses the majority of time providing direct services through the Guidance Curriculum, Individual Student Planning and Preventive and Responsive Services, and most remaining time in program management, system support, and accountability (National standards recommend 80% of time in Guidance Curriculum, Individual Student Planning and Preventive and Responsive Services and 20% of time in program management, system support, and accountability (American Guidance counselor Association, 2005).

6.    Uses data to develop comprehensive programs that meet student needs.

7.    Provides leadership and collaborates with other educators in the school-wide integration of the State Guidance Curriculum Standard Course of Study.

8.    Implements developmentally appropriate and prevention-oriented group activities to meet student needs and school goals.

9.    Incorporates into their programs the life skills that students need to be successful in the twenty-first century.

10.Assists all students, individually or in groups, with developing academic, career and personal/social skills, goals, and plans.

11.Accurately and appropriately interprets and utilizes student data.

12.Collaborates with parents/guardians and educators to assist students with educational, career, and life planning.

13.Provides individual and group counseling to students with identified concerns and needs.

14.Consults and collaborates effectively with parents/guardians, teachers, administrators, and other educational/community resources regarding students with identified concerns and needs.

15.Implements an effective referral and follow-up process as needed.

16.Accurately and appropriately uses assessment procedures for determining and structuring individual and group counseling services.

17.Provides appropriate information to school personnel related to the comprehensive school counseling program.

18.Assists teachers, parents/guardians, and other stakeholders in interpreting and understanding student data.

19.Participates in professional development activities to improve knowledge and skills.

20.Uses available technology resources to enhance the school counseling program.

21.Adheres to laws, policies, procedures, and ethical standards of the school counseling profession.

22.Conducts a yearly program audit to review extent of program implementation and effectiveness.

23.Collects and analyzes data to guide program direction and emphasis.

24.Measures results of the comprehensive school counseling program activities and shares results as appropriate with relevant stakeholders.

25.Monitors student academic performance, behavior, and attendance and facilitates appropriate interventions.

MINIMUM STANDARDS REQUIRED TO PERFORM RESPONSIBILITIES

Physical Requirements: Must be physically able to operate a variety of automated office machines including computers, typewriters, copiers, facsimile machines, etc. Must be able to exert a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects. Light Work usually requires walking or standing to a significant degree.

Data Conception: Requires the ability to compare and/or judge the readily observable, functional, structural or composite characteristics (whether similar or divergent from obvious standards) of data, people or things.

Interpersonal Communication: Requires the ability to speak and/or signal people to convey or exchange information. Includes giving instructions, assignments or directions to subordinates or assistants.

Language Ability: Requires the ability to read a variety of correspondence, reports, forms, articles, manuals, etc. Requires the ability to prepare correspondence, reports, forms, meeting minutes, speeches, etc., using prescribed formats and conforming to all rules of punctuation, grammar, diction, and style. Requires the ability to speak before groups of people with poise, voice control and confidence.

Intelligence: Requires the ability to apply principles of logical or scientific thinking to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions; to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagrammatic form; and to deal with several abstract and concrete variables.

Verbal Aptitude: Requires the ability to record and deliver information, to explain procedures, to follow oral and written instructions. Must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently in standard English.

Numerical Aptitude: Requires the ability to utilize mathematical formulas; to add and subtract; multiply and divide; utilize decimals and percentages; and to understand and apply the principles of descriptive statistics and statistical inference.

Form/Spatial Aptitude: Requires the ability to inspect items for proper length, width and shape.

Motor Coordination: Requires the ability to coordinate hands and eyes rapidly and accurately in using automated office equipment.

Manual Dexterity: Requires the ability to handle a variety of items such as office equipment. Must have minimal levels of eye/hand/foot coordination.

Color Discrimination: Requires the ability to differentiate between colors and shades of color.

Interpersonal Temperament: Requires the ability to deal with people beyond giving and receiving instructions. Must be adaptable to performing under stress and when confronted with persons acting under stress.

Physical Communication: Requires the ability to talk and hear: (Talking: expressing or exchanging ideas by means of spoken words. Hearing: perceiving nature of sounds by ear.) Must be able to communicate via telephone.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

1. Thorough knowledge of the philosophies, principles, practices and procedures of school counseling.
2. Considerable knowledge of standard research techniques, methods and procedures.
3. Considerable knowledge of modern office practices and procedures.
4. Considerable knowledge of the ethical guidelines applicable to the position as outlined by professional organizations and/or federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations.
5. Considerable knowledge of the principles of supervision, organization and administration.
6. Considerable knowledge of standard bookkeeping practices as applied to governmental transactions.
7. Considerable knowledge of the principles and practices of educational administration.
8. Skill in writing effective correspondence, speeches and other documents representing the District.
9. Skill in the operation of common office machines, including popular computer-driven word processing, spreadsheet and file maintenance programs.
10. Ability to provide leadership and to supervise the planning, development and establishment of new, modified and/or improved programs, services and activities.
11. Ability to analyze and interpret policy and procedural guidelines, and to formulate, develop and present recommendations to resolve problems and questions.
12. Ability to organize work flow and coordinate activities.
13. Ability to research program documents and narrative materials, and to compile reports from information gathered.
14. Ability to maintain complex schedules, records and files.
15. Ability to make administrative decisions in accordance with laws, ordinances, regulations and school system policies and procedures.
16. Ability to plan and coordinate group activities and special events.
17. Ability to effectively express ideas orally and in writing.
18. Ability to make oral presentations before large groups of people.
19. Ability to exercise considerable tact and courtesy in frequent contact with school officials and the general public.
20. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships as necessitated by work assignments.

TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT

Full-time for ten (10) months

Salary based on state and local salary schedules

DISCLAIMER                       

The preceding job description was designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification.  It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of employees to this job.