|
Parental Notification Per Regulation 651-1
PURPOSE
The purpose of the guidance and counseling program at the high school level is to enhance academic achievement of students. The program focuses on career/educational development for all students. It involves the student acquisition of skills necessary to: engage in life-long learning; become aware of life/career choices; and prepare for the world of work. All aspects of the program are complementary to the efforts of parents, school, staff, and the community.
DESCRIPTION
Counseling
School counseling involves individual and group contacts over a period of time. The counselor helps students to develop realistic concepts of themselves, to become aware of educational and occupational opportunities, and to integrate their understanding of self and opportunities in making informed decisions. A student will meet with the counselor when he/she requests counseling; parents/teachers, administrators and other school staff members refer the student; and/or the counselor initiates contact.
Guidance
Guidance involves assistance to students in developing career/educational goals that focus on self-understanding; interpersonal skills, decision-making, occupational information, education and training, economic awareness, and employability. Student achievement in these areas is a total school responsibility involving counselors, teachers, administrators, and support personnel.
At the high school level skill development focuses on the following stage: Career/Educational Preparation (Grades 9-12) - The period of preparation is focused on reinforcing students sense of personal worth and uniqueness, and on developing attitudes and skills that will culminate in post-secondary career and educational choices.
Materials Review
Material used with students in the Guidance and Counseling Program are available for parent review and comment by making arrangements with the school counselor.
Parental Consent For Student Participation
Opt-Out
Parents have the option to withdraw their child(ren) from all or any portion of the guidance and counseling program by directing their opt-out requests in writing to the school principal. This request will be filed in Part I of students' educational records and staff advised of student non-participation. Opt-out requests will not transfer from school to school. Parents will need to initiate an opt-out request each time a student changes schools. The opt-out provision excludes any short duration personal/social counseling which is needed to: Maintain order, discipline or a productive learning environment; respond to a crisis situation where there exists an immediate threat to the health and safety of the student or others: or follow-up to determine progress with a student who has previously participated in formal individual or group counseling.
Opt-In
Parental consent will be obtained before students participate in planned program of counseling. This opt-in procedure applies to individual counseling that is conducted on a continuing basis as well as group counseling. Individual Counseling-Parental permission will be obtained when it has been determined that a student would benefit from meeting with the counselor on a continuing basis to address an issue that is impeding a student's progress in school. Individual counseling sessions conducted by a school counselor will not supplant on-going counseling which the family has arranged outside the school setting. Group Counseling - Those personal/social counseling sessions that involve regular meetings with a group of students for a designated time period require written parental permission. Exception to Informed Parental Consent - A child may be included in personal social counseling without parental consent when the guidance counselor and the principal of each school have certified in writing that a good faith effort, involving at least one telephone call and one letter mailed to the parents, has been made to contact the student's parents and that no response has been received. Counseling Techniques
The use of counseling techniques which are beyond the scope of the professional certification or training of counselors and that are normally employed in medical or clinical settings and focus on mental illness or psychopathology, is strictly prohibited.
Confidentiality
Counselors and other school staff may be of help to students who need an adult to discuss certain personal concerns. Students and parents should be aware, however, that information discussed by students may not be treated as confidential. Regulation 651-2, no teacher, counselor, administrator or other school staff member has an unlimited right to confidentiality. In order to understand the limits of confidentiality, students and parents should talk with a school counselor and/or ask to see a copy of Regulation 651.
Maintenance of Personal/Social Counseling Information and Records
If maintained, information and records of personal/social counseling shall be kept confidential and separate from a student's educational records and not disclosed to a third party without prior parental consent or as otherwise provided by law.
|
|
