EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS
Collaboration is essential in a school system. It is important that the professional school counselor works with the teachers, support staff, parents, and community to make sure students have their best chance to succeed. According to Chen-Hayes, Ockerman, and Mason (2014), collaboration helps with school climate, linking families to needed services, and helping children and adolescents succeed. It is important also that professional school counselors realize that families are very diverse and that communication must constantly be present. Therefore, professional school counselors need to develop ways to reach parents and families on a regular basis. Professional school counselors can send materials home, send e-mails, request in-person meetings, or have a website online to update families on important matters. The professional school counselor could also develop a Parent Involvement Committee so that families are an integral part of determining activities and programs to benefit the students (Chen-Hayes, Ockerman, & Mason, 2014).
According to Raffaele and Knoff (1999), "collaboration appears to be particularly important for children whose backgrounds include risk factors such as economic impoverishment, limited parental education, stressful home situations, and/or cultural discontinuities between home and school." However, it is harder to collaborate with these families in a lot of cases because of their economic and social disadvantages. Working with these families takes systematic planning and focusing on ways to make it easier on the families. This could also include working with community resources to create opportunities for the families (Raffaele & Knoff, 1999). For this reason, it is essential that professional school counselors develop a variety of plans and programs to help families. It is also essential that professional school counselors work with these families do make sure that the students have all of their needs met.
Collaboration often falls fully in the hands of the professional school counselor, according to Sink (2011). Professional school counselors are often stretched thin, which means that collaboration becomes essential to reaching every student. For this reason, Sink states that we need to make sure, "collaboration and systemic interventions become the norm." Professional school counselors need to develop ways to work alongside all of the staff, all of the parents and families of the students, and the outside community (Sink, 2011). It is important to remember that many resources can be found in the community.
Chen-Hayes, S., Ockerman, M., & Mason, E.C.M. (2014). 101 Solutions for School Counselors and Leaders in Challenging Times. Thousand Oaks, CA. Sage Publications.
Raffaele, L. M. & Knoff, H. M. (1999). Improving home-school collaboration with disadvantaged families: Organizational principles, perspectives, and approaches. School Psychology Review, 28, 448-466.
Sink, C. (2011). School-wide responsive services and the value of collaboration. Professional School Counseling, 14, 2-4.
According to Raffaele and Knoff (1999), "collaboration appears to be particularly important for children whose backgrounds include risk factors such as economic impoverishment, limited parental education, stressful home situations, and/or cultural discontinuities between home and school." However, it is harder to collaborate with these families in a lot of cases because of their economic and social disadvantages. Working with these families takes systematic planning and focusing on ways to make it easier on the families. This could also include working with community resources to create opportunities for the families (Raffaele & Knoff, 1999). For this reason, it is essential that professional school counselors develop a variety of plans and programs to help families. It is also essential that professional school counselors work with these families do make sure that the students have all of their needs met.
Collaboration often falls fully in the hands of the professional school counselor, according to Sink (2011). Professional school counselors are often stretched thin, which means that collaboration becomes essential to reaching every student. For this reason, Sink states that we need to make sure, "collaboration and systemic interventions become the norm." Professional school counselors need to develop ways to work alongside all of the staff, all of the parents and families of the students, and the outside community (Sink, 2011). It is important to remember that many resources can be found in the community.
Chen-Hayes, S., Ockerman, M., & Mason, E.C.M. (2014). 101 Solutions for School Counselors and Leaders in Challenging Times. Thousand Oaks, CA. Sage Publications.
Raffaele, L. M. & Knoff, H. M. (1999). Improving home-school collaboration with disadvantaged families: Organizational principles, perspectives, and approaches. School Psychology Review, 28, 448-466.
Sink, C. (2011). School-wide responsive services and the value of collaboration. Professional School Counseling, 14, 2-4.
ASCA provides school counselors with multiple resources to hand out to parents or teachers about counseling services and any other events or concerns happening around the schools. Some examples are provided below. Burris Laboratory School also sends out a bi-monthly e-mail for students and families outlining important things happening during that time. It is sent via e-mail and in the mail so families have more opportunities to see it. An example is attached below.
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