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Have you ever had someone ask you, "What exactly does a school counselor do?" If you are like me, you have a hard time not responding, "EVERYTHING." While there is truth to that, it does not give an answer that others can comprehend and put value to.
Advocacy in school counseling is the process of promoting the well-being and academic success of all students by addressing systemic barriers and creating opportunities for learning and development. According to the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), school counselors are expected to advocate for their profession, their students and their school community. Some of the advocacy competencies for professional school counselors are:
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Client/Student Advocacy: School counselors work with and/or on behalf of students to ensure that they have access to the resources and support they need to achieve their goals and potential.
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School/Community Advocacy: School counselors collaborate with other stakeholders within and outside the school to create a positive and inclusive learning environment for all students.
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Public Information/Outreach Advocacy: School counselors educate the public about the role and value of school counseling and the needs and rights of students.
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Professional Advocacy: School counselors advocate for their own professional identity, development and recognition, as well as for ethical and evidence-based practices in school counseling.
Advocacy in school counseling is an essential skill that can help school counselors make a difference in the lives of their students and contribute to social justice and equity in education. For more information on advocacy in school counseling, you can check out these resources:
School-Based Mental Health Professional Use of Time Survey Due Nov. 1, 2023
Per KRS 158.4416(3)(e), the local school district superintendent shall report to the Kentucky Department of Education no later than Nov. 1, 2022, and each subsequent year, the number of school-based mental health service providers, the position held, placement in the district, certification or licensure held, the source of funding for each position, a summary of the job duties and work undertaken by each school-based mental health service provider, and the approximate percent of time devoted to each duty over the course of the year.
This School-Based Mental Health Services Provider Professional Use of Time Survey has been created by the department so that each school district's superintendent can fulfill this requirement. At the link provided, there is a "Read Me First" tab which gives instructions on how to best complete this process. Please submit your spreadsheet via email attachment to KDEResearch@education.ky.gov.
For technical questions or assistance, please contact Leslie.McKinney@education.ky.gov. If you require clarification or have any questions regarding the survey, please contact Michelle.Sircy@education.ky.gov.
ACT® Fee Waiver Program
ACT offers a test fee waiver program to eligible students that covers the regular registration fee (for up to four ACT tests, with or without the optional writing test for National testing) and provides additional benefits such as:
- Free Learning Resources
- Free Test Information Release (TIR)
- Free Additional Score Reports
- Apply to Colleges – For Free
To receive a fee waiver, the student must currently be enrolled in 11th or 12th grade AND meet one of the below indicators of economic need:
- Family’s total annual income is at or below the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) levels for free or reduced-price lunches listed on the USDA Food and Nutrition Service website.
- Family receives low-income public assistance or lives in federally subsidized public housing.
- Enrolled in a federally funded program for the economically disadvantaged (e.g., Free or reduced price lunch program, GEAR UP, or Upward Bound).
- Resides in a foster home, is a ward of the state, or is homeless.
Students should check with their school counselor to see if they are eligible to apply. For more information:
https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/registration/fees/fee-waivers.html
https://www.act.org/content/dam/act/unsecured/documents/FeeWaiver.pdf
New Video Series Available: Living with Suicide Loss
When it comes to suicide loss, every individual’s experience of grief is uniquely their own – yet hope and understanding can be found by connecting with others who have lost a loved one and learning about the path they have taken toward healing.
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) has launched a new series of videos, “Living with Suicide Loss,” that spotlights survivors of suicide loss and their stories of hope and healing. The videos each tell one person's story of losing a loved one to suicide, navigating the pain of their loss and what they have learned about how influences like culture, religion, background and community all can affect the healing journey.
"The video series is a powerful addition to the existing resources AFSP offers suicide loss survivors," said Erika Barber, chair of AFSP's Loss and Healing Council. "We know that connection is a fundamental component to healing after a loss, and these videos offer suicide loss survivors opportunities to connect with featured speakers who are also loss survivors, and who may share similar experiences, questions, challenges and emotions."
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 The Equity Dashboard Has Moved
September 2023 Kentucky Student Information System (KSIS) Infinite Campus News
The Student Equity Dashboard has been moved from the Tableau visualization link to a new aggregated-only link under Tableau visualization on the Infinite Campus Index tab. The new link limits access to aggregated visualizations that do not include student-level detail.
Users who had access to the dashboard in the prior location will need to be added to the new Tableau Aggregated Only Infinite Campus security group for access to the equity dashboards in the new location. Users who need access only to the equity dashboards should have rights removed from the previous Tableau visualization link.
The new link can be shared with district staff who need access to aggregated-only data.
For more information, reference the Infinite Campus Data Analysis Portal User Guide
Planning Guidance for Schools in Implementing the 2024-2025 Early Graduation Program Performance-Based Requirement is now Available
The Kentucky Department of Education has released the Early Graduation Program Performance-Based Requirement Implementation Guidance for Schools. This planning resource is for school-based leaders, counselors and other staff responsible for determining performance descriptors and evaluation procedures for the performance-based project, portfolio or capstone required of all students who wish to complete the Early Graduation program beginning in the 2024-2025 school year.
For information on the requirements for the 2023-2024 academic year, visit the Early Graduation Program webpage or check out the Early Graduation Program FAQ.
Shout Outs!
Shout out to our educational cooperatives for co-leading an impactful state school counselor cadre meeting this week. A lot of work goes into coordinating a statewide training and our educational cooperatives are a huge part of its success. THANK YOU!
The Kentucky Department of Education wants to celebrate you! Please send any celebrations that can be shared statewide to Michelle Sircy.
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