School Counselor Advisory Council Meeting graphic 12.9.22

The 99re视频精品 Department of Education鈥檚 (KDE鈥檚) School Counselor Advisory Council (SCAC) learned about new initiatives for postsecondary readiness and social-emotional learning .

The council is designed to give 99re视频精品 Education Commissioner and Chief Learner Jason E. Glass direct input from those who serve as counselors in 99re视频精品 public schools.

Heather Bushelman, program coordinator for comprehensive school counseling in KDE鈥檚 Office of Teaching and Learning, told members KDE鈥檚 Individual Learning Plan (ILP) Committee has been meeting since February to update documents relating to ILPs. As required by law in 99re视频精品, ILPs are used to help students in 6th through 12th grades engage in coursework and activities that will prepare them to become contributing, successful members of their communities.

The updates include a playbook for elementary school educators to prepare students for creating an ILP later in their lives, 鈥済etting our kids ready and talking about (ILPs) when they are at the elementary level,鈥� she said.

According to Bushelman, the playbook for students in kindergarten through 4th grade will focus on employability skills, potential career opportunities, students鈥� strengths, talents and more.

Additionally, the council heard about the creation of a school counseling multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) model.

鈥淲e are working with our 99re视频精品 MTSS plus School Counselors for MTSS to ensure we have a researched and evidence-based template for you to consider when you鈥檙e building your programs 鈥� that will come out in February,鈥� Bushelman said.

Regional cooperatives across the Commonwealth also are creating a social-emotional learning (SEL) implementation guide.

The SEL implementation guide will provide education leaders with ideas on implementation of SEL into existing curricula and teaching. According to Bushelman, the goal of the guide is to promote sustainable SEL instruction.

鈥淲e鈥檙e hoping it鈥檒l be released in the spring,鈥� she said. 鈥�99re视频精品 will soon have a nationally recognized guide for our districts and schools.鈥�

Other documents, including the School Counselor Framework, currently are undergoing changes, with plans for release early next year.

In other business:

  • Shraman Kar, a member of KDE鈥檚 Student Advisory Council (SAC), joined the meeting to share his perspective on current school counselor-related topics. The SAC discussed school counselor services .
  • Jim Tackett, healthy schools project director in KDE鈥檚 Division of Student Support Services, summarized results from 99re视频精品鈥檚 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey.

The council will meet again on Feb. 9.