2411    GUIDANCE COUNSELING

A.	Counseling Services
 
1.	The purpose of guidance and counseling services is to assist students in self-examination, self-evaluation, and analysis of alternatives so that each student can benefit most fully from his/her education and life experiences. 
 
2. 	Counseling services will include:
 
a.	Career awareness and exploration, and academic planning through consideration of personal interests, past and potential performance, and present opportunities,
 
b.	Personal/social development including adjustment to situational problems, understanding of the consequences of personal behavior, and referral to assistance where appropriate, and
 
c.	Crisis counseling to assist students undergoing extreme emotional reactions that disrupt immediate functioning, including post-crisis planning and referral for treatment as necessary.
 
3.     	All counseling services shall be free of bias on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, affectational or sexual orientation or sex, gender, gender identity or expression, social or economic socioeconomic status, or disability.
 
B.     	Career Awareness and Exploration
 
In fulfillment of the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards, the school district shall provide a comprehensive program of guidance and counseling to facilitate career awareness and exploration for all students which shall be designed to:

1.	Assist students in making informed educational and occupational choices;
 
2.	Encourage students to maintain portfolios consisting of accomplishments related to the Cross Content Workplace Readiness Standards;
 
3.	Develop student competency in self management, educational and occupational exploration and career planning;
 
4.	Make students aware of the relationship among personal qualities, education, training and the world of work; and
 
5.	Acquaint students with the relationship between achieving academic standards and the attainment of career goals.
 
C.    	Consulting Services
 
1.     	The purpose of consulting services is the improvement of the instructional program and the delivery of educational services by the collaboration of those staff members responsible for the instructional program and the development of individual students.
 
2.     	Consulting services will include:
 
a.	Identification of the needs of students,
 
b.	Identification, evaluation, and program implementation of students with special needs,
 
c.	Development and implementation of preventive and supportive programs to address such problems as student attendance, violence, and suicide,
 
d.	Alerting professional staff to the purposes, functions, and availability of guidance and counseling services,
e.	Encouragement of cooperation among teaching staff members and parent(s) or legal guardian(s) in resolving individual student problems and addressing student needs,
 
f.	Establishment and maintenance of fruitful relationships with State and local agencies for the purpose of professional referral and the sharing of experiences,
 
g.	Cooperation with business and industry to facilitate student job placement and vocational training, and
 
h.	Maintenance of a library of occupational and educational information.
D.    	Evaluation
 
The program of guidance and counseling will be reviewed annually to determine its strengths and weaknesses.  The following information may be gathered and analyzed in that review:
 
1.	Annual record of graduate placements in post-secondary situations;
 
2.	Assessments of past graduates as to the effectiveness of guidance services received in the high school;
 
3.	Results of surveys of parent(s) or legal guardian(s) and staff evaluations of guidance services;
 
4. 	Analysis of the efficacy of outside referrals;
 
5.	Assessments by persons not employed in the school district and expert in the field of guidance and counseling; and
 
6.	The personal evaluations of the guidance and counseling staff members to identify weaknesses in the administration of the program.
 
Issued:	March 16, 2017