Are your ready to try to RAMP?

 

Three years ago I spent a lot of my summer vacation working on my first RAMP application.  But for 3 years before that I had been working hard to fully implement The ASCA National Model in my school.  I talk to counselors frequently who still don't understand the need to have the model fully implemented, then spend a year collecting data, before attempting RAMP.
Fast forward three years and we have had to work extra hard updating our school counseling program and learning the third edition of the Model.  My part-time counselor and I collected our data during the 2012-13 school year and actually got the first 7 components written before school was out.  The rest of the summer I will be writing the remaining components.
It is our intention to apply to Re-RAMP in October 2013.  As an elementary counselor RAMP is a big job for a single full-time counselor.  It takes a huge motivation to apply for RAMP.  I knew our school counseling program was strong and thought RAMP would be a great professional development experience.  It was, I learned a lot and our school program got better.  Take the School Counseling Program Assessment in the Model handbook to see if your program is RAMP ready.
I am going to write a series of RAMP posts to hopefully guide other elementary counselors who are thinking about applying for RAMP.