Component 3 School Counseling Program Goals

This section is new with the third edition and in my opinion the most important.  Many of the other components are directly linked to this one.  Read carefully the section in the Model on program goals and remember they must "address specific student outcomes, including improved student achievement, attendance, behavior and safety..."  The goals must be based on school data - really outcome data like test scores, report card grades, attendance data, and office referrals and bullying reports.  The goals need to reflect the needs of your school. This is a challenge at the elementary level.  Think in terms of a goal you could lead a group to address, a goal for the classroom lessons you want to highlight, and a goal for closing the gap.  The more you can tie the components together the better.  The goals have to be written in the SMART format. Your program goals  are expected to define "how the vision and mission will be measured."  You can address that in the narrative.  In the narrative you must discuss how goals were developed, how they address student learning and/or student inequalities, how they are founded in the data.  These should be developed in September and guide the program for the school year.  In the advisory council section it states the council assists school counselors by advising on program goals so be sure to address that in your narrative in both components.