Vol, 7, No. 27: August 25, 2008		Get SEAchange by email

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4. School Counseling—New Era, New Book

Thousands of copies of The Wisconsin Comprehensive School Counseling Model have rapidly entered circulation in Wisconsin, and a majority of school districts in the state have engaged in related trainings, confirming that school counseling is not quite the same profession some Wisconsin residents may remember from earlier days in school.

“Wisconsin continues to be at the forefront of enhancements to the counseling profession,” said State Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster. “The new approaches in The Wisconsin Comprehensive School Counseling Model reflect changes occurring in the field nationally, but the publication also goes above and beyond national models. These refinements will help school counselors play their integral part in our work to help every student succeed and to close the achievement gaps between economically disadvantaged students, students of color, and their peers.”

The Wisconsin Comprehensive School Counseling Model was published in February by the Department of Public Instruction. Even after each of Wisconsin’s 426 school districts received a complimentary copy, the entire first printing sold out in the first two months of publication.

Wisconsin’s previous set of counseling guidelines was referenced nationally, a leading publication in the field. Those guidelines have been updated and incorporated into The Wisconsin Comprehensive School Counseling Model, which includes the new Wisconsin Model Academic Standards in School Counseling. Unlike the old guidelines, the Model Academic Standards are tied to specific benchmarks to allow for greater accountability in counseling work.

The Wisconsin Comprehensive School Counseling Model also adds practical detail and focus to a model promulgated nationally by the American School Counselors Association. Finally, the new publication reflects the latest national recommendations for career development for students.

Staff from 253, or 59 percent, of Wisconsin school districts have enrolled in training sessions on the national model, the state model, or a combination.

“A generation ago, most counselors served students primarily by being available when problems arose,” said Burmaster. “One of the biggest changes promoted by The Wisconsin Comprehensive School Counseling Model is a more proactive approach: counselors now aim to work with every student in school, helping them to set and achieve goals in academic, career, and personal matters.”

Other new elements include a more clearly articulated focus on student success as the core goal of counseling; an expectation to involve parents (often through student-parent-teacher career conferences, which are frequently the first element of the new model to be implemented by districts); and the idea that every student, even one who is already succeeding, can improve his or her education by working with counselors to create a goal-oriented individualized learning plan (ILP).

The DPI is working with professionals from around the state who are prepared to offer training to schools and districts wanting to implement the ideas in The Wisconsin Comprehensive School Counseling Model. A webcast introduction is also viewable.

The Wisconsin Comprehensive School Counseling Model may be ordered from DPI Publication Sales, (800) 243-8782, at a price of $20.

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Last updated on 8/25/2008