sample guidance program

High School Guidance Counselors deliver the comprehensive guidance program to students in grades nine through twelve in a manner that prepares students for post secondary opportunities.
High School Counselors must have the following qualifications, (All high school counselors in Northside I.S.D)
·         are professional educators,
·         have earned a Master's Degree,
·         are specifically trained in counseling techniques,
·         are certified as school counselors by the Texas Education Agency.
High School Counselors address their continuing professional growth through:
·         Inservice training
·         Workshops
·         Local, state and national conferences
·         Continuing Education
·         Inter-school counselor meetings
·         Current professional literature and media information
·         Presentations to professional groups
·         Technology networking
Students may see the school counselor through...
·         A student self referral
·         A teacher referral
·         A parent referral
·         A counselor request
·         An administrator request
Students may want to see the counselor for many reasons, including assistance with:
·         Problem-solving by exploring alternatives to make appropriate decisions.
·         Developing positive attitudes towards self and others.
·         Establishing personal goals.
·         Developing educational plans and in selecting the related courses based on individual interests and talents.
·         Interpretation of results of standardized tests.
High School Counselors across the district provide similar services tailored to the educational level and to the student and campus needs. To find out more about the guidance program at each high school campus, click on the link below to go to the NISD High School Websites.

Guidance Curriculum
High School Counselors teach the guidance curriculum and assist teachers with guidance-related curricula.  The following are examples of the topics that are addressed in class guidance sessions.
·         Academic support
·         Career pathways
·         Character development
·         Decision-making
·         Developmental assets
·         Goal-Setting
·         Graduation requirements
·         Study skills
·         Understanding academic records
·         Conflict management

Individual Planning
High School Counselors provide individual or group assistance with educational planning and career exploration. Sample activities include the following:
·         9-12 Pre-registration activities such as course selection and review of graduation requirements.
·         Special events such as college and career days, financial aid programs and elective fairs.
·         Assistance to students with information for special programs such as dual credit, transition/IEP needs.
·         Student/parent conferences to address educational and career planning.
·         Freshman Conferences to orient students to high school.
·         Sophomore conferences to review student Graduation Status Report (GSR), to interpret the standardized test scores and to provide career guidance.
·         Junior Conferences to review the GSR, to provide college, career and relevant testing information.
·         Senior Conferences to review the GSR, provide post-secondary education admissions information, as well as scholarship and financial aid information.