Mission Statement:  

Our mission as Professional School Counselors is to provide a proactive and comprehensive school counseling program that will provide ALL students the necessary skills, knowledge, and attitudes to become effective students, responsible citizens, productive workers, and lifelong learners. As students’ advocates, we recognize the uniqueness and personal worth of each child, as well as the cultural diversity of our students.  As an integral part of the RSD’s total program, the school counseling program addresses the personal/social, educational, and career needs of ALL students.  The program’s ultimate goal is for students to graduate with the competencies necessary to be able to make self-directed, realistic, and responsible careers decisions and be successful contributors to society.

Our School Counseling Program is aligned with the American School Counselor Association’s (ASCA) framework that includes specific domains, standards, as well as systems for management, service delivery, and accountability.

Since the summer of 2007, we are part of the Pennsylvania Transforming School Counseling Initiative (PATSCI).  We have made a two-year commitment to be trained as a 720 Model School Counseling program. 

This training is being provided by the Education Trust’s National Center for Transforming School Counseling (NCTSC), Pennsylvania School Counselor Association, and Penn State University. Funding provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

This training focuses on Academic Achievement for ALL students so that they are college ready and work ready with the same rigorous preparation at the end of high school. 

To that end our Professional School Counselors at all levels are developing skills in teaming and collaboration, using of data to drive counseling program decisions, as well as leadership and advocacy competencies.

What are the RSD School Counseling Program Domains and Standards?

Academic Domain states that students will:

• Acquire attitudes, knowledge and skills that contribute to effective learning in school and across the life span.
• Complete school with the academic preparation essential to choose from a wide range of substantial post-secondary options, including college.
• Understand the relationship of academics to the world of work and to life at home and in the community.

Career Domain states that students will:

• Acquire the skills to investigate the world of work in relation to knowledge of self and to make informed career decisions.
• Employ strategies to achieve future career goals with success and satisfaction.
• Understand the relationships between personal qualities, education, training and the world of work.

Personal/Social Domain states that students will:

• Acquire the knowledge, attitudes and interpersonal skills to help them understand and respect self and others.
• Make decisions, set goals, and take necessary action to achieve goals.
• Understand safety and survival skills.

What do our Professional School Counselors do?

Counselors spend their time in these areas:

• Guidance Curriculum – teaching the guidance curriculum/standards in classrooms or with planned small groups. Lessons are proactive, prevention based and data driven.
• Individual Planning with Students – working with small groups or individual students concerning educational plans, appraisals, and advisement
• Responsive Services – responding to crisis situations, individual problems, groups of students with an immediate needs, etc.
• System Support – program planning, professional development, community relations, consultations with teachers and others concerning the program, data analysis, program evaluation and student results, etc.

For more information contact:

Department of Student Services
800 Washington Street •

Reading, Pennsylvania 19601
610-371-5640

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