Job Details

Days per Year: 187

Min: $62,750

Mid: $75,602JOB TITLE: Elementary School Counselor

REPORTS TO: Principal

WAGE/HOUR STATUS: Exempt

PAY GRADE: AI 2

PRIMARY PURPOSE:

The Elementary Counselor primary responsibility is to utilize leadership, advocacy and collaboration to promote student success. The Professional School Counselor is responsible for planning, implementing, and evaluating a comprehensive developmental guidance program to develop each student's academic, career, personal and social abilities.

All employees of SISD are expected to act with integrity, support organizational goals, communicate in a clear and respectful manner, championing the needs of our students and drive continuous improvement.

QUALIFICATIONS:
Required:

• Master's degree in Counseling from an accredited college or university
• Valid Texas Teacher certificate as required by the State Board of Education Certification
• Valid Texas School Counselor certificate as required by the State Board of Education Certification
• Two years teaching experience

Preferred:

• Five years' experience as a classroom teacher

SPECIAL KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS:

• Knowledge of counseling procedures, student appraisal, and child development
• Excellent organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills
• Ability to instruct students and manage their behavior

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES:

PROGRAM MANAGEMENT

• Coordinate with the Guidance and Counseling Director to meet district objectives.
• Proactively plan, implement, and evaluate a comprehensive program of guidance and counseling.
• Effectively and efficiently conduct campus needs assessment to identify targeted areas of guidance and counseling services.
• Maintain current and appropriate resources for all stakeholders.
• Use 80% of the time to provide direct services through the Guidance Curriculum, Individual Student Planning, Responsive Services, and the remaining 20% of time will be spent in program management, system support, and accountability.
• Use data to develop a robust and effective comprehensive guidance and counseling programs that meet student needs including but not limited to attendance, college and career readiness, personal graduation plans and character education.

PROGRAM DELIVERY
Guidance Curriculum

• Provide leadership and collaborate with educators in the school-wide implementation of the school guidance curriculum, including but not limited to, college-bound culture, Capturing Kids Hearts, CHAMPs, Discipline in Secondary Classrooms and No Place for Hate.
• Create and deliver strong classroom guidance curriculum or support teachers in conducting lessons based on the school's guidance curriculum.
• Implement prevention-oriented group activities that are developmentally appropriate to meet student needs and school goals.

Individual Student Planning

• Consistently assist individual or groups of students to develop academic, career, and personal/social skills, goals and plans; including but not limited to Personal Graduation Plans.
• Accurately and appropriately interpret and utilize student data to develop comprehensive programs that meet student needs.
• Consistently collaborate with parents/guardians and school staff to assist students in the exploration of academic, career, and post-secondary opportunities.
• Effectively advise, plan and guide students in the process of course selection and Career Pathways, including Endorsements.
• Maintain current and updated accurate student records at all times including but not limited to transcripts, Personal Graduation Plans, assessments, and Career Pathways.

Responsive Services

• Act with a sense of urgency in providing individual and group counseling to students who exhibit or have been identified with social and/or emotional needs.
• Consistently consult and collaborate effectively with parents/guardians, school staff, and other appropriately identified personnel regarding students who exhibit or have been identified with social and/or emotional needs.
• Successfully implement an effective referral and follow-up process for meeting the needs of students.
• Accurately and appropriately use assessment procedures for determining and structuring individual and group counseling services.

System Support

• Consistently provide support services and appropriate information to students, school staff, and parents/guardians including: referrals, counseling, assessment, and diagnostics.
• Actively assist students, school staff, parents/guardians, and other stakeholders in interpreting and understanding student data.
• Create a professional development plan of a minimum 50 hours to improve knowledge and skills, including but not limited to, GT, ethics, suicide prevention, child abuse and college and career readiness.
• Use available technology resources to enhance the school counseling program.
• Strictly adhere to, policies, procedures, laws and ethical standards of the school counseling profession.
• Perform all other appropriate guidance and counseling duties as assigned by the principal and district Guidance and Counseling Director.

Accountability

• Create and submit an annual campus-based Guidance and Counseling Program Action Plan at the beginning of the year that focus on the four major components of the Spring ISD Counseling Framework and includes student academic performance, behavior and attendance. Review with principal and collaboratively update at mid-year.
• In collaboration with the campus principal, conduct an end of year evaluation of the campus-based Guidance and Counseling Program Plan.
• Collect and analyze data to guide program direction and emphasis.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

The usual and customary methods of performing the job's functions require the following physical demands: physical mobility, standing, prolonged sitting, some lifting, carrying, pushing, and/or pulling. This position will also require both traveling within the district and state wide. Mental demands: Ability to solve problems and deal with a variety of situations; ability to interpret a variety of data; ability to interpret TEC and policy; ability to apply knowledge of current research and theory, ability to be effective in both oral and written communication; ability to maintain emotional control under stress.

The foregoing statements describe the general purpose and responsibilities assigned to this job and are not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and duties that may be assigned or skills that may be required.