Wake Forest University Department of Counseling

CNS 749: School Guidance and Counseling
Fall-1 2024


To save this syllabus, right click and select Print. You may print or save the syllabus as a PDF.

Syllabus Contents

Course Faculty

Lead Faculty: Dr. Tammy Cashwell

Email: cashweth@wfu.edu

Course Description

This course is designed to introduce students to the philosophy of a comprehensive, developmental K–12 school-counseling program and to the ASCA national model for school counseling programs. Students will be expected to demonstrate the professional knowledge, skills, and practices necessary to promote the academic, career, and personal/social development of all K–12 students. The emphasis will be on school counseling programs as critical components of the education enterprise, the planning and management of such a program, and the skills of school counselors.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

  1. Discuss the foundations of school counseling including the history and development of the profession, models of school counseling programs, and legislation and government policy relevant to school counseling. (CACREP 5.H.1, 6, 8, 19)
  2. Identify legal and ethical considerations specific to school counselors. (CACREP 5.H.9, 10, 12, 14)
  3. Understand school counselor roles as leaders, advocates, and systems change agents in P-12 schools. (CACREP 5.H.6-8)
  4. Create school counseling program mission statements and objectives. (CACREP 5.H.4)
  5. Discuss models of P-12 comprehensive career development and developmentally appropriate career counseling interventions and assessments. (CACREP 5.H.2)
  6. Create a plan using school-based data for the design, implementation, management and evaluation of a school counseling program. (CACREP 5.H.5, 11-13, 15)
  7. Address and advocate for equity in student achievement and college access. (CACREP 5.H.19)
  8. Design a school counseling core curriculum, lesson plans, and classroom management strategies. (CACREP 5.H.5)
  9. Identify qualities, principles, skills, and styles of effective leadership in schools and discuss competencies to advocate for school counseling roles. (CACREP 5.H.6-8)
  10. Demonstrate an awareness of assessments specific to P-12 education. (CACREP 5.H.12)
  11. Describe school counselor roles and responsibilities in relation to crisis. (CACREP 5.H.12-15)
  12. Design, implement, manage, and evaluate transition programs, including college and career readiness and access. (CACREP 5.H.17-19)
  13. Explain the ways in which student development, well-being, and learning are enhanced by family-school-community collaboration and build effective working teams of school staff, parents, and community members to advocate for the academic, career, and personal/social development of students. (CACREP 5.H.10, 11)
  14. Identify models of school-based collaboration and consultation. (CACREP 5.H.3)
  15. Use data to advocate for programs and students. (CACREP 5.H.5-8)

Course Materials

Course materials refer only to the textbook(s), Course Reserves, WFU library readings, or scholarly articles. Refer to the course for all other instructional content (websites, lectures, videos, interactive activities, etc.)

Required Text(s)

Additional Material

Webcam

Live Sessions

Students will find the day and time in the course:

Live Sessions are not mandatory, but student attendance is encouraged.

Methods of Instruction

Instructional methods in this course include lectures, discussions, case studies, experiential activities related to course content, and other interactive activities.

Instructor Interactions

Apart from clinical courses, WFU online courses are primarily asynchronous in nature, meaning students and instructors can engage with the learning materials at different times. There are a few notable exceptions, however, such as live sessions, office hours, and triad work (skills courses). For the asynchronous portions of our courses, students interact with instructors through virtual discussion boards, weekly video and/or written announcements, email communications, and formative and summative feedback on assignments. For the synchronous portions of our courses, students interact with lead instructors in weekly, recorded live sessions, and with practitioner instructors in office hours. Regarding live sessions, lead instructors meet virtually with students one hour per week in which they present on a topic related to the learning material for the week, as well as answer questions that students have about the course material or assignments. In office hours, practitioner instructors answer students’ questions about course content and assignments. They also, at times, present on topics related to that week’s lessons.

In clinical courses, university supervisors interact with students primarily through individual/triadic and group supervision sessions. University supervisors also monitor students’ time logs, review required practicum and internship documents, evaluate their counseling session recordings and writeups, and submit midterm and final evaluations related to students’ counseling skills development, as well as their professional dispositions and behaviors development.

Assessments

This section provides an overview of the items due during this course. See the Course Schedule for additional details.

Discussions

Discussions serve as the main vehicle for communication between students in the class. Using the forums, information will be shared, concepts will be discussed, and opinions expressed.

Assignments

These are the assignments that will be completed and submitted throughout the duration of the course.

Assignment 1.1: Policy and Equity (CACREP 5.H.6, 11, 15, 16, 19) *Program Evaluation/Anthology Portfolio

For this assignment, students will identify 2 school district policies/legislation that might impede equity for all. Then they will list the policies and explain why they might impede equity.

Assignment 1.2: List Staff Development: Organizational Cultural Competence (CACREP 5.H.5, 11, 13, 15, 19) *Program Evaluation/Anthology Portfolio

For this assignment, students will list three main components that they would include in a staff development training to help school professionals understand the concept of organizational cultural competence.

Assignment 2.1: Mission Statement (CACREP 5.H.4) *Signature Assignment/Anthology Portfolio

For this assignment, students will use information from their Practicum or Internship site to create a school counseling mission statement.

Assignment 2.2: Large Group Lesson Plan (CACREP 5.H.5, 10, 11, 13-18) *Signature Assignment/Anthology Portfolio

For this assignment, students will create a Large Group Lesson Plan using a provided template. Students will use the age group that they are currently working with at their Practicum or Internship site and pick a topic that they would use at their site.

Assignment 2.3: Core Curriculum (CACREP 5.H.2, 5, 11, 13-19)

For this assignment, students will explore websites that sell pre-packaged core curriculum. Students will choose one curriculum, list its title and provide a brief description of the curriculum and the website where it can be found.

Assignment 3.1: Behavioral Intervention Plan (CACREP 5.H.3, 5, 9-18) *Program Evaluation/Anthology Portfolio

For this assignment, students will describe the steps students would take in completing a behavioral intervention plan for a student.

Assignment 3.2: 5-Minute Meeting Template for Middle School (CACREP 5.H.11, 12, 13)

For this assignment, students will create a 5-minute meeting template for middle school students based on provided templates for meetings with elementary and high school students.

Assignment 4.1: Explanation of Confidentiality (CACREP 5.H.6, 8-10, 12)

For this assignment, students will pick a developmental level of student that they might work with and explain confidentiality and its limits.

Assignment 4.2: Small Group Plan (CACREP 5.H.5, 8, 11, 12, 14-19)

For this assignment, student may use the small group assignment that they completed for CNS 742: Group Procedures in Counseling to complete the Classroom & Group Mindsets & Behaviors Action plan Template in reference to that group plan.

Assignment 5.1: Post-Secondary Resources (CACREP 5.H.17-19)

For this assignment, students will find and list websites for a few provided categories that will assist them in talking to students about post-secondary opportunities.

Assignment 5.2: Advocating for the Role of School Counselors (CACREP 5.H.6-8) *Program Evaluation/Anthology Portfolio

For this assignment, students will present the importance of what they do as a school counselor to their school district that is voting on whether school counselors should be mandatory or not.

Assignment 6.1: Use of Technology (CACREP 5.H.1-19)

For this assignment, students will list 2 components of Direct and/or Indirect Student Services that may be supported by technology and how the technology would be used.

Assignment 6.2: School Data Summary (CACREP 5.H.4-6, 8-19) *Signature Assignment/Anthology Portfolio

For this assignment, students will complete the School Data Summary Template using information from their Practicum or Internship site.

Assignment 6.3: Types of Assessments (Assignment 6.3: Types of Assessments (CACREP 5.H.5, 10-12) *Signature Assignment/Anthology Portfolio)

For this assignment, students will identify what types of assessments they will use to identify the use of time, student needs based on grades, attendance, and discipline as well as stakeholder feedback. Students will also identify who would provide the data and when they would collect it.

Assignment 7.1: Staff Development Topics (CACREP 5.H.3, 5-10, 13-17)

For this assignment, students will compile a list of 5 possible staff development topics relevant to their current Practicum or Internship placement.

Assignment 7.2: Staff Development Outline (CACREP 5.H.3, 5-10, 13-17)

For this assignment, students will choose 1 topic from their list in assignment 7.1 and complete an outline of a presentation for staff/faculty development.

Assignment 7.3: Ethical Decision-Making Model (CACREP 5.H.9-14)

For this assignment, students will review a case study and describe the course of action they would take with a student's situation using the Ethical Decision Making model.

Student Learning Outcomes / Key Performance Indicators

There are 8 assignments (4 signature assignments and 4 program evaluation assignments) that are to be submitted in Anthology Portfolio, an e-Portfolio, data storage, and data management program. The signature assignments are the Mission Statement, the Large Group Lesson, the School Data Summary, and Types of Assessments. The program evaluation assignments are the Organizational Cultural Competency Staff Development, the Policy and Equity, the Behavioral Intervention Plan, and the Advocating for the Role of the School Counselor. These assignments will be used for course grade calculations (using the grading rubric), program evaluation reporting, and student learning outcomes (SLO) / key performance indicator (KPI) monitoring. For program evaluation reporting and SLO/KPI monitoring, we use a CACREP rubric that measures student learning on a scale from 1 (harmful) to 5 (exceeds expectations). The student learning outcome on which you will be evaluated for these signature assignments is IX.a: Students demonstrate knowledge and skills associated with designing, delivering, and evaluating school counseling programs that integrate and support the school’s overall mission.

Based on the 2024 CACREP standards (2.E.1.a., 2.C.1.a.), our counseling program is required to report aggregated SLO/KPI ratings, as well as monitor individual student SLO/KPI progress. The expectation is that students, on average and individually, will receive average CACREP rubric ratings of 4 (meets expectations) on each SLO/KPI measure. Student ratings on SLO/KPI measures that fall below a 3 (near expectations) may result in remediation.

Late Work

Students are encouraged to make the same effort to submit all assignments on time that they would use in the workplace. It is, however, understood that sometimes circumstances arise that are beyond our control. To request an extension, students should contact their Lead Faculty as soon as a problem is identified to provide details and determine a realistic deadline. Assignments submitted late without prior approval will not be eligible for full credit.

Unless arrangements have been made, students who submit late assignments will receive a 10% grade deduction for each day beyond the due date.

Grading Policies

This table details the grade points and/or percentages of each assignment.

Grading
Assignment Points Possible
Discussions 90
Assignments 450
Total 540

Grading Scale

This table lists the letter grade corresponding to ranges of points.

Final grading is at the discretion of the faculty.

Grading Scale
Letter Grade Percentage
A 93–100
A− 90–92
B+ 87–89
B 83–86
B− 80–82
C+ 77–79
C 70–76
F 0–69

Academic Policies

Every student is required to practice and adhere to the principle of academic integrity while undertaking studies with Wake Forest University. Maintaining academic integrity is considered an essential academic standard of every graduate course and program. The University does not tolerate academic dishonesty.

The graduate faculty at Wake Forest has adopted a formal honor code to provide guidance for student conduct with respect to academic pursuits. Read the Graduate Student Academic Honor Code (PDF).

Academic dishonesty may be an academic issue or a disciplinary issue, or both, depending on its pervasiveness and/or severity. Any student engaged in academic dishonesty may face reprimand, disciplinary warning, a lowered or failing grade(s), and/or probation or suspension from the course, academic program, or University; or expulsion from the University.

The list that follows includes examples, although not all-inclusive, of academic dishonesty:

For the complete academic honesty policy and tips to avoid plagiarism, as well as further information on all academic policies, including the policies for adding and dropping a course, requesting a grade of incomplete, academic probation, termination of enrollment, reinstatement, and student and faculty expectations, see the Wake Forest University Student Handbook.

Synchronous Class Recording Notice

In accordance with Wake Forest University’s policy regarding class recordings, be mindful of this information:

Academic Engagement and Monitoring

It is very important that students actively engage in class discussions, and that students communicate in a timely manner with their instructors if unforeseen circumstances negatively affect their academic engagement. WFU monitors student academic engagement through student activity in the course, much of which can be monitored automatically in Canvas (e.g., logging into the course in Canvas, participating in discussion boards, submitting assignments, reviewing learning materials in the modules); attending live sessions, office hours, and individual/triadic/group supervision sessions; and communicating by phone or email with instructors. If an entire week passes without a student submission of an assignment and/or no contact is made with instructors, the following will occur:

Technical Requirements

Identify the minimum device configuration requirements for this institution.

Help Desk Support

Assistance to resolve technical problems is available 24/7, 365 days a year.

Students can access the Help Desk at: Wake Forest Help Desk.

Help Desk services are restricted primarily to problems associated with the functionality of the course delivery platform. Responsibilities include:

Sometimes students may not be sure whether a problem they are having is caused by their computer system or the online learning management system. The Help Desk will help students figure out where the problem lies and attempt to resolve issues immediately. However, some highly advanced hardware issues may require additional assistance. If this is the case, the Help Desk may suggest seeking assistance from a local computer repair establishment.

Canvas Support

Call a Canvas Expert: 833.383.5792

For Canvas technical support, select the Help icon in the navigation bar, where students will find several options including:

When submitting a ticket, be as specific as possible in the description of the issue. Include the name of the course and the date the issue occurred, the browser being used and, if possible, screenshots to help Canvas support personnel troubleshoot the issue and expedite service.

Note: Lead Faculty and PIs do not provide Canvas support.

AskDeac Help Desk

AskDeac services include most technology issues outside of the scope of course delivery. Common requests include assistance setting up a VPN, setting up a WFU Zoom account, using Google Drive, and resetting WFU email passwords.

Assistance to resolve technical issues is available through Email or Live Chat from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday. Phone support is available from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday.

Access AskDeac at: AskDeac.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Wake Forest University is committed to supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion. The Office of Diversity and Inclusion provides campus resources such as the Intercultural Center, LGBTQ Center, Women’s Center, and more. Locate these on the webpage under Affinity & Support.

To learn more about WFU’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion read the Non-Discrimination Statement and policy on Non-Discrimination on the Basis of Disability.

Pro Humanitate - As a part of the Wake Forest community, the faculty and staff of the Department of Counseling fully embrace the concept of Pro Humanitate. In each of our classes (graduate, undergraduate, face-to-face and virtual), we strive to affirm every person and every identity including but not limited to gender identity, affectional orientation, language, national origin, color, race, disability, sex, religion, creed, and ancestry. We embrace the development of critical thinkers that consistently aspire to become culturally responsive and encourage you to challenge your own biases while developing the necessary skills to enter your chosen profession. Further, the faculty and staff will promote the Realizing Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (R.I.D.E.) framework in our teaching, research, supervision and advising. We hope that you will join us along this journey, with a commitment to advocacy and social justice in both your personal and professional lives. Pro Humanitate, to better the lives of all humans!

Accessibility and Special Accommodations

Wake Forest strives to provide equal access for all learners. Learning content contained within the Canvas Learning Management System is designed to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. Throughout our course development process, we test the capabilities of our learning content against these standards.

Wake Forest University recognizes its responsibility for creating an institutional climate in which students with differing needs and abilities can thrive.

Along with the mission of the Division of Student Life, Disability Services exists to enable students with disabilities to experience equal access to the academic, social, and recreational activities and programs at Wake Forest University. To achieve this goal, the Center for Learning, Access, and Student Success (CLASS) is available to offer academic support for all Wake Forest Students. CLASS staff works with students, faculty, and staff to implement services and accommodations that are in accordance with both state and federal laws and our own commitment to this goal.

If a student has a disability that may require an accommodation for taking this course, use the Student Portal Login located on the Center for Learning, Access, and Student Success (CLASS) website. Alternatively, contact the Center for Learning, Access, and Student Success at the contact information provided.

Contact Information:

118 Reynolda Hall, WFU
Winston-Salem, NC, 27109
Phone: 336-758-5929
Email: class@wfu.edu

Emergency Contingency Plan

Disaster Planning/Catastrophic Event Policy: In the event the University calendar is disrupted by disaster or catastrophic event, please continue with the assigned lessons and adhere to the due dates of assignments and discussions. The instructor will be available by email or by phone, unless the internet or phone is inaccessible.

Course Schedule

The course week runs from Monday (Day 1) to Sunday (Day 7). Due dates for assignments and discussions are stated in day numbers. Unless otherwise noted, all assessments are due by 11:59 p.m. E.T. on the designated day.

There will be Live Sessions and Office Hours each week unless otherwise communicated. Students will find the day and time in the course:

Please Note: Readings refer only to the textbook(s), Course Reserves, WFU library readings, or scholarly articles. Refer to the course for all other instructional content (websites, lectures, videos, interactive activities, etc.)

Week 1: School Counseling History & Cultural Competence (August 26 – September 1)

Week 1 Schedule
Lesson Readings Discussions Assignments Quizzes/Exams
Lesson 1: History of School Counseling

CACREP Standards: 5.H.1-6		 None Discussion 1.1: Predicting the Future of School Counseling (Initial Post Due Day 4, Reply Posts Due Day 7) None None
Lesson 2: Cultural Competence

CACREP Standards: 5.H.5, 6, 11, 13, 15, 16, 19		 Read the following in the Wines & Nelson textbook:
  • Chapter 1, How Culturally Competent Is Your School?
 None Assignment 1.1: Policy and Equity (Due Day 7)

Assignment 1.2: List Staff Development: Organizational Cultural Competence (Due Day 7)		 None

Week 2: The ASCA National Model & Direct Counseling Services (September 2 – September 8)

Week 2 Schedule
Lesson Readings Discussions Assignments Quizzes/Exams
Lesson 1: Overview of the ASCA National Model

CACREP Standards: 5.H.1-19		 Read ASCA National Model: A Framework for School Counseling Programs, 4th ed. Discussion 2.1: Instructors or Counselors – How Do We Identify (Initial Post Due Day 4, Reply Posts Due Day 7)

Discussion 2.2: Incorporating Counseling into Achievement, Attendance and Discipline (Initial Post Due Day 4, Reply Posts Due Day 7)		 Assignment 2.1: Mission Statement (Due Day 7) None
Lesson 2: Implementing the School Counseling Core Curriculum

CACREP Standards: 5.H.2, 5, 10, 11, 13-19		 Read the following in the Wines & Nelson textbook:
  • Chapter 2, Implementing the School Counseling Core Curriculum
 None Assignment 2.2: Large Group Lesson Plan (Due Day 7)

Assignment 2.3: Core Curriculum (Due Day 7)		 None

Week 3: Direct Counseling Services (September 9 – September 15)

Week 3 Schedule
Lesson Readings Discussions Assignments Quizzes/Exams
Lesson 1: Individual Student Planning

CACREP Standards: 5.H.3, 5, 10-18

 Read the following in the Wines & Nelson textbook:
  • Chapter 3, Individual Student Planning
 None Assignment 3.1: Behavioral Intervention Plan (Due Day 7)

Assignment 3.2: 5-Minute Meeting Template for Middle School (Due Day 7)		 None
Lesson 2: Responsive Services

CACREP Standards: 5.H.3, 6, 9, 10, 14

 Read the following in the Wines & Nelson textbook:
  • Chapter 4, Responsive Services
 Discussion 3.1: The Aftermath of a Crisis (Initial Post Due Day 4, Reply Posts Due Day 7) None None

Week 4: Counseling Skills (September 16 – September 22)

Week 4 Schedule
Lesson Readings Discussions Assignments Quizzes/Exams
Lesson 1: Individual Counseling

CACREP Standards: 5.H.6, 8, 9, 10, 12		 Read the following in the Wines & Nelson textbook:
  • Chapter 5, Individual Counseling Sessions
 None Assignment 4.1: Explanation of Confidentiality (Due Day 7) None
Lesson 2: Group Counseling

CACREP Standards: 5.H.5, 8, 11, 12, 14-19		 Read the following in the Wines & Nelson textbook:
  • Chapter 6, Group Counseling
 Discussion 4.1: Finding Time for Small Groups (Initial Post Due Day 4, Reply Posts Due Day 7) Assignment 4.2: Small Group Plan (Due Day 7) None
Lesson 3: Collaboration & Consultation

CACREP Standards: 5.H.3, 10		 Read the following in the Wines & Nelson textbook:
  • Chapter 7, Collaboration and Consultation
 Discussion 4.2: Balancing Student and Teacher Challenges (Initial Post Due Day 4, Reply Posts Due Day 7) None None

Week 5: Programming Part I (September 23 – September 29)

Week 5 Schedule
Lesson Readings Discussions Assignments Quizzes/Exams
Lesson 1: Careers—Post-Secondary Opportunities

CACREP Standards: 5.H.17-19		 Read the following in the Wines & Nelson textbook:
  • Chapter 8, Post-Secondary Opportunities
 None Assignment 5.1: Post-Secondary Resources (Due Day 7) None
Lesson 2: Advocating for Appropriate Roles

CACREP Standards: 5.H.6-8		 Read the following in the Wines & Nelson textbook:
  • Chapter 9, Advocating for Appropriate Roles
 Discussion 5.1: Advocating for Your Role with Teachers (Initial Post Due Day 4, Reply Posts Due Day 7) Assignment 5.2: Advocating for the Role of School Counselors (Due Day 7) None

Week 6: Programming Part II (September 30 – October 6)

Week 6 Schedule
Lesson Readings Discussions Assignments Quizzes/Exams
Lesson 1: Technological Application and Appropriate Uses

CACREP Standards: 5.H.1-19		 Read the following in the Wines & Nelson textbook:
  • Chapter 10, Technological Application and Appropriate Uses
 None Assignment 6.1: Use of Technology (Due Day 7) None
Lesson 2: Data and Assessment in School Counseling

CACREP Standards: 5.H.4-6, 8-19		 Read the following in the Wines & Nelson textbook:
  • Chapter 11, Data and Assessment in School Counseling
 Discussion 6.1: Beyond Data to Action (Initial Post Due Day 4, Reply Posts Due Day 7) Assignment 6.2: School Data Summary (Due Day 7)

Assignment 6.3: Types of Assessments (Due Day 7)		 None

Week 7: Leadership, Professional Ethics & Supervision (October 7 – October 13)

Week 7 Schedule
Lesson Readings Discussions Assignments Quizzes/Exams
Lesson 1: School Counselor Leadership

CACREP Standards: 5.H.3, 5-10,13-17		 Read the following in the Wines & Nelson textbook:
  • Chapter 12, School Counselor Leadership
 None Assignment 7.1: Staff Development Topics (Due Day 7)

Assignment 7.2: Staff Development Outline (Due Day 7)		 None
Lesson 2: Professional Issues in School Counseling

CACREP Standards: 5.H.9-14		 Read the following in the Wines & Nelson textbook:
  • Chapter 13, Professional Issues in School Counseling
 Discussion 7.1: What Do You Do When You’re Assigned Inappropriate Tasks? (Initial Post Due Day 4, Reply Posts Due Day 7) Assignment 7.3: Ethical Decision-Making Model (Due Day 7) None

For a list of image credits for this course, visit the CNS749 Credits Page.