Wake Forest University Department of Counseling

CNS760: Issues in School Counseling
Summer-1 2024


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Syllabus Contents


Course Faculty

Lead Faculty: Dr. Erin Binkley

Email: binkleee@wfu.edu


Course Description

This course is designed to allow students to investigate current issues related to the practice of school counseling (5.H). The emphasis will be on identifying appropriate prevention responses to these issues.


Course Objectives

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

  1. Conceptualize a systems approach to understanding risk factors. (CACREP 5.F.8)
  2. Recognize the characteristics, risk factors, and warning signs of students at risk for mental health and behavioral disorders. (CACREP 5.H.12)
  3. Critically examine the connections between social, familial, emotional, and behavior problems and academic achievement. (CACREP 5.H.11)
  4. Plan interventions to promote academic development. (CACREP 5.H.15)
  5. Select approaches to increase promotion and graduation rates. (CACREP 5.H.16)
  6. Identify legal and other considerations in supporting students involved with risky behaviors. (CACREP 5.H.6)
  7. Serve as leaders, advocates, and systems change agents in P-12 schools. (CACREP 3.E.6)
  8. Describe school counselor roles in school leadership and multidisciplinary teams. (CACREP 5.H.7)
  9. Describe school counselor roles in consultation with families, P-12 and post-secondary school personnel, and community agencies. (CACREP 5.H.10)
  10. Use techniques to foster collaboration and teamwork within schools. (CACREP 5.H.3)

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)

McWhirter, J.J., McWhirter, B.T., McWhirter, E. H., & McWhirter, A.C. (2016). At risk youth (6th ed.). Cengage. ISBN 978-1305670389

Optional Readings

Additional articles and websites can be found within the modules.

Additional Materials

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, instructors interact with students primarily through individual/triadic and group supervision sessions. Instructors 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.

Assignments

Assignment 1.1: Case of Analiese

Review the Case of Analiese. Once students have answered the questions, they will save their PDF and submit to the dropbox.

Assignment 2.1: Awareness and Prevention of Dating Violence

Using the materials in this module (text, articles and video) students will prepare a short summary of no more than 500 words outlining a presentation for training teachers and staff, addressing specific topics in their presentation.

Assignment 2.2: Case of Cody

Review the Case of Cody. Once students have answered the questions, they will then save as PDF and submit the assignment.

Assignment 3.1: Educational Structures

Students may select a school to evaluate in terms of school climate from a film or a television series. Students may select any film or television series. In no more than 250 words, describe/analyze the school in terms of school climate. Using the table of four components of school climate in the educational leadership article as a guide, make an entry about the school in each of the four main sections of the table.

Assignment 4.1: Cody Revisited

Students will first review the description of Cody’s case from Week 2, as well as the Concept of Self described in detail on p. 320-326 of the textbook. In no more than 250 words, student will identify three specific ways they might approach supporting Cody through individual school counseling. They will choose at least one strategy based on the textbook section on Optimism, and at least one strategy based on the section on cognitive restructuring.

Assignment 6.2: Choosing a Prevention Strategy

In no more than 150 words, based upon reading Chapter 8 of the textbook and reviewing the CDC website on teen pregnancy, students will describe one prevention strategy that they would support in the school counseling practice. The strategy could be something that they would develop and deliver, or it could be a collaborative strategy with a health educator or other school staff.

Final Project, Parts 1-5

See the Final Project Outline (HTML) for more detail.

Discussions

Discussion 1.1: Case of Timothy

In this discussion, students will identify three risk factors and three protective factors in his life. For each factor, they should identify the associated level from the ecological model.

Discussion 3.1: Case Reviews

In shit discussion, students will first read each of Dr. Carolyn Stone's case reviews, including the hypothetical case and the legal discussion provided. They will then either outline or narrative/paragraph form.

Discussion 4.1: Bullying and Bibliography

Students will go to Storyline Online and choose and listen to a book around which they might create a bullying prevention/intervention lesson for a classroom. Select the CC setting for closed captions, then post a brief description of the book including the plot and the characters and a classroom-based bullying prevention/intervention lesson. Students will then upload the discussion post for other students to review.

Discussion 5.1: Alternatives for the Case of Cody

Students will consult Chapter 14 in the textbook (Alternatives and Adjuncts to Family Counseling) and think about the Case of Cody. Of the eight provided alternatives listed, students will choose one to suggest to Cody and his family, providing rationale for their choice. Initial posts should be no more than 200 words.

Discussion 7.1: What Have You Learned?

Based on the reading, students will respond to each of the considerations provided, posting one thing they have learned regarding school counselor ethical/legal considerations and obligations.


Student Learning Outcomes/Key Performance Indicators

There is one signature assignment for this course, the Special Population Intervention Assignment that is to be submitted in Anthology Portfolio, an e-Portfolio, data storage, and data management program. The Special Population Intervention Assignment 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 the Special Population Intervention Assignment 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 Percentage
Assignments 760 85%
Discussions 140 15%
Total 900 100%

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 textbook, 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: At Risk–Meaning and Context (May 6 – May 12)

Week 1 Schedule
Lesson Readings Discussions Assignments Quizzes/Exams
Lesson 1: Conceptualizing Risk

Course Objectives: 1, 2, 3, 4, & 7

CACREP Standard(s): 5.F.8, 5.H.12, 5.H.11, 5.H.15, 5.H.6
McWhirter text:
  • Chapter 1, An Introduction to At-Risk Issues
Discussion 1.1: Case of Timothy (Initial Post Due Day 4, Reply Posts Due Day 7) Assignment 1.1: Case of Analiese (Due Day 7) None
Lesson 2: Poverty and Racism as Risk Factors

Course Objectives: 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 9, & 10

CACREP Standards: 5.F.8, 5.H.12, 5.H.11, 5.H.15, 5.H.6, 5.H.7, 5.H.10, 5.H.3
McWhirter text:
  • Chapter 2: Environmental/Societal Factors that Contribute to Risk
None None None

Week 2: Factors that Contribute to Risk (May 13 – May 19)

Week 2 Schedule
Lesson Readings Discussions Assignments Quizzes/Exams
Lesson 1: Family Risk Factors

Course Objectives: 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, & 10

CACREP Standards: 5.F.8, 5.H.12, 5.H.11, 5.H.16, 5.H.6, 5.H.10, 5.H.3
McWhirter text:
  • Chapter 3, Family Problems of At-Risk Children and Youth

Read the following articles:

  • Khubchandani, J., Price, J.H., Thompson, A., Dake, J.A. Wiblishauser, M., & Telljohann, S. K. (2012). Adolescent dating violence: a national assessment of school counselors’ perceptions and practices. Pediatrics, 130, 202–214. This article is available through Course Reserves located in your course menu.
  • Stader, D.L. (2011). Dating violence. The Clearing House, 84, 139–142. This article is available through Course Reserves located in your course menu.
None Assignment 2.1: Awareness and Prevention of Dating Violence (Due Day 7) None
Lesson 2: Mitigating Risk by Supporting Resilience

Course Objectives: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, & 8

CACREP Standards: 5.F.8, 5.H.12, 5.H.11, 5.H.15, 5.H.16, 3.E.6, 5.H.6, 5.H.7
McWhirter text:
  • Chapter 5, Individual Characteristics of High-Risk and Low-Risk Children and Youth
None Assignment 2.2: Case of Cody (Due Day 7) None

Week 3: Legal and Ethical Considerations (May 20 – May 26)

Week 3 Schedule
Lesson Readings Discussions Assignments Quizzes/Exams
Lesson 1: Legal and Ethical Considerations- Supporting Students Involved with Risky Behaviors

Course Objectives: 1, 2, 3, & 6

CACREP Standards: 5.F.8, 5.H.12, 5.H.11, 3.E.6

Read the following articles:
  • Kress, V.E.W., Drouhard, N. & Costin, A. (2006). Students who self-injure: School counselor ethical and legal considerations (PDF). Professional School Counselor, 10, 203–309.
  • Stone, C. (2016). Legal and Ethical Technology Imperatives. ASCA Schoolcounselor.
  • Stone, C. (2015). Rural, Suburban or Urban Settings: Ethical Behavior is Context Dependent. ASCA schoolcounselor.
Discussion 3.1: Case Reviews (Initial Post Due Day 4, Reply Posts Due Day 7) None None
Lesson 2: The School Environment

Course Objectives: 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, & 10

CACREP Standards: 5.F.8, 5.H.11, 5.H.15, 5.H.16, 5.H.6, 5.H.3

McWhirter text:
  • Chapter 4, School Issues that Relate to At-Risk Children and Youth

Read the following article:

None Assignment 3.1: Educational Structures (Due Day 7)

Assignment 3.2: Final Project - Part 1 (Due Day 7)
None

Week 4: Prevention and Intervention: Schools and Communities (May 27 – June 2)

Week 4 Schedule
Lesson Readings Discussions Assignments Quizzes/Exams
Lesson 1: Prevention, Intervention and Treatment: A Framework for Practice

Course Objectives: 1, 2, 3, 6, & 7

CACREP Standards: 5.F.8, 5.H.12, 5.H.11, 3.E.6, 5.H.6
McWhirter text:
  • Chapter 11, Prevention, Early Intervention, Treatment Framework, and Other Environmental Considerations
Discussion 4.1: Bullying and Bibliography (Initial Post Due Day 4, Reply Posts Due Day 7) None None
Lesson 2: Components of Prevention and Early Intervention - The 5 C’s

Course Objectives: 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5

CACREP Standards: 5.F.8, 5.H.12, 5.H.11, 5.H.15, 5.H.16
McWhirter text:
  • Chapter 12, Core Components of Programs for Prevention and Early Intervention
None Assignment 4.1: Cody Revisited (Due Day 7)

Assignment 4.2: Final Project - Part 2 (Due Day 7)
None

Week 5: Peer and Family-Based Interventions (June 3 – June 9)

Week 5 Schedule
Lesson Readings Discussions Assignments Quizzes/Exams
Lesson 1: Peer Interventions - Cooperative Learning

Course Objectives: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, & 10

CACREP Standards: 5.F.8, 5.H.12, 5.H.11, 5.H.15, 5.H.16
McWhirter text:
  • Chapter 13, Peer Interventions
None None None
Lesson 2: Working with Families

Course Objectives: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, & 9

CACREP Standards: 5.F.8, 5.H.12, 5.H.11, 5.H.15, 3.E.6, 5.H.6, 5.H.7, 5.H.10
McWhirter text:
  • Chapter 14, Family Interventions
Discussion 5.1: Alternatives for the Case of Cody (Initial Post Due Day 4, Reply Posts Due Day 7) Assignment 5.1: Final Project - Part 3 (Due Day 7) None

Week 6: School Dropout, Substance Abuse, and Risky Sexual Behaviors (June 10 – June 16)

Week 6 Schedule
Lesson Readings Discussions Assignments Quizzes/Exams
Lesson 1: Dropout Prevention

Course Objectives: 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5

CACREP Standards: 5.F.8, 5.H.12, 5.H.11, 5.H.15, 5.H.16
McWhirter text:
  • Chapter 6, School Dropout
None None None
Lesson 2: Substance Use

Course Objectives: 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, & 9

CACREP Standards: 5.F.8, 5.H.12, 5.H.11, 5.H.15, 5.H.16
McWhirter text:
  • Chapter 7, Substance Use and Addiction
None Assignment 6.1: Final Project - Part 4 (Due Day 7) None
Lesson 3: Risky Sexual Behaviors

Course Objectives: 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, & 9

CACREP Standards: 5.F.8, 5.H.12, 5.H.11, 3.E.6, 5.H.6, 5.H.7, 5.H.10
McWhirter text:
  • Chapter 8, Teenage Pregnancy, STIs, and Risky Sexual Behavior
None Assignment 6.2: Choosing a Prevention Strategy (Due Day 7) None

Week 7: Delinquency, Youth Violence, and Suicide (June 17 – June 23)

Week 7 Schedule
Lesson Readings Discussions Assignments Quizzes/Exams
Lesson 1: Delinquency and Youth Violence

Course Objectives: 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, & 9

CACREP Standards: 5.F.8, 5.H.12, 5.H.11, 3.E.6, 5.H.6, 5.H.10
McWhirter text:
  • Chapter 9, Juvenile Delinquency and Youth Violence

Read the following article:

  • Bernes, K., & Bardick, A. (2007). Conducting adolescent violence risk assessments: a framework for school counselors. Professional School Counselor, 10, 419–427. This article is available through Course Reserves located in your course menu.
None Assignment 7.1: Final Project - Part 5 (Due Day 7) None
Lesson 2: Youth Suicide

Course Objectives: 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, & 9

CACREP Standards: 5.F.8, 5.H.12, 5.H.11, 3.E.6, 5.H.6, 5.H.10
McWhirter text:
  • Chapter 10, Youth Suicide
Discussion 7.1: What Have You Learned? (Initial Post Due Day 4, Reply Posts Due Day 7) None None

For a list of image credits for this course, visit the CNS760 Credits Page.