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Mission Statement (School Counseling)
The mission of the program is to prepare counselors who work in elementary, middle, and secondary schools and are educational leaders and self-reflective practitioners; serve as advocates for all students; understand and apply principles of group work in building school and community partnerships; and accept responsibility for improving educational practices through an active program of research and evaluation. The UGA model for school counselor preparation and practice is based on five program components: (1) counseling and coordination, (2) educational leadership, (3) advocacy, (4) team building and collaboration, and (5) use of assessment data. Three related strands are addressed across these components: (1) awareness, knowledge, and skills related to multiculturalism; (2) the use of technology to improve educational practice; and (3) the application of the ASCA National Standards and Model of the ASCA National Standards and Model.

Objectives (School Counseling)
Aligning with the Board of Regents’ Standards for the Preparation of School Counselors, the specific objectives of the program are to prepare professional school counselors who are prepared to:

• Increase students’ social/emotional development and career preparedness.
• Enhance students’ academic success.
• Advocate for school policies, programs and services that are equitable and responsive to cultural differences among students.
• Advocate for rigorous academic preparation of all students to close the achievement gaps among demographic groups.
• Coordinate a school to career transition plan for each student.
• Provide leadership in the development, implementation, evaluation, and revision of a comprehensive school counseling plan that contributes to school renewal by promoting increased academic success, career preparedness, and social/emotional development for all students.
• Use student outcome data to facilitate student academic success.
• Provide individual and group counseling and classroom guidance that promote academic success, social/emotional development, and career preparedness for all students.
• Collaborate with other professionals in the development of staff training, family support, and appropriate community initiatives that address student needs.
• Assess student needs and make appropriate referrals to school and/or community resources.
• Demonstrate mastery and application of the content knowledge in each of the following eight core areas of counseling recommended by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP): (1) Professional Identity and Orientation; (2) Social and Cultural Diversity; (3) Human Growth and Development; (4) Career Development; (5) Helping Relationships; (6) Group Work; (7) Assessment and Evaluation; and (8) Research and Program Evaluation.

Click on the links above (under MEd) for more information about the program.