fsca 2013-2014 advocacy platform and progress
TRANSCRIPT
-
7/28/2019 FSCA 2013-2014 Advocacy Platform and Progress
1/2
Advocacy Platform 2013-2014
Our goal: address the needs of all students, promote school counselor professional excellence, and
advocate for closing the achievement gap between groups of students.
FOR ALL STUDENTS
TOPIC: PROVIDE SUFFICIENT PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL COUNSELORS FOR EVERY FLORIDA
STUDENT, SCHOOL AND DISTRICT
ISSUE: Many Florida schools do not have a certified counselor or have an insufficient number ofcounselors to provide access to a quality school counseling program. Additionally, counselors are
assigned to non-school counseling related tasks which prevent them from fully implementing their
programs in compliance with the Floridas School Counseling and Guidance Framework and
national standards. Such programs include activities implemented and/or monitored by counselors
to promote best practices in academic development (readiness to learn, classroom and learning
skills, and achievement strategies); career development and planning (academic advising, school to
post-secondary or career transitions, and workforce effectiveness); Personal and Social
Development (ensuring appropriate social skills and self-management to perform adequately in the
classroom and school, as well as, facing challenges to school success including bullying, suicide,
addictions, and abuse); and, Community Involvement (providing service and connectedness toones class, school, community, state and nation).
POSITION: Florida must mandate, monitor, and fund sufficient certified professional schoolcounselors at a ratio of 1:250 per school (as recommended by the American School Counselor
Association, the American Counseling Association, the American Psychological Association, the
American Medical Association and other organizations). Research shows that schools with
sufficient counselors implementing comprehensive and appropriate student development
programs have improved student and school performance. This is especially true of low performing
and high drop-out rate schools. Floridas overall ratio has grown from 1:450 to 1:491 over the last
five years. Florida must also ensure that school counselor job descriptions and assignments are
consistent with their training/expertise.
PROGRESS
Through its legislative champions, FSCA has sponsored the Student Failure
Prevention Actwhich would mandate an overall district ratio of 1:350 and provide
boundaries for school counselor assignments to make the most effective use of
their highly specialized training and services. Companion legislation has been
filed in Floridas Senate and House in 2013 (SB 154 and HB 801).
-
7/28/2019 FSCA 2013-2014 Advocacy Platform and Progress
2/2
FOR PROFESSIONAL EXCELLENCE
TOPIC: PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL COUNSELING EXCELLENCE (PREPARATION, TRAINING,
REWARDS, RECOGNITION)
ISSUE: School Counselors must have parity in incentives and support for teaching/professionalexcellence, professional development, rewards and recognitions with other instructional personnel.
POSITION: Ensure that the most prepared school counselors are recruited and retained inFloridas schools.
Develop consistent accountability measures for school counseling/student developmentprograms that follow mandates that each district/school implement an approved program.
Align with school counselings national model (ASCA) and modernize Floridas concept of schoolcounseling by replacing the currenttitle, guidance counselor with School Counselor.
Support school counseling professional development with state funding for counselor andprogram recognition. Also, provide certification support for expertise in addictions, abuse,
sexuality, parent involvement, and violence prevention.
Require districts to conform job descriptions, tasks, and evaluations to ASCA school counselorcompetencies and CACREP professional preparation and standards.
Reward school counseling preparation programs that have CACREP designation by accepting itin lieu of DOE standards (similar to NCATE) for School Counselor Certification.
Support incentive programs for all instructional personnel who achieve National Boardcertification through the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS).
Require professionally trained/certified school counselors be staffed as career specialists, SAFEpositions, and other counseling-related positions to ensure highest quality services.
Recruit and retain the most qualified and experienced school counselors in Florida schools byensuring parity with other instructional personnel with salary increases, DROP, incentives, andappropriate merit pay.
PROGRESS
Working with its partners in ASCA, Floridas DOE, Floridas Legislature, CEES,
through the statewide FSCA annual recognition program and through its own
advocacy network, FSCA has engaged several of these issues in the Student Failure
Prevention Act, its annual convention, on-going professional development, and
targeted advocacy/legislative alerts, FSCA has kept counselors informed and lead
efforts to make sure that school counseling professionals have the support and
recognition that they earn every day with Floridas students.