Administrative Procedure: Guidance Counsellor Evaluation
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EFFECTIVE DATE:
January 11, 2006
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ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE CODE:
2.A.25
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AMENDED DATE:
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Policy Reference
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Legal Reference
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Border Land School Division has evaluation policy to addresses the need for continued professional growth of all staff in relation to life-long learning and the divisional expectation for accountability. The Board also recognizes that supervision and teacher self-reflection are key components in an effective evaluation policy.
Guidance counsellors provide service and support to students and teachers within the context of positive relationship to build and nurture safe and inclusive learning environments. The purpose of this process is to set up a year (or so) long time in which the principal (or vice principal) and guidance counsellor engage in an ongoing conversation about the guidance counsellor’s work in the school. There is a formative part to the process and a summative evaluation and report at the end.
The guidance counsellor evaluation tool has been created based on criteria from the Manitoba Education Guidance Sourcebook.
The evaluation tool and process follows.
Steps and Time Guidelines
- Initial Interview with Principal and/or VP and Guidance (happens sometime in Sept.-Oct.) –
a. Identify % FTE in guidance: _______________
b. Identify the number of years as a guidance counsellor: _________________
c. Estimate together main areas of needs re: guidance in the school
______ % guidance education,
______ % counseling,
______% prevention
d. Describe briefly how guidance needs in the school are identified:
________________________________________________________________________
e. Review the evaluation criteria and indicators (attached) together to develop a common understanding (use MB Ed. Guidance Sourcebook as a reference, where needed).
- Guidance counselor uses the Guidance Counsellor Evaluation Criteria and Indicators and the Performance Level guidelines to self-evaluate his/her current level of performance. (Oct. – mid Nov.)
- Meeting #2 – mid November
a. Share self-evaluation with evaluator
b. Evaluator responds to self-evaluation, with questions about reasons/evidence for the guidance counselor’s self-evaluation.
c. Evaluator and guidance counselor together identify and agree on next steps re: continuation and growth (focus on 1-2 areas based on guidance counselor’s time, current performance, student and school wide needs. Also possibly identify what the guidance counselor will stop doing).
- Guidance counselors implements next steps (as well as guide programming already underway) (Dec.-March)
- Summative Evaluation (April-May)
- Counselor – self-evaluate again
- Principal or Vice Principal – using the performance scale, provide a scale score for the 3 criteria in the Program Area and a scale score for the 4 criteria in the Structural Area.Add comments about the counselor’s performance in each area (program and structural), as well as a summative comment at the end.
- Principal or vice principal and guidance counselor meet to discuss the evaluation and comments. Guidance counselor may respond to evaluation and comments and add comments.
- Signatures and dates – Principal signs the document; Guidance Counsellor signs the document indicating s/he had read it.
- The principal submits the final summative copy to the superintendent for her/his perusal, provides the counsellor with a copy, and then the original is placed in the guidance counsellor’s personnel file in the Division Office.
Guidance Counsellor Evaluation Criteria and Indicators
Name: _______________________________________ Date: __________________________________
☐ Self-Evaluation Date: _________________________________
☐ Principal Evaluation Date: _________________________________
Guidance Counsellors provide service and support to students and teachers within the context of positive relationships to build and nurture safe and inclusive learning environments.
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Criteria
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Indicators
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Performance Level (4,3,2,1)
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Program Area:
This primary focus of the guidance counsellor’s work includes all activities with student contact: Counselling, Prevention, and Guidance Education.
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Counselling – The counsellor provides therapeutic, healing processes that address needs.
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- Offers effective counselling to students both individually and in small groups
- Offers a range of counselling supports on a continuum of need from crisis to career counselling
- Uses a variety of counselling techniques and tools to support students (cognitive-behavioural, reality therapy, solutions-focused counselling, play therapy)
- Refers students who need additional or counselling beyond the scope of his/her training or skill
- Ensures informed consent of students and/or parents
- Maintains appropriate confidentiality and shares information appropriately
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Prevention – The counsellor develops and provides responsive processes that combine instruction, and counselling to avert, minimize, or address potential areas of risk.
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- Primary prevention – provides or supports whole class instruction focused on prevention (personal safety, violence prevention, bullying awareness, substance use); post-secondary preparation (educational portfolio planning, scholarships, career planning); social skill development (friendship skills, dating relationships, conflict management); and self-knowledge (self-management, anxiety, depression, mental wellness)
- Secondary prevention –plays a complex and multi-layered role of intervener and/or intermediary. Includes: early intervention, individual counselling, referral agent, interim support while awaiting a referral, advocacy, mediator. Works as part of a team.
- Tertiary prevention –provides essential services to students in need (counselling, crisis intervention, consultation with staff, consultation with parents). Works as part of a team, in the development and delivery of 24/7 interagency supports for students.
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Guidance Education – The counsellor provides information and instruction to increase students’ awareness, skills, and knowledge.
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- Supports and sometimes provides integrated, classroom based instruction and assessment of personal/social, educational, and career development student learning outcomes (pp. 57-61, MB Sourcebook for School Guidance and Counselling Services)
- Collaborates with classroom teachers to integrate personal/social, educational, and career development student learning outcomes into other curricula
- Provides educational materials, career resources, and information on graduation requirements (in Senior Years)
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Comments:
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Structural Area:
This secondary focus of the guidance counsellor’s work includes all activities without student contact: Coordination (planning, consulting, referring, revising, and advocating to address school needs)
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Professional Learning – The counsellor continuously engages in learning to build an effective guidance program and provides learning experiences for staff.
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- Keeps current on issues and effective practices in addressing the personal/social, educational, and career development needs of students through ongoing professional learning
- Develops and delivers professional learning to colleagues to support them in delivering programming to meet personal/social, educational, career development or crisis needs of students
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Consultation and Collaboration – The counsellor communicates effectively to infuse guidance and counselling services into the daily events of the school and to support student-centered team planning.
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- Works closely and communicates openly to share information, support and provide resources, and coordinate direct or team teaching with teachers
- Communicates openly with staff to coordinate guidance programming with other school and community programs
- Supports and sometimes leads student-centered team planning and monitoring of student’s progress
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Program Management – The counsellor develops, acts on, and communicates a school-wide plan based on student and school needs.
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- Together with colleagues, develops and delivers programs based on data collection and analysis of school and student needs
- Conducts a needs assessment periodically to plan for guidance services and programs that specifically meet the needs of the school
- Allocates resources (human, financial, divisional, time availability) based on needs
- Maintains a budget
- Develops a calendar of guidance programs and activities that is coordinated with other school-based activities
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Time and Caseload Management – The counsellor organizes and manages time to maximize the effectiveness of the guidance programming.
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- Maintains a calendar of activities to provide structure and coherence to guidance and counselling services
- Develops some daily or weekly structures and times to achieve a balanced comprehensive, developmental guidance program
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Comments:
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Guidance Counsellors provide service and support to students and teachers within the context of positive relationships to build and nurture safe and inclusive learning environments.
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Performance Scale
Levels of Performance: (4) Distinguished (3) Proficient (2) Basic (1) Unsatisfactory
(4) Distinguished – Counsellors at this level are masters at what they do, and make a contribution to the field of guidance counselling both in and out of their school. The counselling and guidance education they provide is qualitatively different, with students and staff flourishing, and acting with a high level of independence and responsibility for themselves and the learning community.
(3) Proficient – The counsellor clearly understands the concepts underlying the criteria and implements the guidance program well. Most experienced, capable counsellors will regard themselves and be regarded by others as performing at this level.
(2) Basic – The counsellor seems to understand the concepts underlying the criteria and tries to implement it. But the implementation is sporadic, intermittent, or otherwise not entirely successful. Additional reading, discussion, visiting guidance programs in other schools, and experience (particularly supported by a mentor or coach) will enable the teacher to become proficient.
(1) Unsatisfactory – The counsellor does not yet appear to understand the concepts underlying the criteria. Working on the fundamental practices associated with the criteria will support the counsellor’s growth and development.
The performance levels match the rubric used to evaluate Border Land School Division teachers. They come from Enhancing Professional Practice by Charlotte Danielson. (1996). Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD).
FINAL COMMENTS (Principal):
Principal’s Signature: ___________________________________________ Date: ____________________
Guidance Counsellor’s Final Comments:
Guidance Counsellor’s Signature: __________________________________ Date: _____________________