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District outlines K–12 counseling program, expands elementary services and counselor initiatives
Summary
The district's director of guidance presented the K–12 counseling program, describing three pillars (social-emotional, academic, and college/career), staffing levels across buildings, new advisory council work and initiatives such as counselor college trips and a districtwide college fair.
District Director of Guidance Dr. Geralyn Smith presented the district's K–12 school counseling program and identified the program's three components: social-emotional support, academic advising, and college and career readiness.
Dr. Smith told trustees that New York State regulation 100.2(j) (updated in February 2019) expanded counseling requirements so that all students K–12 must have access to a certified school counselor; the change prompted the district to implement elementary counseling services. Dr. Smith said the counseling program includes direct services (classroom lessons, individual and group counseling) and indirect services (consultation with teachers, families, and referrals to outside agencies).
Dr. Smith described the counseling staff composition: 11 high-school counselors (four at Clark High School and seven at East Meadow High School), nine middle-school counselors (three at Clark Middle School and six at Woodland), and one elementary counselor currently serving five elementary buildings. She described grade-level curricula (early grades focus on emotions and coping; upper elementary emphasizes conflict resolution and career awareness) and the use of Naviance as the district's college-and-career planning tool.
Dr. Smith and building counselors described two district initiatives: counselor college trips (where counselors visit college campuses to better inform students) and a districtwide college fair that combines both high schools and typically draws many colleges and several hundred students and family members. Trustees asked about counselor caseloads, hiring qualifications and confidentiality; Dr. Smith said the elementary role emphasizes classroom instruction and teaching experience, middle- and high-school roles emphasize rapport-building and scheduling/advising expertise, and counselors maintain confidentiality except when a student indicates imminent harm.
The board received the presentation as informational; trustees and staff discussed staffing needs at the elementary level and the value of counselor continuity across middle and high school grade spans.
