District describes shift to alpha caseloads and expanded tiered counseling; Atwater cited as model

District counseling leaders told the board the Merced Union High School District has moved toward a multi-tiered, multi-domain counseling model and shifted from grade-level to alpha caseloads to preserve family continuity and expand preventive services.

Miss Johnson and her team said the structure has increased delivery of tier 1 lessons (universal counseling curriculum) and expanded tier 2 interventions such as small-group counseling and check-in systems. "This change is also driving equity," one counselor said, noting that students who previously lacked access to early supports are now identified and served sooner.

Counseling staff highlighted that documented Student Support Team (SST) meetings rose from 104 in the 2021–22 school year to roughly 1,750 this year, a metric staff called evidence of increased coordination and earlier interventions. The district also plans targeted professional development in tier 2 and tier 3 practices, improved data tracking in Panorama, and support for schools pursuing RAMP certification—a national benchmark for comprehensive school counseling programs.

Daniella Rodriguez, head counselor at Atwater High School, and other site staff described the operational challenges of shifting to alpha caseloads—particularly the need to relearn workflows and serve broader developmental ranges—but reported benefits including smaller caseloads per counselor and greater ability to deliver tier 1 instruction in classrooms.

The board thanked counseling staff for the presentation and asked follow-up questions about scaling and professional development timelines. Staff said next steps include training, improved documentation systems, and additional site-level leadership to support fidelity of implementation.