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Counseling team outlines K–12 curriculum review to align ASCA, state and ACP standards
Summary
The district counseling team presented a year‑long K–12 curriculum review to align ASCA standards, state employability/social‑emotional standards and the district’s ACP/E4E plan, proposing essential standards by grade band and a consistent review cycle for ongoing updates.
The West Bend School District counseling team presented the committee on July 7 with a proposed K–12 counseling curriculum review that seeks to align American School Counselor Association (ASCA) standards, state employability and social‑emotional standards, and the district’s ACP/E4E career exploration plan.
A member of the counseling team said the work focused on three domains—academic, personal/social and career readiness—and that the goal is a comprehensive, data‑responsive program "to support and refine [students'] academic and personal and career readiness success." The team described a process to identify essential counseling standards across grade bands (K–5, 6–8, 9–12), strengthen collaboration with the ACP coordinator and establish a consistent review cycle so resources and instruction remain current.
Alyssa Beertzer, a school counselor, said counselors used professional development time to align around mission, vision and goals and to crosswalk standards across multiple frameworks. "I am excited for the upcoming year where we can continue to move through it," Beertzer said.
Sarah Kolpak, another counselor, summarized program strengths identified in the evaluation stage: a committed K–12 counseling team, a board‑approved K–4 curriculum, data‑responsive practices through intervention teams and positive feedback from a recent CISA program audit indicating counselors are valued by parents and staff.
The team also flagged needs: identifying essential overlapping standards among ACP, ASCA and the state employability/social‑emotional expectations; ensuring K–12 alignment; and determining where counselor‑led versus teacher‑led instruction is most effective. The counselors noted level‑specific work: K–5 (now K–5 after reconfiguration) will revisit recently approved elementary curriculum to incorporate fifth grade; 6–8 will review social‑emotional resources; and 9–12 will focus on experiences that integrate counselors into ACP delivery.
Administrators asked for committee feedback and the counselors invited questions and suggestions. The team plans to continue the review cycle, bring refined standards and resources back to the committee, and integrate the counseling work with the district’s E4E/ACP efforts.
