What do School Counselors really do?

  • What Do School Counselors Really Do???

    Across New York State and the Nation, School Counselors provide academic counseling, career and post-secondary planning, and social-emotional development for all students.

    These topics seem very broad, and this may often contribute to the confusion and misunderstanding about what School Counselors really do.   At Rush-Henrietta Senior High School, we do a bit of everything within these topics, but our main roles are outlined below.

    ACADEMIC COUNSELING

    Annual Guidance Reviews

    • School Counselors meet with students annually for guidance reviews.  During the Annual Guidance Review, counselors discuss future options including career plans and post-secondary options and how to align them with course requests.
    • School Counelors will also review student progress towards graduation and the benefits of taking a rigorous college preparatory curriculum.
    • A letter will be sent home in December inviting parents to call and schedule an appointment if they wish to participate in the Annual Guidance Review.

    Quarterly Reviews and Academic Intervention Services (AIS)

    • School Counselors, along with teachers and grade level assistant principals serve as members of grade level achievement teams.  These teams meet biweekly to review student requests for schedule changes, and to discuss any student who may be experiencing academic difficulty.
    • After the end of each quarter, achievement teams will review EVERY student by examining report cards, comments and teacher recommendations, transcripts and Regents testing results.  After assessing these multiple measures, achievement teams make decisions about what level of AIS a student is in need of.  This may come in the form of adding service, terminating service, increasing or decreasing service or maintaining their current level of service.  This is done to ensure students are meeting NYS standards.
    • School Counselors are required to schedule students to receive the appropriate level of AIS mandated by the achievement team's decision. 
    • If a student is to recieve AIS, parents are notified via a letter indicating the level of service and subject area.

    CAREER AND POST-SECONDARY PLANNING

    Career Guidance

    • Sophomore and Junior Counselors team up with content area teachers to conduct career guidance sessions with their students in the classroom setting.
    • During these sessions, student engage in a variety of activities.  The activities include, but are not limited to:
            • Interest Inventory
            • Work Values
            • Career Search and Exploration
            • Linking interests to possible career options
            • Resume Writing
            • College Searches
            • Scholarship Searches

    College Search and Application Process

    • During the fall of a student's senior year, the Annual Guidance Review is complete in and interview fashion, called the senior interview.  Counselors will discuss the following with seniors during this time:
            • Future Interests
            • Career Aspriations
            • Activities Resume
            • Standardized Test Scores
            • Transcript/Senior Classes
            • Post-Secondary Plans (College, Military, Vocational Training, Workforce etc.)
    • Counselors will also guide and educate the student in regards to the following the many steps of transitioning out of high school.  This includes:
            • College Search Process
            • College and Scholarship Application Process
            • Meeting RH application deadlines as well as college, scholarship and standardized testing application deadlines
            • Beginning the financial aid process
            • Meeting with college representatives, either at college fairs, on campus or here at RH.
    • During May of the senior year, counselors will be asking students where they plan to attend college so that we can send their final transcripts to the appropriate school.  Students are responsible for reporting this information so there is no delay in registering for college classes.

    SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

    • The high school years can be a turbulent time for teens.  School Counselors are a part of a mental health team, also including social workers and psychologists, who work with students of coping mechanisms, conflict resolution, healthy relationships and making healthy choices.