School Counseling Programs Implementation and Management

Elementary Implementation Guide

 

The purpose of the Elementary School Counseling Program Implementation Guide is to supplement the Utah K-12 Comprehensive School Counseling Program Model Components by providing additional insight and resources to help elementary school counselors in developing and implementing a comprehensive school counseling program.

 

Implementation Guide Documents/Templates

• Elementary Implementation Guide
• Utah Comprehensive School Counseling Mindsets and Competencies Action Plan
• Electronic Working Files Guide
• Lesson Plan and Results Report
• Principal/Counselor Annual Agreement Template
• School Data Summary
• Time Task Analysis
• MTMDSS

Figure 1: Multi-Tiered, Multi-Domain System of Supports (MTMDSS)

Hatch, T. (2017). (Updated by W. Triplett, 2024). Adapted from Multi-tiered, multi-domain system of supports.

 

School Counseling Program Board Rules

Please go to our School Counseling Programs Law and Policy webpage for all School Counseling Program Board Rules

School Counseling Program Funding

 

Utah State Board of Education (USBE) Administrative Rule R277-462: Comprehensive School Counseling Program outlines program implementation requirements for secondary schools (grades 7-12) to be eligible to receive School Counseling Program Funding for school counseling programs. As defined in this rule, Local Education Agencies (LEAs) must adhere to the following guidelines to qualify for school counseling program funding:

• Implement the Utah Comprehensive K-12 School Counseling Program Components.
• Conduct Plan for College and Career Readiness meetings consistent with the Utah State Legislature's Title 53E-2-304: School District and Individual School Powers. Plan for College and Career Readiness Definition and R277-462-5: Plan for College and Career Readiness.
• Participate in performance self-evaluations (annually), interim (3 year), and formal (6 year) on-site reviews. The On-Site Review Performance Self-Evaluation for Existing Programs is the tool used for these evaluations.
• Maintain a minimum 1:350 school counselor-to-student ratio within the LEA.

 

Program Performance Review

The School Counseling Program Components emphasize a continual process of designing, planning, implementing, evaluating, and enhancing the school counseling program.

1. The design of the program is the framework the school has developed.
2. The plan is the written description of the school program, which can be informed/improved by ongoing self-evaluation and the effective use of data.
3. All new programs are fully implemented when they meet the original 12 components for program approval.
4. Program evaluation occurs through annual performance self-evaluations (required for funding) and passing the interim (3 year) and formal (6 year) on-site performance reviews.
5. Program enhancement occurs as school counselors align their school counseling program with student needs and school improvement goals.

The components and indicators in the performance self-evaluation document are the criteria for evaluation of the school counseling program.

 

Performance Review Components

According to R277-462, school counseling programs are required to be evaluated annually. A formalized accountability process of annual program evaluation is established through annual performance self-evaluations, interim, and formal on-site reviews.

The following On-Site Review Performance Self-Evaluation for Existing Programs is the tool used for these evaluations:

• On-Site Review Performance Self-Evaluation for Existing Programs

To support the performance self-evaluation process, school counselors provide evidence in the form of Electronic Working Files. The Electronic Working Files are an ongoing resource of shared files that supports program management, team effectiveness, and program evaluation and accountability of the school counseling program. The following documents/templates are tools that school counselors can use to support this process:

• Utah Comprehensive School Counseling Mindsets and Competencies Action Plan
• Electronic Working Files Guide
• Lesson Plan and Results Report
• Principal/Counselor Annual Agreement Template
• School Data Summary
• Time Task Analysis
• MTMDSS

Figure 1: Multi-Tiered, Multi-Domain System of Supports (MTMDSS)

Hatch, T. (2017). (Updated by W. Triplett, 2024). Adapted from Multi-tiered, multi-domain system of supports.

 

Annual Performance Self-Evaluation

An annual self-evaluation, using the performance review document, is required for all schools as part of the school counseling program funding process. School counseling teams, working with their local leadership, should establish an annual process to review school counseling program implementation, evaluate program outcomes, and set new program goals. To meet the annual performance self-evaluation requirement, school counselors complete the On-Site Review Performance Self-Evaluation for Existing Programs document by June 1. School counselors keep the completed document for their records, and future accountability process, in their electronic evidence box files. This document does not need to be submitted to a Utah State Board of Education School Counseling Program Specialist. The LEA leadership oversees that this process is completed annually.

 

Three-Year Interim Review

The Interim Review (3 year) is structured at the discretion of the Local Education Agency (LEA). These reviews should focus on identifying program strengths, areas of improvement, and using data to effect program change that results in improved behavior, attendance, or academic achievement for students. LEAs are encouraged to replicate the formal review process within the district to allow schools to plan and share their school counseling program within the district or the Career and Technical Education (CTE) region. LEA will provide names of schools and plans for review structure for the current year in their annual Request for Funding (RFF) for the school counseling program. If district personnel have program concerns and/or significant team changes, the district leadership can require a formal, traditional performance review using the onsite process, conducted by an outside district team. Interim review reports are completed by the LEA leadership and submitted via e-mail to a Utah State Board of Education Counseling Program Specialist by May 1. The annual self-evaluation is required to be completed by schools participating in the interim review.

Reporting template for Three-Year Interim Review:

• Interim Report (3 Year Review)

 

Six-Year Formal On-Site Review

The Formal Review (6 year) is conducted by a Utah State Board of Education School Counseling Program Specialist. This process is developed within the Utah Comprehensive K-12 School Counseling Program Components framework to ensure that the school counseling team has implemented the program elements described in the review standards. The on-site review process serves to:

• celebrate the Utah Comprehensive K-12 School Counseling Program Components;
• recognize program strengths and accomplishments;
• identify goals and areas for improvement;
• minimize identified gaps in the areas of access, attainment, and achievement; and
• ensure program implementation promotes an academic, career, and social emotional development approach for all students.

 

School Counselor Evaluations

• Utah Model School Counselor Summative Evaluation Document
• Utah Model School Counselor Self-Assessment

 

School Counseling Program Board Rules

Please go to our School Counseling Programs Law and Policy webpage for all School Counseling Program Board Rules

Systemic Assessment

 

Systemic Assessment and Curriculum Delivery Survey

All schools receiving Comprehensive School Counseling Program funds are required to complete a formal Systemic Assessment and Curriculum Delivery Survey every three years. For Elementary School Counseling Programs, it is recommended that these surveys be administered every 3 years in alignment with the secondary school counseling program 6-year review cycle to support program alignment and data analysis across feeder schools. The Systemic Assessment is completed by school faculty, parents, and students. The parent and student survey should reflect a sampling of the population that is representative of the overall school demographics. Results from the Systemic Assessment offer a data-informed direction for the implementation of a comprehensive school counseling program.

The Curriculum Delivery Survey is completed by teachers. This survey measures student mindsets and competencies as well as durable skills which are consistent with the school counseling program components. Results from this survey allow school counselors to deliver intentional classroom instruction, design effective individual Plan for College and Career Readiness meetings, and support the academic, career, social, and emotional development of each student.

 

Creating an Account Through CTE Surveys

To create a new account:

• Go to CTE Surveys
• Click on Counselor Login
• Click on Create Account
• Complete All Fields
• If your school is not listed on the Select Your School drop down menu, choose My School is Not Listed, and you will be prompted to enter that information in a text box.
• If you need to list more than one school in the Select Your School drop down menu, choose I need Access to More than One School, and you will be prompted to enter that information in a text box.
• Click on Register as a New User

After submitting the information, you will receive an e-mail asking you to validate your e-mail address. After your e-mail is successfully validated, you will receive another e-mail stating you have access, and you can then log in.

CTESurveys com Walkthrough YouTube

Student Outcome Accountability Report (SOAR)

 

The Student Outcome Accountability Report (SOAR) provides school counselors with student data to assist in the data-decision making process. This report takes data submitted through the Utah Transcript Record Exchange (UTRex) system and organizes it in categories that school counselors can use to help identify gaps in the areas of opportunity, achievement, attendance and behavior. From this analysis, school counselors set program goals to address identified gaps to improve student outcomes. The SOAR is designed as one resource for school counselors, but additional data sources should be used when making data-informed decisions.

Individual schools can access their SOAR through the Utah State Board of Education Data Gateway Login. School counselors will need to work with their Information Technology department or LEA leadership to obtain access. Once access is granted through the district, school counselors can find the report on the Data Gateway homepage under My Tools. To help school counselors analyze and interpret the SOAR, the SOAR Business Rules have been established.

Data Projects

 

School counselors are uniquely positioned to create a program that serves all students and supports the school improvement plan. As school counselors work within the system with administration and school leadership teams, they work continuously with data. A data project is a way that school counselors can connect school needs and goals for improving student learning outcomes. Data projects submitted to USBE are only one example of a larger data-driven school counseling program and systemic practice within the educational setting. Each year, all schools receiving Comprehensive School Counseling Program funds are required to submit a data project to USBE. The data project is completed by the school counseling team and submitted to their Local Education Agency (LEA) leadership. The LEA leadership submits all data projects to a USBE School Counseling Program Specialist via e-mail by June 15. 

Data projects promote a data-driven decision-making school counseling program and answers the question, Is the school counseling program making a difference for students, and how can I prove it? School counselors can use the Data Project Rubric to assess the level of evidence found in their Data Project.

School counselors are accountable for their individual performance as well as their program’s performance.

Download and complete the Data Project Reporting Template. When you first open the file in Excel, click enable macros if prompted. Once in the document, refer to the instructions sheet and read the instructions page thoroughly before beginning to fill out the template.

Secondary Request for Funding

 

Funds disbursed to approved school counseling programs are for secondary schools 7-12 grades. Performance and adherence to standards cited in the Utah State Board of Education (USBE) Administrative Rules R277-462: Comprehensive School Counseling Program, as well as completion of the RFF application, are required in order to receive funds. The RFF application and signature page are completed by the Local Education Agency (LEA) leadership and submitted via Utah Grants by June 1.

Note: The application for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 will be released in Spring 2025.

 

Annual Due Dates for Compliance

October 1

School Counselor Full-time Equivalent (FTE) entered in Comprehensive Administration of Credentials for Teachers in Utah Schools (CACTUS) for 1:350 ratio report completed by Local Education Agency (LEA) leadership.

April 1

Program Ratio Plans (for LEAs not meeting 1:350 ratio) completed by LEA leadership and submitted via e-mail.

May 1

Program Reviews (Formal and Interim) completed. Interim reports completed by LEA leadership and submitted via e-mail.

Letter of intent for new schools seeking program approval.

June 1

Program Performance Self-Evaluations completed and saved in the school counseling program’s Working Files.

Program Request for Funding (RFF) completed by LEA leadership and submitted to Utah Grants.

June 15

Program Data Projects completed by school counselors and submitted via e-mail by LEA leadership.

Grant Opportunities

The Elementary School Counseling Grant funding was added to the WPU At-Risk add on funding per the Utah State Legislature in the 2024 session. It is no longer a separate line item. USBE will no longer be issuing a grant for this purpose. The decision on how to use the flexible funding of the WPU At-Risk add on is up to each LEA, including the local board. Please contact your Business Administrator and LEA Leadership to remind them about the importance of funding elementary school counseling and to request funding for this purpose.

The Grow Your Own Educator Grant Program awards grants to the Local Education Agency (LEA) to provide scholarships to paraprofessionals, school counselor assistants, and school counselor interns, school social workers, and school psychologists for education and training to become licensed educators. At this time there will not be an application for new cohorts.