Exemplar5:ASCANationalModelBook

StandardsMet:
Standard17:FoundationsoftheSchoolCounselingProfession
Standard18:Professionalism,Ethics&LegalMandates
Standard28:OrganizationalandSystemDevelopment
Introduction
ThesemesterlongASCANationalModelBookthatwehavebeenworkingonas
beenquitetheundertakingforgraduatestudents.Whilemanyofthepieceswehave
alreadycompletedatourfieldworksite,orinanotherclass,Inowunderstandthetime
andorganizationittakesforcounselorstocreatetheirownASCANationalModelBook
fortheirschoolsite.AsateamatWestview,wehavebeenabletotakemanyaspectsof
theirschoolcounselingprogramwhichareaalreadyASCAaligned.Asfieldwork
students,wehavealsobeenabletobringinadditionalmaterials,includingourdata
drivencorecurriculumlesson,inordertoenhancetheirprogram.Thisexemplarwas
chosenfortworeasonsfirst,itwasamandatoryassignmentforustochoose.However,
italsocouldcovereverystandardandallowmetomeetcompetencyinallofthem
becauseofthedepthofthebook.Whilethismaybethecase,Iwillnotbecoveringallof
thestandardsinthisparticularpaperIwaspickspecificonesoutthatIfeelrepresent
thisprojectwell.
Thefirst,andmaybemostobvious,standardIwillgointodetailaboutis
Standard17:FoundationsoftheSchoolCounselingProfession.Inunderstandingthe
truefoundationsoftheprofession,itisimportanttorealizewhatthetrendsovertheyears
havebeen.Luckily,throughmyworkontheCASCBoardandwithinWACAC,Ihave
beenabletoseethisfromalldifferentangles.Takingtheseexperiencesandknowledge

intomyfieldworksitethisyeargavemeasolidunderstandingofwherewillbebestto
startincreatingthisASCANationalModelBook.Westviewalreadyhasavisionand
missionstatementfortheirschoolandcounselingdepartment.However,therewere
improvementsthatwemadeinorderforittoalignwiththedistrictvisionsandmission,
aswellasourprogramgoalsandbeliefs.Theabilitytocreateallofthepiecesofthe
FoundationpartoftheASCANationalModelcomesfrommyexperienceinthe
classroomandatsite.Additionally,itisimportantforustounderstandhowthesewill
changedependingonthestateandschoolweareworkingout.Ihavemetcompetencyin
thisstandardbydevelopingandalteringpiecesofWestviewscounselingprogramin
ordertobuildastrongfoundationforthemwiththehelpofKatieandRebecca.
ThenextstandardthatIwilldescribehowthisprojecthashelpedmemet
competencyinisStandard18:Professionalism,Ethics&LegalMandates.Ifthereis
onethingIhavelearnedthisyearbybeingatahighschool,itishowtobeprofessional
whenworkingaspartofateam,andtheimportanceofethicsandputtingtheneedsand
safetyofthestudentfirst.Ihavefoundthatthisisthemostprevalentatthehighschool
levelbecauseoftheissuesthatcanarisewithadolescents.Luckily,Westviewalreadyhas
astronghandleonhowtoincorporatetheirprogramintoprofessionalorganizationsand
ethics.However,increatingthismodelbook,wehadtogothroughtheASCASchool
CounselorCompetenciesandEthicalStandards,aswellastheassessmentsAnnual
Agreement,andanalyzealloftheseparts.WhileallofthesewerepartoftheWestview
program,IwasabletounderstandhowthesedocumentswillbeusedwhenIamafull
timecounselor.Developingthemformycurrentsiteaspartofthisbookallowedmeto

seewhatpartscanbeeasilymissed,andhowimportantitistoremainprofessionaland
ethicalinallaspectsofthejob.
ThelaststandardthatIhavemetcompetencyinthroughtheASCANational
ModelBookisStandard28:OrganizationalandSystemDevelopment.Thiswasmet
throughavarietyofways,butinrelationtothemodelbook,Iwasabletoreallyhelp
Westviewimprovetheirprogramsothatithasaspositiveofanimpactonstudent
learningandgrowthaspossible.Thisfieldworksitehasdoneanexceptionaljobof
teachingusaboutthewaysinwhichdifferentsystemswork,particularlywithinthe
counselingteam,theadminteam,andthedistrictlevelteam.Ihavebeenabletodevelop
severalprogramsandevaluatetheireffectivenessonthestudents.Specifically,aspartof
thebook,wedevelopedourcorecurriculumaboutNaviancefor9thgradestudents.IN
evaluatingthedatawegatheredfromthis,wenoticedthatmany9thgradersarenottaking
advantageoftheservicesthatareoffered.Wehavebeenworkingtoimprovethis
differentwaysthiscanimprove,andmuchofitinvolvescounselorsspendingmoretime
intheclassrooms.Anotherpartofthebookthatworksatthesystemiclevelisouropen
accesstoAdvancedPlacementcourses.Manyschoolsdealwiththecompleteopposite
problemnotallowingcertainstudentstobeintheseclasses.However,atWestview,we
haveseenstudentssigningupfortoomanyofthesecourses,whichhasresultedina
declineofwellnessandstudenthealthoncampus.Thissystemicissueissomethingthat
faculty,staff,andadministrationarewellawareofandareputtingatthetopofthe
prioritylist.BecauseoftheACANationalModelBookassignment,wehavebeenableto

lookatthecounselingprogramatWestviewatalldifferentlevels,provingmy
competencyinStandard28.
ThisASCANationalModelBookassignmenthasbeenaverytediousprocessfor
us,involvingvariouspiecesandinputfromothersatWestview.However,ithasalso
beenagreatlearningexperienceasaculminatingassignmentforourgraduateprogram.I
knowthatthisassignmentwilldefinitelybemorebeneficialformeinthefutureasI
continuemyprofessionasaschoolcounselor.WhenthereisatimethatIneedtoeither
applyforaRAMP,orcreateacounselingprogramfromscratch,Iwillbeabletoaccess
thisbookanduseitasastartingpoint.Ifitcouldchangesomethingaboutthis
assignment,itwouldbetohaveusstartitinAugust,asopposedtoJanuary.Ithinkthat
thewholecohortwouldhavebeenabletolearnmoreindepthabouteachofthe
componentsofthebookhadwehadallyeartocompleteit.However,eventhoughitwas
doneallinonesemester,itwillbesomethingIwilluseinthefuture.