Welcome To The Office of School Counseling
Historically, the school counseling profession has helped students in making informed and appropriate decisions about careers and education. More recently, school counselors have widened the scope of the practice to include the whole child. Students across the country, including Baltimore City, have needs inside and out of school that go far beyond the domain of career education and counseling. School counselors have advocated moving to the forefront of those who seek to help guide students through the challenges and successes across the lifespan.
The Baltimore City Public School System has recently adopted a Comprehensive Developmental Counseling and Guidance Program which is a planned, systematic program of counseling, consulting, appraising information and placement services for all students in grades K-12. To this end, the mission of the Comprehensive Developmental Counseling and Guidance Program in Baltimore City is to help students:
- Demonstrate personal and academic growth
- Make appropriate educational and career decisions
- Experience positive and productive interpersonal relations
The goal of all school counseling services is to establish and maintain high performance for both students and staff according to standards outlined in the American School Counselor Association’s (ASCA) Standards for School Counseling Programs. It is our common belief that:
- Professional school counselors promote, support and facility change through prevention, intervention, and education within the community.
- Counselors encourage a positive and inviting school climate that fosters effective interpersonal relationships
- Counseling and guidance programs are designed to meet the specific physical, mental, and emotional needs of all students while promoting academic and personal excellence.
- Collaboration and teamwork are essential to an effective, comprehensive counseling and guidance program.
- School counselors assist students in the decision making process so that the choices and actions promote satisfying life experiences.
- A function of school counseling and guidance services is to recognize and support the rights of all students to become self-directing individuals who accept responsibility for their decisions.
- Developing and enhancing good study habits, appropriate behaviors, academic growth, decision making, and career planning are vital elements of a comprehensive guidance program.
In this website you will find more information about the graduation requirements, frequently asked questions concerning school counseling, counselor resources, college access information and additional links just for students and their families. Enjoy!
