ASCA National Model- RAMP

The RAMP designation, awarded to schools that align with the criteria set in the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Model, recognizes schools that are committed to delivering a comprehensive, data-driven school counseling program and an exemplary educational environment. Since the program’s inception, 545 schools have been designated as RAMP recipients.

School counselors submit evidence of the impact their program has on support of student achievement, connection to the mission and goals of the school, use of data to drive decisions, and collaboration with stakeholders (parents, students, and administrators) to receive input and evaluate their school counseling program’s effectiveness.

RAMP applications are reviewed once a year by a panel of school counseling professionals, and the designation is held for three years.  Green Hope High School earned the Re-RAMP designation in 2014.

Mission Statement

Through a conducive learning environment and an unconditional support base, all students are able to achieve at their individual pace.  Green Hope High School Student Services will provide a supportive counseling program to promote academic, career, and personal/social development for all students to gain a quality education and become productive members in society.

Vision Statement
The Professional School Counselors at Green Hope High School believe:
  • Through a conducive learning environment and an unconditional support base, all students are able to achieve at their individual pace.
  • All students’ ethnic, cultural, racial, gender differences and special needs are considered in planning and implementing the school counseling program.
  • There are differences in learning styles and students respond differently.  Counselors react by supporting individualized educational remediation and/or enrichment to encourage optimal achievement as each student practices his/her learning style.
  • If given proper support, our school counseling program provides academic, career, and personal/social development for every student.
  • We provide continuous academic counseling to support the school’s mission of academic achievement.
  • Counselors are leaders for systemic change and educational reform.
  • Parents or guardians, staff, and community members are a collaborative system that enhances student success.
  • All students have the right to participate in the school counseling program and shall have access to a full-time, state-certified, master’s-degree-level school counselor.
And that the Green Hope High School comprehensive school counseling program should:
  • Be based on specified goals and student competencies.
  • Be developed and implemented by school counseling teams in coordination with other school, parent or guardian and community representatives
  • Collaborate with community resources to deliver programs
  • Use data to drive program development, intervention, and evaluation
  • Be evaluated by a district counseling supervisor on specified goals and agreed-upon student competencies
  • Actively involve school counselors to monitor students’ results
And that all the Professional School Counselors in Green Hope High School:
  • Adhere to the professional school counseling ethics as promoted by the American School Counselor Association
  • Participate in professional development activities necessary to maintain a quality school counseling program
  • Use data to prove that students are different and benefiting as a result.

Role of the Secondary School Counselor

High school years are full of growth, promise, excitement, frustration, disappointment and hope. It is the time when students begin to discover what the future holds for them. Secondary school counselors enhance the learning process and promote academic achievement. School counseling programs are essential for students to achieve optimal personal growth, acquire positive social skills and values, set appropriate career goals and realize full academic potential to become productive, contributing members of the world community. The professional high school counselor holds a master’s degree and required state certification in school counseling. Maintaining certification includes on-going professional development to stay current with educational reform and challenges facing today’s students. Professional association membership is encouraged as it enhances the school counselor’s knowledge and effectiveness.

Secondary School Students' Developmental Needs

High school is the final transition into adulthood and the world of work as students begin separating from parents and exploring and defining their independence. Students are deciding who they are, what they do well, and what they will do when they graduate. During these adolescent years, students are evaluating their strengths, skills and abilities. The biggest influence is their peer group. They are searching for a place to belong and rely on peer acceptance and feedback. They face increased pressures regarding risk behaviors involving sex, alcohol and drugs while exploring the boundaries of more acceptable behavior and mature, meaningful relationships. They need guidance in making concrete and compounded decisions. They must deal with academic pressures as they face high-stakes testing, the challenges of college admissions, the scholarship and financial aid application process and entrance into a competitive job market.

Meeting the Challenge

Secondary school counselors are professional educators with a mental health perspective who understand and respond to the challenges presented by today’s diverse student population. Secondary school counselors do not work in isolation; rather they are integral to the total educational program. They provide proactive leadership that engages all stakeholders in the delivery of programs and services to help the student achieve success in school. Professional school counselors align and work with the school’s mission to support the academic achievement of all students as they prepare for the ever-changing world of the 21st century. This mission is accomplished through the design, development, implementation and evaluation of a comprehensive, developmental and systematic school-counseling program. The ASCA National Standards in the academic, career, and personal/social domains are the foundation for this work. The ASCA National Model: A Framework For School Counseling Programs (2), with its data-driven and results-based focus serves as a guide for today’s school counselor who is uniquely trained to implement this program.

Secondary School Counselors Implement the Counseling Program by Providing:

Classroom Guidance
  • Academic skills support
  • Organizational, study and test-taking skills
  • Post-secondary planning and application process
  • Career planning
  • Education in understanding self and others
  • Coping strategies
  • Peer relationships and effective social skills
  • Communication, problem-solving, decision-making, conflict resolution and study skills
  • Career awareness and the world of work
  • Substance abuse education
  • Multicultural/diversity awareness
Individual Student Planning
  • Goal setting
  • Academic plans
  • Career plans
  • Problem solving
  • Education in understanding of self, including strengths and weaknesses
  • Transition plans
Responsive Services
  • Individual and small-group counseling
  • Individual/family/school crisis intervention
  • Peer facilitation
  • Consultation/collaboration
  • Referrals
System Support
  • Professional development
  • Consultation, collaboration and teaming
  • Program management and operation
These examples are not intended to be all-inclusive.

Secondary School Counselors Collaborate with:

Parents 
Academic planning/support 
Post-secondary planning 
Scholarship/financial search process 
School-to-parent communications 
School-to-work transition programs 
One-on-one parent conferencing 
Referral process

Students
Academic support services 
Program planning 
Peer education program 
Peer mediation program 
Crisis management 
Transition programs

Teachers
Portfolio development, providing recommendations and assisting students with the post-secondary application process 
Classroom guidance lessons on post-secondary planning, study skills, career development, etc. 
School-to-work transition programs 
Academic support, learning style assessment and education to help students succeed academically 
Classroom speakers 
At-risk student identification and implementation of interventions to enhance success

Administrators
School climate 
Academic support interventions 
Behavioral management plans 
School-wide needs assessments 
Data sharing 
Student assistance team development

Community
Job shadowing, worked-based learning, part-time jobs, etc. 
Crisis interventions 
Referrals 
Career education
Reference:  American School Counselor Association. (2015) Why Secondary School Counselors?  Retrieved from:  https://www.schoolcounselor.org/school-counselors-members/careers-roles/why-secondary-school-counselors