The University of Northern Iowa College of Education - Summer 2008 - (Page 4)

College of Education News School counselors reinstated for all Iowa school districts chool counselors—the professionals who address academic, career and personal social issues—are back in the picture as a mandated position for every Iowa school district. UNI, with the largest school counselor program, is in the forefront of a statewide task force’s discussions and actions on how to prepare enough school counselors and how to better define a comprehensive approach to school counseling delivery, management and accountability. Linda Nebbe, assistant professor, Counselor Education Program, is one writer of the Iowa School Counselors Program Framework, an approach to best practices for the profession tied into the national model of the American School Counselor Association. Clare Struck, instructor and school counselor at Price Lab School, brings her expertise to the statewide project as well. Nebbe explains that the need for school counselors is urgent and great. “When the Iowa Legislature dropped the mandate for a school counselor position 14 years ago, four higher education institutions dropped their school counselor preparation programs. Iowa went from having 2,500 school counselors to only 1,500,” she said. After the Legislature reinstated the school counselor mandate in 2007, an Iowa Department of Education statewide task force began to revitalize school counselor programs and to redefine S school counseling responsibilities. “Not only do we need higher education programs to educate new school counselors,” Nebbe stated, “but we need but also relevance and relationships. School counselors are a crucial link in establishing and maintaining this kind of learning environment.” Nebbe explains that school counselors focus on the main areas of support in a school. “School counselors are concerned with the climate of a school and are advocates for students. One of their main jobs is to support academic achievement for students.” Struck, a PLS counselor for 28 years, says, “We help all students develop a personalized education and career plan. That includes their academic goals and how they will develop skills needed in a 21st century workplace.” Counselors also address classroom social skills such as anger management, teacher/ student conflicts and bullying. Finally, counselors serve as neutral consultants to teachers, parents and students together when there is a conflict, Struck notes. School counselors now will also be asked to gather data on aspects of their work with schools to verify their decisions and actions. For more information on UNI’s Counselor Education Program, contact Jan Bartlett, program coordinator, at 319-273-7979 or jan.bartlett@uni.edu This program is under the Department of Educational Leadership, Counseling, and Postsecondary Education. to replace 1,000 counselors now and anticipate a huge retirement rate in the near future.” Including this need as part of the initiative, Nebbe and Struck developed a brochure to promote Iowa school counseling. The brochure is endorsed by the graduate programs at UNI, the University of Iowa, Drake University and Buena Vista University. Nebbe says these programs hope to recruit professionals from mental health counseling or social work and encourage current K-6 counselors to become K-12 counselors. Struck notes the benefits of school counselor positions, saying, “As we prepare students to be successful in the 21st century, Iowa schools are emphasizing learning environments that promote not only academic rigor 4 University of Northern Iowa College of Education http://www.uni.edu/coe/ http://www.uni.edu

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The University of Northern Iowa College of Education - Summer 2008 Contents PLS Recommended For Statewide Mission Iowa Legislature Funds Regents' Math/Science Initiative School Counselors Reinstated For All Iowa School Districts Human Performance Center Dedicated DVDs Illustrate Early Childhood Education Standards UNI Leads in Solving Shortage of Special Education Teachers Iowa Initiative to Reduce Unintended Pregnancies Service to Special Olympics Olympic Champ Brings Coaching Techniques to UNI Meet Tomorrow's Promising Educators Len Froyen Multicultural Initiatives in Teaching Program Technology Facilitator Certificate Program Offered in Fall UNI Only Regents University Offering Technology Teacher Preparation Curriculum and Instruction All-University Professional Development Day Premieres Barb Hill - Known to All Teacher Education Majors Teacher Work Sample - A Window Into Students' Teaching Faculty and Student Award Winners Graduates - Where Are They? Career Notes UNI College of Education Receives 1.1 Million Dollar Gift Scholarship Needed

The University of Northern Iowa College of Education - Summer 2008

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