Introduction
Saint Martin’s College (SMC) has developed an excellent reputation for educating compassionate, capable, effective school counselors over the last 12 years. Based on follow up studies of our graduates, 90-100% of each year’s graduates searching for counseling positions have found jobs within 1 year. To a large extent, this results from (1) effective use of the PEAB in constantly updating the program and course contents to meet the changing needs and realities of school counseling, and (2) the program’s emphasis on increasing the counselors’ compassion and practical counseling skills while also strengthening their own unique skills and abilities.
Most classes are small (average of about 7-15 students). The program is flexible with most classes in the evenings. Many of our students work full-time. Although the program must be completed in 7 years the speed of completion is up to the student (up to a maximum of 12 credit hours per semester).
Certification
Approaches
Two approaches to certification are available. Those
who have completed their masters degree prior to completion of our program can
follow an ESA “certification only”
approach. Those without a masters degree are required to complete our M.Ed. Program in the Guidance and
Counseling Strand.
a.
Application to the program. Prior to being considered
for admission to the program the applicant must submit to the Education Office:
b.
Clearance
based on background investigation and fingerprint check.
c.
Completion
of all required coursework in the Guidance and Counseling Strand with a grade
of “B” or better (waivers based on training and experience are possible –see
waiver section for more information). See Table 1 for a list of these courses.
d.
Successful
completion of written comprehensive school counseling exam (given during the
internship).
e.
Successful
completion of 400 hour school counseling internship. Completion of the
internship requires signoff on a competency checklist by the in-school
supervisor or college supervisor (and the intern) on all WAC competency and
skill requirements. A log of the 400 hours initialed and approved by the
in-school supervisor must also be submitted prior to completion of the
internship.
f.
The
statute of limitations for completion of certification requirements is 7 years.
g.
Students
are expected to receive a grade of at least “B” in all courses. Candidates who
receive a grade of “C” will be placed on academic probation. A student who
receives a grade lower than “C” or two grades of “C” may be removed from the
program.
2.
Requirements Specific to
M.Ed. Program for ESA Certification
a. In addition to the application requirements listed in 1(a) above, students applying for the M.Ed. program must submit to the education office scores on either the Miller Analogy Test or the Graduate Record Examination taken within the last five years.
b. Must complete 41 semester hours total for the thesis option (if a course is waived the student may take another course approved by his advisor – but the total hours required to receive the M.Ed. in Guidance & Counseling is 41 hours). Must complete 45 semester hours total for the Non-Thesis option.
c. Must complete the M.Ed. program core requirements (See Table 2 for a list of these courses).
d. Must complete a Final Project or Thesis.
e. Nine semester hours of graduate work may be taken at another institution and transferred, provided the work fits the program plan, is recommended by the program advisor and is approved by the director of the masters program in education.
3. Requirement for ESA Certification
Specific to “Certification Only” Students (Students who will have a masters
degree from another program completed prior to applying SMC’s ESA
certification)
a. Miller Analogy or GRE scores are NOT required for admission.
b. M.Ed. program core requirements are NOT required.
c. No Final Project or masters thesis is required.
d. Must complete all coursework in the Guidance and Counseling Strand (See Table 1 for a list of these courses. Waivers based on training and experience are possible).
e. If waivers are granted, a minimum of two Guidance and Counseling Strand courses (with specific courses approved in writing by the ESA program director) and the five-credit internship are required for ESA certification.
Formal Admission
into the Program
When the Education Office has received all required admission materials, the file is routed to the M.Ed. Director and the Director of the ESA School Counseling Program. They separately evaluate the grades, letters of recommendation, personal statement, test scores (if applicable), and other pertinent information (including the result of the interview with the prospective student). The Director of the ESA School Counselor program makes a recommendation for acceptance or non-acceptance and the M.Ed. director makes the final decision. Applicants are “accepted”, “accepted conditionally”, or “not accepted”.
An emphasis is made to recruit and accept minority applicants. Affirmative action is supported in the admission of students to the program.
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Table 1 The Following 29 semester hour Counseling Strand Courses are MANDATORY for all students (however, waivers are possible based on training or experience) |
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MED 540 Guidance and Counseling (3) Consideration of major
principles and practices of guidance and counseling. The role of the school
teacher and counselor in the guidance and counseling process. MAC 502 Group Therapy (3) Experiential course that
provides both group membership and co-leadership roles. Focus on group theory
and practice, stages of group development and change factors in group
therapy. Mac 503
Individual Therapy (3) Study of major techniques
and theories of individual counseling. Emphasis on developing counseling
skills through role-playing. Ethical issues in counseling. MED 544 Career and Vocational Development and
Information (3) Nature and goals of
career and vocational guidance, definition of the process, methods available
and utility in counseling and education. MED 545 School Drug (3) Examines pharmacology,
counseling approaches and school programs related to the school counselors’
role in prevention, counseling and referral of students with drug and alcohol
problems. MED 546 Assessment and Current Issues in School
Counseling (3) Covers research on
current issues of interest to school counselors; the consulting and
design roles of school counselors;
and the testing and assessment competencies needed by school counselors. MED 559 Introduction to Exceptionality (2) Introduction to the
philosophical, historical, legal and social implications of the exceptional
student from an integrated, strategy-based pedagogical perspective. Ten hours
of classroom experience required as part of the class. MED 559R Introduction to Exceptionality Research
Component (1) Research component for
MED 559 – must be taken concurrently. MED 548 Elementary and Middle School Counseling (3) Covers topics and skills
needed for elementary and middle school counselors. Emphasis on pragmatic,
developmentally appropriate counseling skills for working with kindergarten-8
students. Topics covered include community resources, testing and
measurement, working with parents, visitation to K-8 schools, the varying
roles of K-8 school counselors, prevention programs and the role of school
counselor as staff trainer and consultant. MED 549 Internship in School Counseling (5) An accumulation of 400
hours of supervised and school-based internship in a Kindergarten-12 school
setting and a one-hour weekly seminar. Must be repeated every semester
student is working on the internship. |
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Table 2 Coursework required for M.Ed. Students
Only (Not required for those who already have a masters degree) |
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MED 501 Professional Research Paradigms(3) An introduction to
traditional and alternative forms of understanding and communicating about
their profession. A variety of techniques related to understanding and
writing including library research, field research, narrative, metaphoric and
personal reflection will be studied. This course is a prerequisite for the
research course MED 507 or 508, and the final project MED 599. MED 502 Philosophical Foundations of Education (3) Experiential course that
provides both group membership and co-leadership roles. Focus on group theory
and practice, stages of group development and change factors in group
therapy. OR MED 503 Psychological Foundations of Education (3) The study of the
underlying psychological theory basic to the most popular educational programs,
curriculum, and instructional strategies. Special emphasis will be given to
current theories related to cognitive and constructivist approaches to
learning and knowing. OR MED 504 Sociological and Historical Foundations of
Education (3) A study of education in
terms of organizational structure and the study of those social and political
organizations with direct or indirect impact on the education process.
Historical contexts and consequences also will be studied. MED 509 Qualitative and Quantitative Research
Methods (3) MED 599 Integrating Seminar (1) The final course in the
Master of Education Program is designed to (1) prepare the student for the
core/strand written assessment, and (2) develop the final project. The 12th class will be used for
written assessment. MED 599-R Final Project / Thesis Research Component
(2) Designed for the student who
are taking the thesis option. NOT
required of students taking the non-thesis option. Must be taken concurrently
with MED 599. |
Waiver Requests
Once a student has been admitted to the program, they can request waivers of specific courses requirements based on previous experience and training. A separate waiver form must be filled out for each course waiver requested. Waiver forms are obtained from the Education Office. The student must document on the form, and with any supporting evidence, how their experience and/or training meets the catalog and syllabi requirements of the class. For a waiver to be approved the form must be approved by the student’s advisor, the course teacher, and the Dean of the Education Division. If the waiver is not approved the student can appeal to the Vice President of Academic Affairs. Copies of the waiver form and approval or disapproval are kept in the student’s folder. Waivers do NOT reduce the number of credits required for completion of the M.Ed. program.
Removal from the Program
a.
Students
are expected to receive a grade of at least a “B” in all classes. Candidates
who receive a grade of “C” will be placed on academic probations and their
candidacy reviewed by the graduate program advisory committee. A student who
receives a grade lower than “C” or two grades of “C” normally will be required
to withdraw from the program.
b.
Students
who do well academically, but who do not have the skills or abilities necessary
to be an effective school counselor present a special problem. Such students can be referred by their professor
or intern supervisor to a special committee assigned by the Dean of the
Education Division consisting of 2 members of the Counselor PEAB and 1 member
of the faculty (not to include the referring professor). The committee will
then examine the specific concerns of the professor concerning that student’s
lack of necessary skills and abilities. The committee will then do one of the
following (1) allow the student to continue the program with no further
interventions required, (2) develop steps the student must complete to develop
the necessary skills and abilities if they are to continue in the program, or
(3) recommend to the Dean of Education that the student be dropped from the
program.
c.
Students
may also be removed from the program based on criminal records, negative
background investigations, and poor moral character.
Dr. Dan
Windisch. Director. Full-Time Faculty. Dr. Windisch has been director of the ESA
school counseling program at Saint Martin’s College for 10 ½ years. He is also
currently President of the Washington Counseling Association (the state
counselor organization for school counselors, mental health counselors, and
career counselors). Dr. Windisch spends considerable amounts of time
supervising school counselor interns in K-12 schools. By doing this he keeps up
with what is currently happening in school counseling in a number of school
districts and applies that information directly to his classes. Dr. Windisch
also teaches the Introduction to Guidance & Counseling Class, the
Internship Class, The Careers Class, and the Current Topics/Assessment Class.
Dr. Windisch also supervises most of the Masters projects and has been
Executive Secretary of the PEAB for the last 10 years.
Betty Utter. Adjunct Faculty. Ms. Utter
is a retired school counselor and school principal. She has co-taught the
Elementary and Middle School Counseling Course with Mina Ringenbach over the
last 3 years.
Mina Ringenbach… Mina is a school counselor
at Centralia Middle School and has had 9 years experience in Elementary, Middle
and High School counseling. Mina co-teaches the Elementary and Middle School
Counseling Course. She also teaches the School Drug prevention and Counseling
Course. Mina has also served on many masters’ projects as a committee member
and supervised our interns as an in-school supervisor. Mina has also taught the
Group Counseling class one time. Mina has taught for Saint Martin’s for 5
years.
Jenny Morgan. Ms. Morgan is a middle
school counselor at Shelton Middle School. Jenny has taught the Current Topics
Class several times over the last 5 years. She has also supervised our interns
as an in-school supervisor.
One of the most useful state
requirements is the requirement to require a Professional Education Advisory
Board (PEAB). The inputs from professional school counselors, adminstrators,
principals, and WEA representative has been invaluable in keeping our program
in tune with the needs of schools. As a result of PEAB input an increased
emphasis on Glasser’s work on quality schools has been added to the curriculum.
New classes, particularly the “Elementary and Middle School Counseling” Class,
the Current Topics class, and the Drug Prevention and Counseling Class has been
added to the curriculum.
In additions the concerns that the
PEAB members have about what is happening in schools now has been almost always
immediately addressed in classes taught in the program. The PEAB has had a very
powerful and positive impact on the quality of our graduates.
The ESA School Counselor Program is a part of Saint
Martin’s College (SMC), A Catholic Benedictine College, as well as part of The
Education Division at SMC. The Conceptual Frameworks of Both are essential
elements of the conceptual framework of the Program.
The mission statement for SMC includes the following:
“Above
all else, Saint Martin's College fosters academic excellence. In its selected
undergraduate and graduate programs, the College cultivates creativity and the
ability to communicate and pursue ideas; critical thinking and independent
inquiry; academic proficiency; and the formation of sound ethical judgments.
The development of these attributes motivates students to fulfill their
personal, familial, professional and social responsibilities.
Believing that intellect alone cannot sustain a meaningful life, Saint Martin's College works to unfold the potential of the whole person.”
The conceptual framework approved by the Education Division and presented to the State Board of Education includes the following:
“The goal of Saint Martin’s College Education Division is to select and prepare teachers and counselor candidates to become outstanding P-12 professionals. To the General College emphasis on basic strength in academic areas of study for all graduates, the division adds a strong professional teacher and counselor training program which complies to specific state requirements. The program is also shaped by practitioners who serve on the Professional Education Advisory Boards (PEAB). True to its Catholic Benedictine heritage, the Education Division shares the College’s strong emphasis on moral and ethical values. A teacher/counselor educated at Saint Martin’s will enter his/her first school prepeared not only with knowledge, but also with strong values, an educational philosophy centered meeting the needs of the individual child, and a base of experience upon which to build.”
ESA Counselor
Program Framework
In addition to the above conceptual framework the Counselor Preparation Program has developed the following framework based on years of experience and input from the PEAB:
1. The program emphasizes the importance of understanding, developing, and deepening the compassion of our future school counselor – compassion for themselves, for students, for parents, for teachers, and for administrators. Unless a student feels accepted as a unique, cherished, and accepted human being there is little that a counselor can do to make a difference in that child’s life. It is a necessary component of effective counseling and guidance. Compassion is hard to teach. It is not an academic subject that can be taught in conventional ways. Yet it is so important that all our students are required to take the Introduction to Guidance and Counseling where the topic is studied through case studies, stories, and as it applies to the student’s own life. Compassion is taught best by example. Teachers in the program are selected with their compassion as a factor in the selection process. The results over the years have been very gratifying. Anecdotal evidence and direct observation in schools indicates that our graduates are noticeably compassionate people who are truly making a difference in student’s lives.
2. The program emphasizes approaches that work in school counseling. We also emphasize what are the major concerns of school counselors. Information on innovative programs and approaches from the literature, PEAB members, school counselors, and what is observed in schools are taught in classes. Students are also required to spend time in schools as class assignments and programs with innovative programs are recommended for observation sites. Networking, research skills, needs based workshop design, are all emphasized in the program and aim at practical solutions to real problems in schools.
3. The importance of students having a broad background in approaches to school counseling and therapy is emphasized. However, based on input from PEAB members, we also ensure that our graduates are well versed in Glasser’s work on Choice Theory and “Quality Schools” as they apply to school counseling. Glasser’s approach is used by several school districts in our area. The Glasser approach also ties in with our emphasis on compassion, on respect for the student, and on the importance of the student being responsible for their own behaviors.
4. The
program emphasizes the development of the unique skills and abilities of its
own students (we are deliberately modeling here what we want them to do as
school counselors). Each student is unique, and each is encouraged to develop
their strengths in the context of school needs. If their main interest is
career counseling they are encouraged to develop papers, workshops, and
approaches in career counseling that will make them more marketable and useful
to the schools they will work in. If they have special skills in anger
management, crisis counseling, groups, prevention programs, in-class social
skills training they are encouraged to develop these.
Saint
Martin’s College PEAB Response to 3
Questions (Providing Specific Examples):
(1)
How will future school counselors demonstrate their knowledge of the state’s
four student learning goals and EALRs?
All
students, beginning in Spring 1998, will use as a text the “Essential Academic
Learning Requirements Technical Manual” (February 26, 1997 -- or a more recent
version) as part of their “Current
Topics in School Counseling” class. Students will demonstrate their knowledge
by in-depth discussions in class. Over
6 hours will be devoted to discussions of the
four student learning goals and EALRs and each EALR will be INDIVIDUALLY
discussed in class.
(2) How does the program prepare school
counselor candidates to have a positive impact on student learning (i.e.,
student achievement of the state
learning goals and Essential Academic Requirements) and to support teacher’s
efforts to do the same.
(a)
School Couselors have training and skills that relate directly to several of the EALR’s. Therefore an
important part of the 6 hours devoted to discussions of the EALRs will involve discussions of how our
training could directly tie into the following EALR’s by counselor’s either (A)
assisting, or (B) teaching, in the following areas:
(1) career counseling ties directly into 2.4 “Write for Career Applications”
(2)
our listening and counseling training
ties into the following EALR’s: Communications 1.1 “Focus attention,”
1.2 “listen and observe to gain and interpret information,” 1.3 “Check for understanding by asking
questions and paraphrasing”, and 2.1 “Communicate clearly to a wide range of
audiences for different purposes,” and all of 3 “The student uses communication
strategies and skills to work effectively with others.” 4.4 analyze how
communication is used in career settings.”
(3)
Our training in human growth and development, social skills and drug prevention
directly relate to the following EALR’s: 2.1 “Recognize patterns of growth and
development,” 2.3 “Acquire skills to live safely,” 3.3 “Use social skills to
protect health and safety in a variety of situations”, and 3.4 “Understand how
emotions influence decision making.”
(b)
At one meeting of the PEAB this year, student’s were invited to mutually
discuss with PEAB members how counselors can and should fit into the 4 learning
goals and EALR’s.
(c)
counselors in our program are taught to be consultants and change agents and
can help as change agents in schools on how to achieve learning goals and
EALR’s.
(d)
Counselors graduating from our program will be encouraged to be on curriculum
committees for their schools and districts so that their expertise can be used
as part of the curriculum development for their school or district (being where
the decisions are made!).
(e)
In the Elementary and Middle School Class the students are provided curriculum
that is directly related to EALR’s. Therefore, the future counselors in this
class can make this curriculum available to teachers, or they can teach the
curriculum themselves.
(3)
What evidence will be accepted that school counselor candidates have
demonstrated the knowledge and skills to have a positive impact on student
learning (i.e., student achievement
of the state learning goals and
Essential Academic Requirements) and to support teacher’s efforts to do the
same.
(a)
knowledge will be measured by quality of discussion during the EALR part of the
“Current Topics” course.
(b) Skill will be measured by student and supervisor
evaluation and written sign off during the internship/practicum. Also, the
competency checklist used in the internship will be updated to include the
changes to the WACS related to student learning and supporting teacher in
achieving Learning Goals.
SMC Competency/Class Matrix CodeP = Primary Coverage I = Included in Class E = Evaluated in School with Competency Checklist signed off by Both the In-School Supervisor and the Counseling Intern |
Intro G & C |
Group Couns. |
Indiv Couns. |
Exceptionality |
Career Voc |
Sch. Drug Prevent. |
Assessment & Curr Issues |
Elementary & Middle Sch |
Internship |
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A. Human growth and development (demonstrates and understanding of the nature and needs of individuals at all developmental levels). |
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B. Social and cultural foundations (studies that provide an understanding of issues and trends in a multicultural and diverse society). |
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C. Helping relationships (studies that provide an understanding of counseling and consultation processes). |
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D. Group work (studies that provide an understanding of group work development, dynamics, counseling theories, group counseling methods and skills, and other group work approaches). |
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E. Career and lifestyle development (studies that provide an understanding of career development and related life factors). |
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F.
Appraisal
(studies that provide an understanding of individual and group approaches to
assessment and evaluation). Including
assessment of the state learning goals and essential academic learning
requirements. |
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G. Research and program evaluation (studies that provide an understanding of types of research methods, basic statistics, and ethical and legal considerations in research).
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H. Professional orientation (studies that provide an understanding of all aspects of professional functioning including history, roles, organizational structures, ethics, standards, and credentialing). |
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I. Foundations of school counseling including: |
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i. History, philosophy, and trends in school counseling; |
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ii. Role and function of the school counselor in conjunction with the roles of the professional and support personnel in the school; |
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