The District’s guidance program shall be incorporated into the curriculum to aid students in making informed and responsible decisions and in utilizing effective decision-making processes. The guidance program shall be coordinated from the District office and shall provide for the participation of all those staff members and others who can help students acquire the insights and knowledge they need to become autonomous, mature members of adult society in a democratic nation.
As suggested above, the primary purpose of the guidance program shall be to assist students in learning to make their own decisions concerning life’s many choices—personal, educational, and vocational. Before completion of high school, each student should reach the point of maturity where the student—within the usual limits of circumstances—is able to make virtually all decisions affecting his or her life.
The second major purpose of the guidance program shall be to provide as fully as possible the information needed to make the best decisions. Such information shall include facts (test scores, vocational information, etc.) as well as estimates, judgments, opinions, and other advice. Part of the decision-making skills students are helped to learn shall be the solicitation and search for data and advice from a variety of sources as well as the evaluation and use of such information and suggestions.
Philosophy of Guidance and Counseling
Guidance is the process which helps pupils make wise educational and vocational choices. It helps them solve personal problems which, if left unsolved, might result in school failure.
Guidance involves many people and resources -- teacher, counselor, community organizations and lay people. The planning of the District’s guidance program is the responsibility of the counselors. Guidance personnel keep the students and teachers informed on all college requirements, scholarships, and occupational information. They administer and interpret tests, do individual counseling and, in general, organize the guidance program. The classroom teachers are each responsible for important parts of the guidance program.
The guidance program is based upon these broad fundamental principles:
A. Individuals are different from one another in their capabilities, aptitudes, interests, needs, goals, desires, and values.
B. Conditions are improvable. Appropriate educational opportunity will benefit the individual and society.
C. Guidance is a continual and developmental process. Every experience of the individual influences his/her performance in some way.
D. Guidance does not propose to program an individual’s course of action but rather tries to assist the individual in arriving at his/her own satisfactory solutions.
E. Guidance should assist the individual to understand his/her opportunities, and to plan his/her life in a manner to serve himself/herself as well as society.
Guidance services include a wide variety of testing programs and interpretation of results to students, parents and staff. These programs assist students in developing good study habits and personal guidance.
Guidance services also provide systematic aid to students in kindergarten through 12th grade regarding educational, career, civic, personal and social concerns including the harmful effects of drugs, alcohol and tobacco. These services include the appraisal of student academic abilities, a variety of counseling opportunities and approaches, educational and career planning and, when necessary, appropriate referral.