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Counseling Department Foundations

School District Mission Statement

To inspire, cultivate, and empower all learners to maximize their potential.

Counseling Mission Statement

The mission of the Whitesboro School Counseling Department is to support the District’s mission, by meeting the individual needs of all students by providing them with support, information, resources, and guidance through a comprehensive developmental school counseling program. The services provided by the Whitesboro school counselors empower students to develop the knowledge, skills, abilities and character needed to pursue their individual goals and become contributing members of our society.

School District Vision Statement

Together with our community, the Whitesboro Central School District provides a dynamic, comprehensive program committed to relevant, engaging, individualized experiences, while fostering a culture of personal and professional growth in a safe, diverse, positive learning environment.

Counseling Vision Statement

It is the vision that students graduating from Whitesboro High School will be college and career ready and will have the skills needed to maximize their academic success and social/emotional development. The comprehensive school counseling program supports students through a rigorous curriculum while providing a variety of opportunities for self-directed growth to become contributing and healthy members of a competitive global society.

Whitesboro School Counselor Belief Statements

Counselors at Whitesboro believe that students learn best when:

  • Counselors serve as active, positive role models following ethical standards
  • Counselors advocate for all students
  • They are challenged and actively involved through methods of instruction
  • Counselors are responsive to their developmental needs
  • Personal responsibility for learning is cultivated and developed
  • The subject matter is relevant and taught by motivated and well-prepared staff
  • Clear academic and behavioral expectations are communicated and understood
  • Their individual strengths and efforts are encouraged and recognized, and specific and timely feedback on their performance is provided
  • A school community where respect, acceptance for differences, and civility are modeled by all
  • Valid data is used to inform decisions
  • Their families are encouraged to take an active, supportive role in their education and basic human needs (shelter, nutrition) are met


Student Mindsets and Behaviors

As a result of a comprehensive counseling program, students should demonstrate the following mindsets and behaviors as outlined by ASCA:

  • Academic Development – Standards guiding school counseling programs to implement strategies and activities to support and maximize each student’s ability to learn.
  • Career Development – Standards guiding school counseling programs to help students 1) understand the connection between school and the world of work and 2) plan for and make a successful transition from school to postsecondary education and/or the world of work and from job to job across the lifespan.
  • Social/Emotional Development – Standards guiding school counseling programs to help students manage emotions and learn and apply interpersonal skills.

School counselors use these standards to assess student growth and development, guide the development of strategies and activities and create a program that helps students achieve their highest potential. To operationalize the standards, school counselors select competencies that align with the specific standards and become the foundation for classroom lessons, small groups and activities addressing student developmental needs. The competencies directly reflect the vision, mission and goals of the comprehensive school counseling program and align with the school’s academic mission.

Professional Competencies

Counselor Competencies and Ethics -The Whitesboro school counselor will reference the ASCA School Counselor Competencies (2010) as an outline of the knowledge, abilities, skills and attitudes necessary to plan, organize, implement and evaluate their comprehensive, developmental, results-based school counseling programs.

The Whitesboro school counselor will also reference the Board of Education Policy 0010 Code of Ethics for All District Personnel, and the ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors (2010) for specific ethical behaviors necessary to maintain the highest standard of integrity, leadership and professionalism.

Annual Goals

Program goals are developed annually in alignment with the vision, mission and the goals of the district, school and department. The goals will serve to guide the curriculum and corresponding action plans. A draft of yearly goals may be developed for each counselor at the beginning of the school year as part of their annual evaluation.