Guldlnce. Cqun.Ung and Testing seMces CURRICUWM DEVELOPMENT AND PUPIL PERSONNEL SERVICES DIVISION Officle of InltrUCtionel Services 1972 CONTENTS 3 Foreword 4 Acknowledgements 5 I Position Statement 6 II Philosophy and Objectives 7 III Job Description 10 IV The Pupil Personnel Team 16 V Guidance Services 36 VI Suggested Guidance Program Calendars 41 VII Suggested Specific Guidance Activities 50 VIII The Counselor in the Elementary School 54 IX The Guidance, Counseling and Testing Services Georgia Department of Education 57 X Counselor Certification Requirements 58 XI Professional Organizations 59 XII Recommended Resource Materials 62 XIII Innovative Programs and Concepts Counseling is not helping the client either to adjust to society or to fight it. It is helping him to come to see who he really is; what he has and what he doesn't have; and what he can do easily, what he can do with difficulty. and what he can probably do not at all. -Arbuckle I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I FOREWORD Numerous publications on various aspects of guidance have been helpful to those in the field, but these prior efforts should be compressed into a practical, workable and comprehensive manual for use by secondary school guidance personnel in Georgia. Since many of the persons practicing as counselors are in various stages of professional preparation and others are newly graduated, this type of guide should be quite valuable in developing effective programs. A feature of this manual is the loose-leaf fonn which lends itself to additions, deletions and revisions where necessary. In this way the manual should remain current and should become a pennanent fixture in the guidance office of every Georgia secondary school. Another feature is a section on specific activities related to guidance functions. Hopefully, this will be the most extensive and most utilized part of the guide. Many of the activities included will be solicited from counselors in the field, along with those gleaned from published works of counselor educators. A section for innovations in guidance is also included. This section will be used for reprints from professional journals, conference presentations, etc. of interest to the individual counselor. Most of these will be sent from the Guidance, Counseling and Testing Unit. Other articles or ideas of individual counselors may be submitted to Guidance, Counseling and Testing for possible statewide distribution. The objective of this handbook is not necessarily to fonnulate or change the guidance philosophies of those using it, but to help develop and improve their skills and programs. This handbook was prepared for Georgia counselors over a period of two years by other Georgia counselors willing to contribute time, effort and expertise to this project and to the counseling profession. The individuals compiling this material were selected upon recommendations from guidance consultants serving their areas and upon consideration of their experience and their service to the profession. 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS An expression of gratitude is due the members of the committee: Miss Lynn Garrett, Counselor, Jackson High School, Jackson, Georgia Dr. Jesse Holland, Counselor, Cochran High School, Cochran, Georgia Mr. L. L. Jones, Counselor, Henderson Junior High School, Jackson, Georgia Mrs. Margaret McIver, Counselor, Thomasville Middle School, Thomasville, Georgia Mr. Jerry D. Roseberry, Consultant, Guidance, Counseling and Testing Unit, Georgia Department of Education Mr. Allen Smith, Consultant, Pupil Personnel, Heart of Georgia Shared Services Project, Eastman, Georgia Mr. Bob Todd, Director of Guidance, Chatham County Schools Mrs. Marylyn Woodmore, Counselor, Nash Junior High School, Smyrna, Georgia Gratitude is also expressed to the Department of Pupil Personnel Services of Dade County, Florida, for valuable assistance in the formulation of this publication. 4 !-POSITION STATEMENT This sta temen t of policy section is not all-inclusive nor is it meant to be a dictum. It is a list of recommendations for use by counselors in explaining their roles to administrators, teachers or lay people. Some of the recommendations should necessarily be adapted to the individual situation. Length of Day and Year Since counselors, students and parents are often occupied during regular school hours it is difficult to arrange for vital conferences with those req uesting assistance. Some provision should be made by the counselor for a longer school day so that these services can be provided either immediately after school or in the evening. A number of important decisions and procedures requiring a guidance counselor should take place in the summer. Cumulative records should be reviewed to determine placement of students and activities planned with special groups such as potential dropouts and exceptional children. In-service meetings with teachers and parents should also be planned. The increase each year in the number of students attending summer sessions points to the need for a counselor to assist students with the usual problems which arise in these sessions. The summer is most important to the guidance program in terms of evaluating the previous year's activities and for research invaluable to the guidance program and to the school in general. With these considerations in mind it is recommended that provisions be made for employing counselors on a regular basis in the summer. Administrative Responsibilities and Extra Duty Very often, administrative, supervisory, disciplinary or clerical responsibilities interfere with the proper functions of counselors. This has caused much misinterpretation of the role of the counselor in the school and much misdirection among counselors. As a result, parents, teachers and students have been denied valuable professional assistance. To assure maximum professionalism, it is recommended that counselors not be assigned sole responsibility for duties such as signing and approving absentee slips, prescribing and executing punishments, substitute teaching, record keeping, scheduling, teacher assignments, transcript issuance and duties fully involving the counselor during breaks, lunch hours, homeroom periods and the like. The counselor should have valuable inputs to many of these tasks, but he should not have sole responsibility for them. A number of these jobs are purely clerical and should be assigned to clerical or nonprofessional personnel. Pupil/Counselor Ratios In those secondary schools where counselors have not been assigned irrelevant duties it is recommended that a counselor-pupil ratio approaching 250-350 students per counselor be established. The Southern Association of Schools and Colleges recommends a ratio of 1 to 500 for secondary schools. The elementary school counselor should be assigned to only a single school. Again, these recommendations apply to normal situations where special needs of students do not dictate or permit a larger or smaller ratio. Clerical Assistance It is the counselor's responsibility to present his program in such a way as to eliminate the assignment to him of activities which could be better handled by another staff member or a clerk. This can be accomplished by a careful prepara- tion and presentation of plans for the year to the school administration along with expeditious completion of these plans. Moreover, no counselor should be without some form of clerical 5 assistance of his own to handle correspondence, phone calls, duplicating and the like. One fulltime student aide or clerk for every three counselors is recommended. School Policies and Procedures Counselors should take an active part in the total school program since they offer input as to students' needs, parents' wishes and future education and employment requirements. Counselors should be involved in forming school policies pertaining to curricular and extra-curricular offerings, class and activity schedules, disciplinary rules and in-service activities where relationships between the counselor, parent, student and the teacher are concerned. Supervision of the Guidance Program Every guidance program should be assigned to an individual certified in guidance and counseling who is responsible for the completion of budgetary matters. This qualified individual provides for proper facilities and working conditions and serves as liaison with the school faculty and school and system administrative offices. Confidentiality Although no legal rights of privileged communication exist for counselors, it is recommended that counselors continue to honor the right of confidentiality and that they prepare some type of statement concerning this right which can be adopted and supported by written policies of local school boards. Salaries Counselors and teachers should cooperate in all efforts to obtain at least a cost-of-living salary increase each year, since these raises usually come simultaneously to both. Counselors should also be heard on this point both individually and throngh professional organizations. The training required of a counselor should be considered in setting salary supplements and increments on state and local levels. Supplements or extra compensation should be provided if counselors work during the summer or after regular school hours. II-PHILOSOPHY AND OBJECTIVES The school counselor is a school-based member of the pupil personnel services staff. As a pupil personnel specialist the counselor works primarily with children, helping them to greater understanding and acceptance of themselves and their environment. Children are thus helped to modify their environment and live more securely within it, even though it may bel hostile. The counselor is also involved with the environment which surrounds the child-particularly the teachers, curriculum and parents-and he may participate in the modification of these aspects of the child's environment. Specific objectives and procedures of the guidance program are given in the following paragraphs. Assisting students in self-understanding. Individual counseling is used to assist students in developing sound methods of self-appraisal which will serve them now and in the future. Assisting students in decision making. Formulation of tentative plans based on utilization of student talents and interests is an integral part of any guidance and counseling program. Assisting students in adjusting to school. Assembly programs, class discussions and student handbooks are designed to familiarize students with the school and its programs. Orientation programs are utilized for parents and students to 'explore the new school setting together. 6 Providing appropriate information to students. Up-to-date and accurate information concerning personal, social, educational and vocational decisions will be provided students. This information will be located in the counseling office and in special sections of the library where student groups meet. forced. The value of parents' contributions to the operation of the school and to what their children's performance cannot be overstated. Assisting teachers in understanding students. Counselors will work with teachers and other school staff in determining needed information on each student for designing education programs. They will also assist in collecting this information and giving meaningful interpretation of it. Assisting teachers in relating educational programs to students. Special efforts are made to assist teachers in adapting instructional programs to meet special needs and abilities of students. The counselor assists teachers in recognizing special abilities or limitations of students through interpretation of standardized test scores. Coordinating community resources available to teachers and students. The counselor serves as a coordinator for community resources for children and teachers in his school. He works with other pupil personnel staff in the development of a community resource handbook for teachers. He establishes a special file for his school containing the names of community resource agencies and the services each performs. Assisting parents to understand children. Assistance to parents results in individual conferences in which the child's special concerns and needs are explained, so that the school and home provide coordinated efforts for solutions. Parents' group sessions concerning growth and developmental patterns of children are held. Assisting parents to understand the school. Parental understanding of the school and its programs is sought through orientation meetings, handbooks and newsletters. Emphasis is placed upon the whole child rather than his academic development alone. Parents should view the school as an ally, not an opponent. The school's role in helping their children develop to fullest expectations and capabilities should be rein- II LOB DESCRI(YfION Responsibilities of the counselor as related to the foregoing objectives are as follows: Orien tation Visit feeder school(s). Talk with feeder school teachers. Prepare registration forms for feeder school students and familiarize teachers with these forms. Prepare and present handbooks. Initiate parent conferences. Conduct registration. Organize and schedule orientation day; contact feeder schools. Conduct assembly program for students and parents. Contact all new students through homeroom or personal in terviews. Plan tour of school facilities. Set up information booth in school; use service organization members as guides. Establish communication with parents, teachers and students. 7 Make contact with new faculty members. Duplicate and distribute a map of the school to students. Introduce new faculty members to student body. more abstract, personal nature such as interpersonal communications, alienation, building self-confidence. Prepare for the counseling interview. Set up appointments. Explain extra-curricular activities. Explain guidance services at a PTA meeting. Acquaint new faculty members with the school's guidance program. Record appropriate information on student's guidance record. Follow up. Appraisal Services Information Service Provide adequate files of up-to-date occupational information. Keep on display current college and vocational-technical school catalogues. Cooperate with college night program activities; this would include working with representatives of vocational-technical schools and the various armed service academies. Plan and carry out "career day" activities in the school. Cooperate in the presentation of occupational guidance units in subject classes. Disseminate information pertaining to appropriate secondary preparation for specific post-high school education and occupations through both small group discussions and individual interviews. Disseminate pertinent information to seniors such as college board dates and financial aid information through individual sessions or printed information sheets. Have available filmstrips, booklets, tapes and records concerning present day personal-social problems of interest to high school students. Counseling Conduct individual and group counseling. This will involve discussions of problems of a Collect essential information on all students through the use of questionnaires, autobiographies, interviews, case studies and conferences, anecdotal records, observations and other techniques. Administer an adequate testing program which would include tests of ability, ach~eve ment and interests. Provide students with the opportunity to participate in national testing programs such as CEEB, NEDT and NMSQT. Provide additional individual testing when necessary. Provide special testing to enrich the offerings of the curriculum. Interpret essential information to teachers and administrators for use in improving curriculum and instruction. I nterpret collected data to students and parents. Coordination Hold planning meetings with guidance committee on a regular basis. Become familiar with referral agencies and community resources. Hold planning meetings with the principal on a regular basis concerning the guidance program. 8 Coordinate with other counselors on a regular basis. Assist classroom teachers in planning guidance units. Work with principals, teachers, and administrators on the program of academic and extra-curricular offerings based on knowledge of students' needs. Coordinate the testing program. Coordinate tutorial services for students. Follow-Up Employ the use of the exit interview. Send graduates and early schoolleavers a brief questionnaire to be completed and returned. Send home with a younger brother or sister a questionnaire to be completed by out-ofschool brothers or sisters. Employ the personal interview as well as questionnaire in obtaining follow-up. Talk to the senior class in the spring to explain the procedures and purposes of follow-up. Contact employers of schoolleavers. Follow-up should take place over a 3 to 5 year period. Placement Participate in proper educational placement based on individual needs and capabilities. Become familiar with educational opportunities in the community. Become familiar with part-time and full-time job opportunities. Conduct a community survey of jobs available in the school area. Assume a responsibility for placement of schoolleavers in jobs. Become involved in determining the course of study for students. Make parents aware of any evaluations, personal or academic, so that they may have input as to the educational placement of their child. Research and Evaluation Utilize test results, attitudinal surveys and other pertinent information to evaluate the effectiveness and relevance of the curriculum with respect to student and community needs; determine the effect the school has on student attitudes; determine the effect of teacher attitudes and methods on students and evaluate the effectiveness of the total guidance program. Survey student files regularly to determine academic progress and to point up problems. Services to the School Staff Conduct regular in-service meeting for faculty (using referral services, community agencies, etc.). Be available for consultation with teachers. Provide consulting services to the staff. Coordinate and plan in-service activities on proper test administration and test interpretation. Assist the teacher and administrators in curriculum development. Arrange and participate in parent-teacher conferences. 9 Assist the teacher and principal in determining the causes of inappropriate student behavior. Public Relations Participate in programs of civic and community groups. Furnish articles for school and community publications. IU-THE PUPIL PERSONNEL TEAM Promote communications through news releases and radio and television materials. Registration and Scheduling The counselor should assist in determining the academic and social needs of each student and matching, as nearly as possible, these needs to the existing curriculum. Courses should be scheduled which are appropriate for the coming year and, if possible, for the students' remaining high school years. Upon written approval of the student's course of study by his parents, counselor responsibility for registration should end. The counselor should become knowledgeable, to the extent possible, of the limitations and expectations of teachers and of the needs and abilities of students so that he might make suggestions as to proper academic placement when assisting students in planning courses of study. The initiation of pupil personnel services in the schools resulted as a partial answer to some of the more pressing needs both in education and society. Changes reflected manifold challenges for the total education program. No one challenges the fact that group instruction is the core of any school program; however, it can no longer do the job alone. Programs of pupil personnel services have developed since the realization that every student is a unique person with unique problems and that methods for dealing with students as individuals must be provided. School systems are accepting contributions pupil personnel services can make to a child, his parents, the school and the community. The thrust should now be toward coordinating and unifying efforts to achieve the common purpose of services to student, school, home and community. With such an approach, these services can make a significant contribution and have considerable impact on education. It is readily recognized that these pupil personnel services derive from disciplines of specialized training. Specialists for each of the services are: Guidance services - school counselors; Psychological services - school psychologists and psychometrists; Social work - visiting teachers and school social workers; Health services - nurses, physicians. Since funds, personnel, and facilities are often limited at the local system level, the pupil personnel services team usually consists of the counselor, the social worker and a school psychologist. The following chart shows some parallels and some contrasts between the responsibilities of each. 10 Clientele SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY- SCHOOL COUNSELING - SCHOOL SOCIAL WORK, A CONTRAST IN OPERATIONS School Psychology School Counseling School Social Work the disturbed/poorly achieving child all children, especially children in situational stress all children, but especially the atypical child Area of concern behavioral pathology and learning disorders developmental problems and processes enhancement of social functions, adequate use of school as a social institution, family dynamics Mode 01 operation psycho-educational diagnosis developmental assessment and evaluation psycho-social diagnosis Personality traits of major interest Iypes 01 measuring devices used cognitive functions, perceptual processes, intra-psychic functioning, behavioral dynamics individual tests, clinical interpretive tests, projective tests, interviewing aptitudes, abilities, interests, values, inter-social and educational functioning group tests, paper and pencil instruments, objective tests, grades and records, interviewing social functioning, with particular reference to total process of education interviews and case records; dependent on other professionals for certain kinds of assessment :V1"sl frequently used aSS<"8I11ent instruments WISC, Binet, CAT, TAT, Bender, ITPA. Peabody, WRAT Cal. Test of M.M., Otis, Kuhlman-Anderson, Kuder, SCAT, OAT, achievement tests, college boards interviews and observation (child, parents, teachers and agency personnel) Methods of changing hehavior prescriptive programming, environmental manipulation, behavioral modification, consultation, referral individual and group co unseHng, informational services, consultation, referral, environment manipulation, behavioral modification environmental manipulation, family involvement, provision of resources, consultation, referral, coordination of resources, individual casework, social planning School Psychology Services School psychology specialists may be certified at any of three levels of training: Masters - School Psychometrist (PM5) Sixth Year - Associate School Psychologist (SP6) Doctorate - School Psychologist (DD7) ing abilities and disabilities; assess behavioral and personality functioning; diagnose psychologicaleducational disorders; plan programs of remediation in collaboration with counselors, special education consultants and visiting teachers; and to determine the need for adaptations of services and programs which will assist in the social and educational development of children who are experiencing difficulties in school. Following is a brief description of the functions of the school psychologist and school psychometrist. Evaluation and Assessment - School psychologists and psychometrists utilize psychological techniques and instruments to determine learn- Consultation-Remediation - Either specialist may consult with and advise parents and teachers on analyses of problems of referred children. They may work with a view toward adapting the home and educational environment to accommodate the needs of children who are experiencing psychological, social or educational 11 problems. Counseling may be offered either on a group or individual basis to children. Liaison, Communication and Coordination Offering information and case study data, the scho 0 I psy cho I ogis t / p sy ch ometrist works cooperatively with other pupil personnel specialists and with community agencies and professionals to secure needed services for troubled children. Research and Program Development - The school psychologist may assist in designing and carrying out action-oriented research procedures to assess educational programs and practices. He may assist curriculum specialists and administrators in designing and implementing innovative educational procedures to improve the quality of learning environments for all children. Administration and Teaching - The school psychologist will plan and develop a program of psychological services for school districts. He may design and operate staff professional development programs. He may assist the instructional staff in developing and implementing instructional methods and content designed to enhance the emotional and social development of children. As a school psychologist, he may advise the administration on problems and practices that affect children. The school psychologist will generally work with more complex cases in evaluation and assessment. He may give considerable attention to consultation and remediation and to liaison, communication and coordination. He probably will be quite actively involved in research and program development as well as administration and teaching. During the 1970-71 school year 75 school psychologists, associate school psychologists and school psychometrists served a student population of about 700,000. These workers were employed by 103 school systems in the state. As the number of pupil personnel workers increases there should be an equivalent increase in the utilization by counselors and visiting teachers of their services. The need for a collaboration of efforts among all phases of pupil personnel work cannot be overemphasized. The Coordinator of School Psychologist Services in the Georgia Department of Education may be consulted regarding the provision of psychological services. Address inquires to Coordinator, School Psychologist Services Georgia Department of Education State Office Building Atlanta, Georgia 30303 (telephone (404) 656-2589) Because the school psychometrist, school psychologist and associate school psychologist are functioning at varying levels of training and individual competency it is necessary to differentiate their skills and responsibilities. The school psychometrist will confine himself mainly to the functions of evaluation and assessment, giving his attention mainly to cognitive aptitudes and disabilities. He may give limited service in consultation and remediation. His responsibilities in the other categories of tasks listed above will be limited. The associate school psychologist will function in all aspects of evaluation and assessment, including psychodynamics and personality. He will give extensive service through consultation and remediation. He may work actively in liaison, communications and coordination. He will probably give limited attention and time to research and program development and to administration and teaching. Visiting Teacher Services "Visiting teacher" is the title in Georgia for a pupil personnel specialist who relates basically to the social service needs of school-age children. In other states the title may be school social worker or school social service worker. This specialist is trained in the disciplines of both education and social work. Along with other pupil personnel specialists, the visiting teacher seeks to make a more direct and meaningful relationship between the individual child and the educational process. There are five basic areas of social services in the school. 1. Providing leadership and promoting positive attitudes toward regular school attendance on the part of teachers, students, parents and the community; creating a 12 school climate that fosters good school attendance; discovering root causes for school attendance problems on both an individual and school basis. 2. Providing the indirect service activities of consultation, supervision and informationsharing to administration, regular school staff, paraprofessionals and community agencies. 3. Providing the direct services of social casework and social group work to students and their families when psychosocial problems interfere with the learning process; providing a linkage between the school and community agencies for the purposes of referrals and resource development. 4. Serving as an effective team member for cooperative endeavors with other pupil personnel specialists, individual school staffs, community agencies and organizations and the social service team. 5. Working jointly with other school staff, particularly the pupil personnel team, to identify unmet needs of students and promoting positive changes in the school. In the area of school attendance, visiting teachers have a legal responsibility for reporting to courts those students whose school attendance constitutes a problem. As a result, many school personnel associate only this activity with the role of the visiting teacher. Actually, school attendance is the responsibility of teachers, principals and counselors as well as visiting teachers. In fulfilling his particular part of the responsibility the visiting teacher's function is determining the multiple causative factors for attendance problems, working to alleviate them and refer- ring for court action only those situations which cannot be helped by some other form of remediation. In understanding the causes of attendance problems the visiting teacher uses diagnostic skills of social work methods and, in attempting to deal with truancy uses casework, group work and community organization approaches. The visiting teacher is equally concerned with other students. The essential objective is social work methods and skills to help students, individually and in groups, to relate more positively to the educative process and to help the school find better ways of meeting the educational needs of students. Traditional practice of school social work has described the service of a casework service for students experiencing difficulty in the school setting and has focused on analysis of pathological elements within students or in their family environment. Newer and more constructive views of the service stress its responsibility for prevention of student difficulties and for enhancing the effectiveness of student functioning and school programs. Such a view takes cognizance of the fact that the origin of student problems may be found in the community environment, within the school itself, within the family or within the student. It therefore directs itself toward understanding the impact of each of these areas on the lives of students and particularly on their learning experiences. A few school systems in Georgia still employ only attendance workers. Such workers are not required to meet any certification standards and must be paid entirely from local funds. Most school systems employ certified visiting teachers, for which they may receive state funding. The minimum qualifications are the baccalaureate degree plus fifteen quarter hours graduate training in visiting teacher courses for the provisional certification. Approximately fifteen percent of Georgia's visiting teachers presently hold the Master of Social Work degree based on two years of graduate study. Visiting teachers are hired at the school system level but assigned to work with individual schools. The present ratio of visiting teachers to students is approximately 1 to 5,000. Some systems have one worker for approximately 12,000 students. The recommended ratio is one worker for each 2,500 students enrolled. Additional information is available from Visiting Teacher Services, Georgia Department of Education, 156 Trinity Avenue, Atlanta, Georgia 30303. Telephone: Area Code 404, 656-2423. 13 School Health Services Although most schools only have health services on a referral basis, the school nursing service is a vital part of any pupil personnel services program concerned with the total health of students. As such, it strives to assist children in good health education through development of health consciousness, knowledge and practices for a high level of well-being in childhood and throughout life. The school nursing service aids the school in the education of its students by promoting good health and preventing illness within the school and by instilling a concern in the citizenry for an environment conducive to good health. Some schools have an assigned nurse as a regular staff member. It is the responsibility of the nurse along with the school counselor to provide services at the building level to students, parents and teachers. When problems necessitate the services of system-level pupil personnel staff members, the counselor and nurse should work closely in providing a total picture of children being referred. Their efforts do not replace those of the teacher, but supplement them. The Ohio Department of Education indicated in 1964 that school nursing duties may be enumerated according to the group to be served. Students 1. Assists physician when examinations are conducted in the school. 2. At the request of the teacher, assesses the health of specific students. 3. Rechecks students with questionable vision and hearing defects. 4. Assists in the control of communicable diseases through inspection, exclusions and re-admissions. 5. Gives emergency care. Parents 1. Interprets findings of health screening tests. 2. Explains examination findings and assists in obtaining treatment and correction of defects and handicaps. 3. Encourages preventive practices such as immunizations. 4. Notifies parents of serious outbreaks of communicable diseases. Teachers and School Staff 1. Lends leadership in planning school health services. 2. Participates in programs to prevent accidents at school and promotes a healthful school environment. 3. Assists in the care and education of physically handicapped students. 4. Assists in health instruction. 5. Maintains adequate health records on students and interprets these to school staff. Community 1. Facilitates communication between the school and other health services in the community. 2. Coordinates school health services with community health forces. 3. Conducts classes and gives demonstrations in first aid, care of the sick and preventive practices for communicable diseases. The Program for Exceptional Children Special education, with its specialists and services for training the mentally retarded; the visually, aurally or physically handicapped; the gifted and other exceptional children, is an area closely related to school guidance. Many school districts are now combining their special education facilities with pupil personnel services. 14 The following is an overview of the services offered by the Georgia Department of Education through the Program for Exceptional Children. The program provides consultative services to public school systems interested in providing appropriate educational programs for children who deviate so intellectually, physically, comm unicatively or emotionally that they cannot receive maximum benefit from participation in a regular school program. Because of their deviation, specially qualified teachers, supplementary materials and equipment, differentiated methods of teaching and other services are needed. The basic responsibilities for establishing and administering special classes or units for exceptional children, however, rest with the local school board, the local school superintendent or his designee. Prior to the establishment of a class or unit, it is the responsibility of the local school system to contact the Department of Education for consultative services. The State Board of Education has approved the formulation of regulations for establishing classes or units in mental retardation (educable and trainable), orthopedically and other health impaired and multi-handicapped, behavior disorders, visually impaired, hearing impaired, speech impaired, hospital and home instruction, specific learning disabilities and gifted. Standards outlined herein must be met by the local school system to receive state funds. The Georgia Department of Education supports the program by 1. Allotting state-approved teachers of exceptional children over and above the regular teacher allotment. 2. Paying the local school system the same amount for maintenance and operation, sick leave, textbooks and library materials for each unit allotted for exceptional children as for regular classroom teachers. 3. Providing special funds for the purchase of braille and large print material for the blind and partially sighted. 4. Allotting the same amount of funds per student for transportation as for other students in the system. 5. Providing, through school psychologist services, psychological evaluations of students who are being considered for special classes, where assessment is required. 6. Including the average daily attendance (ADA) of exceptional children in computing capital outlay allocations. Responsibilities of the Program for Exceptional Children include 1. Formulation of regulations for programs in each area of exceptionality. 2. Formulation of administrative policies and procedures for the operation of the Governor's Honors Program. 3. Consultative services concerning the initiation, continuation and expansion of educational programs for the handicapped and the gifted. 4. Consultative services concerning programs for exceptional children under appropriate federal programs. 5. Consultative services concerning curriculum. 6. Approval of classes or units meeting applicable state standards. 7. Distribution and review of forms for reporting legally blind children in order for them to receive appropriate books and instructional materials through the Federal Quota Account. 8. Distribution of forms for reporting exceptional children enrolled in special programs; tabulation of data therefrom. 9. In-service teacher education programs. 10. Consultative service to aid systems with comprehensive planning. 15 Local School System Responsibilities - These regulations are designed to provide a quality program and violation can result in withdrawal of state funds for the following year. Exceptions must be approved in writing by the Georgia Department of Education. The establishment of an educational program for exceptional children is dependent upon certain requirements being met by the local school system. 1. A comprehensive plan to provide services for all exceptional children in the system, in accordance with mandatory legislation will be submitted (see "The Law"). Upon approval of the plan, the local system negotiates for services and funds in accordance with the comprehensive plan. 2. A professional school staff person will be appointed director/coordinator of the program for exceptional children and will be responsible for the supervision, administration and development of the program. The director/coordinator will be most effective if he has had appropriate preparation in special education, administration and supervision. (See action on director/ coordinator. ) 3. The approval of the local school board for one or more units is to be recorded in the official minutes of that body. 4. Teachers are to be employed for specific areas of exceptionality who meet state certification requirements or who receive temporary approval from the Program for Exceptional Children. 5. Adequate and appropriate housing is to be provided in regular school buildings where students, other than the trainable mentally retarded, may associate with their peers. 6. Adequate and appropriate equipment and materials will be provided by the participating system. 7. Necessary transportation of itinerant teachers must be provided. 8. Exceptional children are to be allowed to join in any regular class activity in which they can effectively participate. 9. A school day for children in special classes must be provided which is equal to the same number of hours as that of peers in regular grades, unless a shorter day is prescribed by a physician. 10. Forms required by the Program for Exceptional Children are to be submitted through the local director/coordinator. The following reports will be forwarded to each local school system for completion: a. Initial Report of all units in operation under state allocation, as requested; b. Mid-year Report of all units in operation under state allocation, as requested; c. Total Enrollment Report by each teacher under state allocation, as requested; d. Report, as requested, of the Degree and Certification Status of each teacher under state allotment. When changes of teachers are made during the year, the director/coordinator will forward such information on the appropriate form within ten days after the change has occurred. 11. Programs organized under all federal, state and local projects shall meet the standards of these regulations. U-GUIDANCE SERVICES Guidance services as discussed in this handbook will be considered in general terms since specific services may vary from school to school. Regardless of the size of the school or its location within the state, these services must be predicated upon needs of individuals served by the school. 16 Guidance services to be considered will include counseling, testing, pupil placement, referral, record keeping and follow-up, research and evaluation. Counseling Counseling individual and group, is the "heart" of any guidance program. According to a summary of a 1962 research project, Functions of Counselors in the Public Schools of Georgia, nearly 40 percent of the day was spent in counseling. School counseling demands competence in a variety of psychological areas in the dimensions of educational, vocational and personal-social problems, and in the area of consulting teachers and parents. Since counselor education programs in colleges and universities rightfully devote a large amount of time to counseling theory and practice, there will be no attempt here to enumerate or discuss prevailing theories and concepts. Counselors should never stop learning. There are many good articles and books available with which to update skills within the discipline. The counselor should make every effort to provide the "time and place" for individual counseling, and for group counseling, dealing with problems, concerns and fears of a more personal nature such as feelings of inferiority and interpersonal communications, experienced within the school. The Testing Program (State and Local) Statewide Testing Program Schedule (subject to change) Fourth Grade: October - Iowa Tests of Basic Skills-HoughtonMifflin Company Cognitive Abilities Test-HoughtonMifflin Company Eighth Grade: October - Iowa Tests of Basic Skills-HoughtonMifflin Company Cognitive Abilities Test-HoughtonMifflin Company Twelfth Grade: October - Tests of Academic Progress-Houghton-Mifflin Company Cognitive Abilities Test-HoughtonMifflin Company Types of Statewide Tests and their Limitations Mental Maturity This clinical information should be used by the teacher and guidance personnel to guide the students more skillfully, and not for classification or grade placement. Changes in measurable IQ are known to occur and various factors in students' emotions and the testing situation may make for inaccuracy in this item. The usefulness of the IQ is somewhat limited even when considerable information on these factors is available. Basic Skills The emphasis in this type of test is on measuring how well the student understands broad concepts included in all curriculia, such as manipula ting, classifying, translating and interpreting. These are necessary in using numbers and language effectively. Although effects of schooling cannot be separated entirely from what these tests measure, these tests of skills are not affected to any great extent by course content material. Achievement While scores of students on these tests give some indication of accomplishment in each area, it should be noted that information from other sources such as cumulative guidance records is necessary for adequate interpretation. It should be recognized that students are being compared to norm groups at the same grade level and that a below average score does not mean that the individual is devoid of knowledge at this grade level. It only indicates that an individual knows less of the material than does the average student in that norm group. Neither does a better than average score indicate a grasp of higher level material. A high score merely indicates that an individual is able to answer correctly more of his own grade-level material than is the average student of the norm group. 17 Other Testing Vocational Aptitude, College Entrance or Scholarships In grades ten, eleven and twelve many students qualifying for college or other post high school placement may elect to take certain batteries of tests. For most of these a fee is charged and the agency will reveal to the student his exact scores with some interpretation. Included are: Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude-National Merit Scholarship Examination (PSAT/NMSQT) College Entrance Examination Boards (SAT) American College Testing Program (ACT) General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB) Local System Testing Local systems may conduct system-wide testing in addition to the state program as deemed necessary. These extra tests should be administered to complement the state program. They may range in type from readiness tests to interest inventories and may be funded by the local system or by state funds in addition to that provided for the state program. These additional funds are frequently available through the Guidance and Counseling Unit, Georgia Department of Education. Questions concerning the planning or funding of local testing in addition to the state testing program should be directed to the Coordinator of Guidance and Counseling or the Coordinator for the Statewide Testing Program, Georgia Department of Education, Atlanta. General Tips on Testing Standardized test results serve as one means for the better understanding and guiding of pupils' progress in school. Parents should be given information to help them appraise the abilities, performance and academic strengths and weaknesses of their children. These kinds of information, shared with pupils and parents, provide a foundation for sound educational and vocational planning. Considering the general limitations of standardized tests, the following factors should be considered in the interpretation of test results: a. No test has perfect reliability; an individual should be considered as operating within a range which includes several points below and above his obtained score. b. Scores at times may vary considerably from the previous pattern on similar tests. No individual scores should be interpreted in isolation. c. No standardized achievement test can possibly measure all that is taught in a subject area; therefore, a test is valid only for those parts which coincide with the course of study. d. Factors such as initiative, perserverance, motivation drives, reading ability, cultural background and physical and emotional health must be taken into consideration when interpreting individual performance on tests. e. A pupil's performance on an achievement test may not always correlate well with capacity. Therefore, both should be examined to determine whether he is operating near his potential level. f. Tests are standardized on differen t groups. It is important to determine whether or not scores have been reported in terms of national, state, county or school norms and whether or not the normative group is a representative sampling of cultures or only a segment of one cultural group. Some Testing Terms and Their Meanings Stanine A stanine is a value in a simple nine-point scale of standard scores. (The word "stanine" was originally derived "STAndard NINE-point scale".) In this scale, raw scores are converted to scores which range from 1 to 9 with a mean of 5 and a standard deviation of 2. Stanines 4, 5, and 6 are considered to be within average range. 18 Percentile A percentile is a score which equals or exceeds a certain percent of scores obtained by the nonn group. If a pupil scores at the 65th percentile, it indicates that he did as well as, or better than, 65 percent of the nonn group: 35 percent obtained scores which were higher. Percentiles should not be confused with percentage scores which indicate a percentage of correct items. Percentile scores avoid misunderstandings which often arise when the uninitiated believe that a grade equivalent score which is below average signifies that the pupil should be placed in a lower or higher grade indicated by his score. The grade equivalent score means only that the pupil was able to answer correctly fewer or more of the questions on material at that grade level than was the average pupil in the national nonn group in that grade. Quartiles Quartiles are three points on the percentile scale of measurement which divide that scale into four units. The first quartile (Q 1) point is the same as the 25th percentile. The second quartile (median or average) is the same as the 50th percentile, while the third quartile (Q3) point is the same as the 75th percentile. The average range of scores is usually considered to lie between the 25th percentile (Ql) and the 75th percentile (Q3). Standard Error Standard error refers to the fact that no test has perfect reliability. On any test an individual should be considered as operating within a certain range which includes several points below and above his obtained score. For example, The Cognitive Abilities Test has a standard error of 4 standard score points. This means that there are two out of three chances that the true test score of an individual who obtained an IQ of 110 could be 4 points above or below that obtained score. This is usually written as 110+4 which means that his true score might be as low as 106 or as high as 114. Raw Score The raw score is usually the total number of correct answers on a test. However, in cases where adjustments are made for guessing, it will be the score obtained after the fonnula is applied. For example: Rights (correct responses) - (Minus) 14 wrongs (incorrect responses) =(equals) raw score. In itself, the raw score has little meaning. However, it is necessary as the first step in interpreting test perfonnance through translation into terms which indicate a comparison to a nonn group. The following chart from the Psychological Corporation graphically illustrates some of these tenns. Median The median is the point on the percentile scale above which half and below which half of the scores of a given distribution fall. The median is the 50th percentile. Mean The mean, the arithmetic average with which we are most familiar in computation, has a disadvantage in that exceptionally high or . exceptionally low scores will distort it. 19 TEST SERVICE BULLETIN Per cent of cases under portions of the normal curve 0.13% \, Standard Deviations -4- g o~-"' ~ -u ">- 0 ex:::::;: Co >- E Co ~