C.E Ellison High School

Students at Ellison High School are assigned randomly and will remain under the guidance of the same counselor for the duration of their time at Ellison High School. This system allows for consistency and strengthens counselor/student relationships.

Ellison High School’s (EHS) Counseling Department is made up of six (five plus one vacancy) Guidance Counselors, one Social Emotional Learning Specialist, one Career and Technology Counselor, and one Registrar. All counselors are housed at EHS with the exception of our CTE Counselor, who is housed at the Killeen Career Center. Using the Texas Model for Comprehensive School Counseling and the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Model, the counseling team guides students in a comprehensive program designed to facilitate academic achievement, personal/social development, and college/career readiness. We strive to help students meet their future goals.

The EHS counselors are leaders on our campus who advocate for all EHS students. We participate on various committees including IEP/504, Attendance Appeal, and the EHS Site Based Decision Making Committee. (SBDM). The SBDM is vital in determining the EHS Campus Improvement Plan. We are also represented on the KISD Staff Support Committee.

Counseling Advisory Council

The EHS SBDM (Site Based Decision Making) Committee acts in lieu of the School Counseling Advisory Committee. The SBDM is a representative group of faculty and staff who are elected/selected members, as well as counselors, students, parents, and community representatives, who are invited to provide input in order to support and promote a strong and safe learning environment for all students at EHS. Areas of focus include school morale, image and climate, and student engagement and achievement. Our meeting dates for the 2023-2024 school year were: October 17, 2023, December 5, 2023, February 13, 2024, April 2, 2024, and May 7, 2024. Invited participants were: Diana Allred (Student Activities Coordinator), Avlyn Bolton (Curriculum Instructional Specialist), Sheila Coffey (Teacher), David Dominguez (EHS Principal), Dustin Douglass (Special Education Teacher Lead), Angela Espada (Parent and Academic Dean of Instruction), Amy Key (Science Teacher Lead), Juyoung Kim (Student), Amanda Merrell (English Teacher Lead), Sarah Noteboom (Counselor), Marissa Ocampo (Librarian), Michele Granados (Parent), Calen Poe (Social Studies Teacher Lead), Janie Poe (Career and Technology Teacher - CTE), Lila Ramos (Campus Technologist), Danny Servance (Athletic Coordinator), Jessica Snider (Parent and Teacher), Geoffrey Van Riper (Math Teacher Lead).

Through the use of Counseling Needs Assessments as well as School Wide Needs Assessments, it became evident that the addition of a Social, Emotional Learning Counselor was needed. This additional staff member will provide social/emotional education to students.

An Advisory period was also added to the school schedule to address the needs of students who require academic interventions to comply with House Bill 1416. Texas HB 1416 is an update to HB4545, and is directly related to how schools in Texas meet student needs. It requires that students receive extra help in area they are academically struggling in, with emphasis on Math and Reading/Language Arts.

Another area addressed to improve student success was the initiative to connect every student to a school club or activity. Clubs and activities are widely advertised and participate in the promotion of school spirit through pep rallies and school events. This initiative aligns with KISD's System Scorecard 1.1 - Pathway for all students to build connections.

EHS Mission Statement

The mission of Ellison High School is to launch young people into successful adult lives of learning, service, and meaningful work. We believe our students have a bright future ahead, and we are determined to be the best we can be for them every day, knowing that our efforts today will be part of our students’ success tomorrow.

At EHS, we believe that we are in the people business, creating common ground, sharing common commitments, and observing common celebrations. We believe every student can thrive here at EHS, and we are determined to help every Ellison Eagle find success. One of our most important priorities is student connectedness, which means getting students involved in extracurricular activities that promote growth, teamwork, and school spirit.

EHS Counselors' Office Mission Statement

Our goal is to help you assess your abilities, interests and personality, and offer you practical advice for classes, activities, and work experiences, so you can learn to make smart decisions about your life. Your counselor is available to help you with academic, career, and personal needs!

Program Definition, Rationale and Assumptions

Definition: The EHS Counselors, in collaboration with administration, faculty, and staff, will provide students with the necessary skills to demonstrate academic success, personal-social-emotional-wellness, and college-career success as a result of a developmentally appropriate and organized program. Through strategies to improve a student’s personal wellness, we are empowering students to ensure promising futures.

Rationale: The EHS Counseling Department is made up of uniquely trained professionals who assist students in their pursuit of academic achievement, personal-social-emotional wellness, and college-career success. These qualities are essential for students to lead healthy and productive lives as citizens in a global 21st century community. Our students come first in our school counseling program. The programs and interventions that are implemented by the EHS Counselors are determined by examining building needs and needs assessment data.

Assumptions: The effective implementation of the EHS Counseling Department’s program is based up on the following assumptions:

*All students, parents, teachers, and other recipients of school counseling program resources have equal access to the program regardless of cultural background, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, learning ability level, native language, race, religious or spiritual preference, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status.

*Parents will be full partner educators in the education of their children.

*School counselors provide all students with a safe, nurturing, inclusive and flexible learning environment.

*School counselors are provided with needs assessment data in order to develop, implement and assess comprehensive guidance and counseling programs.

*School counselors guide all students as they plan, monitor, and manage their own educational, career, and personal-social-emotional development.

*School counselors intervene on behalf of students with immediate personal concerns or problems in the areas of personal-social-emotional, career, and/or educational development.

*School counselors provide system support for our diverse communities through consultation with teachers, parent education, and community partnerships, and campus-based school improvement plans and goals.

*School counselors are provided with adequate physical and technological resources.

*School administrators understand and support the school counseling program’s priorities.

*An adequate school counseling department budget is established and provided each year to support initiatives, basic resources, and updates to technology.

Developing Program Goals

The EHS Counseling goals are essential for our comprehensive counseling program to be successful. Our goals are intentionally developed for our campus to meet the needs of our students and parents. In order to establish goals, information from a variety of sources is used to determine areas of growth. Areas considered for goal implementation are the needs assessment results, evaluation of current initiatives, counseling meetings, SBDM meetings, and one-on-one or small group student/parent conferences. We also utilize data from resources such as State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) data, course enrollment trends, test participation trends and results, Free Application for Federal and State Aid (FAFSA) completion, Texas Application for State Financial Aid (TAFSA), and submission data, as well as other behavioral/attendance data provided by EHS administration. These resources help improve our overall counseling program.

Example Needs Assessment

The following list is a sample of the types of questions included in the student, parent, and teacher survey from the 2023-2024 school year that provided useful insight into the development of the EHS Counseling Department program:

Parent Survey

*I believe my student is challenged and growing academically at EHS.

*When my student is successful in school, I believe there is at least one staff member at EHS who recognizes that success and celebrates with my student.

*When my student is struggling academically, I know how to get help for my student.

*My student knows at least one staff member at EHS who believes in them and shows they care.

*I believe the staff at EHS treats my student with fairness and respect.

*If my student has a problem at school, they know at least one staff member who can help.

*My student is involved in at least one extracurricular activity (team, club, or student organization) at EHS.

*My student has at least one friend at EHS who helps them have a good experience in school.

*My student has a plan for what they want to do after high school graduation.

*I am optimistic about my student’s future beyond high school.

Student Survey

*I know at least one staff member at EHS who believes in me and cares about me.

*When I’m struggling academically, I know how to get help.

*I feel the staff at EHS treats me with fairness and respect.

*When I have a problem, I know at least one staff member I can turn to for help.

*If I report a concern to a staff member at EHS, I am confident someone will take my concern seriously and try to resolve the issue.

*If I ever have a conflict with another student, I know at least one staff member who will help me.

*I am involved in at least one extracurricular activity or student group on campus.

*I can find other students at EHS who share similar interests.

*I have a goal for my next steps after I graduate from high school.

*When I am successful in school, I know there is at least one staff member at EHS who celebrates with me.

*My teachers believe in my ability to be successful academically.

*I have positive activities outside of school that fit my interests.

*I have friends at EHS that help me stay positive and successful.

*I feel the staff at EHS treats me with fairness and respect.

*I am going to college.

*There is at least one staff member at EHS who inspires me to do my best in school.

*I feel optimistic about my future.

*I would recommend EHS to a new high school student moving into the area.

Teacher Survey

*This semester I can recall at least one instance when I recognized a student’s success and celebrated that success with the student.

*This semester I felt I treated students with dignity and respect.

*This semester, if I became aware of a security concern on campus, I knew at least one way to get that information to campus administration and/or campus police.

*This semester, I have tried to use my credibility in the teacher-student relationship to address negative student behaviors.

*This semester, my attempts to provide guidance to students about negative behaviors have been effective, at least to some degree.

*This semester, how would you describe our students' levels of maturity (in terms of ability to succeed with a reasonable degree of independence in the high school environment)?

*This semester, when I felt worried, discouraged, or had a concern, there was at least one member of our campus administration I felt safe approaching to discuss the matter.

*I am optimistic about our students' future.

*Name at least one student this year who has made you proud and reminds you why you became a teacher.

*Name at least one colleague here at EHS who is a hero to you.

*Share a memory from this semester that makes you smile.

Process for the Evaluation of the Comprehensive School Counseling Program

The EHS Counseling Program will re-evaluate each goal at the end of the year to determine the effectiveness of the program goals. Information used for evaluation includes needs assessment data, SBDM goals, discipline data, attendance rates, promotion and graduation rates. Other considerations may come from other data resources such as SCUTA (usage of time), state financial aid submission dates, and CCMR (College, Career, Military Readiness) data. The EHS Counseling Department also collaborates with campus and district leadership to collect data that is compiled through district initiatives.

SMART Goal: The EHS Counseling Department’s counseling program is designed to meet student needs through a balanced application of the four service components: Individual Planning, Responsive Services, System Support, and Guidance Curriculum.

Individual Planning

EHS counselors will ensure that 100% of our students have a personal graduation plan identifying an endorsement and career pathway, with a relevant course of study leading to that goal. Aligning with KISD Priority 1 Student Success - 1.4 - All students will graduate from high school ready to enroll in post-secondary education, enlist in the military and /or enter the workforce.

Sample Activities:

*Create and maintain student four year plan in ESchool PLUS.

*Monitor student progress both academically and socially/emotionally.

*Recommend further interventions such as ongoing counseling, tutoring, and credit recovery opportunities to students as needed.

*Meet with students one-on-one to talk through individual plans and questions about college options, applications, financial aid, career aspirations, military recruitment, and/or work preparedness.

Responsive Services

EHS's SEL counselor will facilitate a smooth re-entry process for DAEP (District Alternative Education Placement) students to include two face-to-face meetings for students who have been away from campus due to discipline infractions. The goal is to have less recidivism.

Sample Activities:

*SEL counselor will be present at the transition meeting for all students placed at DAEP and schedule at least two meetings within the first month of their return to provide additional support.

*Counselors will provide support to students in crisis.

*Counselors will identify students in need of interventions through the use of MTSS, 504,
IEP Meetings, etc.

*Counselors will distribute information through Website/Schoology to students, parents, and staff to emphasize academic and wellness related themes and activities.

System Support

EHS counselors will conduct at least two college and career awareness activities.

Sample Activities:

*Offer the following events for parents and students to attend: FAFSA Nights; Academic Planning Fairs; 8th Grade Parent Night; College and Career Fairs.

*Aid students in the dual credit application process.

*Senior students participate in the Fast Track to CTC program (Senior students work with Central Texas College advisors to complete the registration process).

*Promote a healthy climate on campus for all staff and students.

*Establish partnerships with district and community outreach resources to include Communities in Schools and MFLC (Military and Family Life Counselor).

Guidance Curriculum

EHS counselors will ensure that 100% of graduating senior families fulfill the FAFSA completion graduation requirement by either completing the FAFSA or TASFA or completing the Opt-Out Form.

Sample Activities:

*Organize and conduct FAFSA Night/Workshop to support parents and students in completing the FAFSA/TASFA with the support of area colleges in English and Spanish.

*Conduct one-on-one meetings with senior students regarding postsecondary to include discussing financial aid plans and resources.

Example – Individual Planning

Counselors use attached template to help develop student’s four-year plans. The plans are originally entered into Naviance in 8th grade and maintained in eSchool PLUS for grades 9-12.

Example – System Support and Parent Collaboration

FAFSA/TASFA Financial Aid Nights are held in collaboration with local colleges to address questions/concerns about financial aid. The presentation includes information about financial aid, the importance of completing the FAFSA or TASFA for all students, and resources to support students and families with these tasks. Computers are provided for families to complete the FAFSA/TASFA with the assistance of Financial Aid College Representatives. EHS Counselors also meet with senior students to discuss postsecondary plans and monitor FAFSA completion reports to identify which students need additional follow-up. At the end of each year, 100% of EHS graduating seniors either complete the FAFSA or TASFA or complete an Opt-Out form indicating understanding of what those resources are for and are choosing not to complete them.

Content Area: Individual Planning

Postsecondary Planning and Career Readiness Curriculum Data is based on our CCMR (College, Career and Military Readiness) data; we identified the need to improve our CCMR percentage. We made available to all students the College Bridge College Prep Math and English courses to satisfy the CCMR requirement. For our college bound students, we offered FAFSA assistance, dissemination of college and career information to students, the use of Apply Texas, Common App, etc. to send qualifying information to colleges and universities, and multiple testing opportunities for SAT, ACT, TSIA2. For our career bound students, we will continue to work with our Career Center and CTE (Career and Technology Education) instructors to offer opportunities for industry-based certifications. For military bound students, we will continue to work with our Army JROTC program to identify students that wish to serve, ensure they are registered for the upcoming ASVAB and put students in contact with local recruiters. We will also continue to have all of our military recruiters on campus during our lunch periods to talk with all interested students. Counselors will track each senior’s future plans and review their CCMR prior to graduation.

In October 2024, our senior class was 54.5% CCMR complete. Seniors also completed a Student Readiness Survey to determine if students are actively pursuing their career goal, practicing financial literacy to minimize personal debt, and contributing positively to the community in which they live. Students who are actively pursuing a career goal do at least one of the following: enroll in a college or university, enroll in a trade school, enroll in a specialized training program, enlist in the U.S. Armed Forces or Texas National Guard, or enter the workforce.

In May 2024, our senior class was 84.3% CCMR complete.

Working with Stakeholders

A Comprehensive Guidance Counselors' Program encompasses many stakeholders. All stakeholders have a buy-in for advocacy of students’ academic progress, mental health awareness, and post-secondary planning. The counselors work with their school community to provide resources and opportunities for all students. The Counselors' Office strives to provide support for students academically, socially and emotionally, and help them connect with people and programs that will help them grow. The counselors work with parents by communicating goals effectively and providing resources and education. Collaborating with teachers is essential as they spend a great amount of time building relationships with their students. The counselors also work with community stakeholders such as Communities in Schools, MFLCs, and mental health programs. Collaboration and teamwork are all integral parts of ensuring a successful program. Communication through the school’s webpage, Schoology, social media accounts, phone and email communications, and school and district newsletters are all ways that stakeholders are kept informed and involved.