Executive Director's Page

Olweus Bullying Prevention Program Information               

 PDE BEC: EDUCATION FOR HOMELESS YOUTH

    The Pennsylvania Department develops Basic Education Circulars/BECs that provide "guidance" on the implementation of laws, regulations, and policies related to education.  BECs cover a wide variety of topics many of which directly relate to the role and function of school counselors.  

The recently reviewed and released BEC: Education for Homeless Youth can be found on the right or at the Pennsylvania Department of Education website.

A Sampling of topics of interest to school counselors includes:  "Access to Secondary Students," "Assessments and Graduation Requirements," "Drug and Alcohol Education," "Counseling and Support Services," "Enrollment of Students," "Protection of Pupil Rights," and "Student Records Being Retained by a Private School." These and other BECs are available at the PDE Website. 

..news and updates from PSCA



»  SCHOOL COUNSELORS AS LEADERS OF COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS 

 A new report by The Education Trust's National Center for Transforming School Counseling, "Poised to Lead: How School Counselors Can Drive College and Career Readiness," outlines adjustments that states, districts, and principals must make to empower school counselors to lead college- and career-readiness efforts. The report affirms school counselors as powerful champions in school who, with scads of data at their fingertips, are uniquely positioned to advocate for students in a way that most other educators are not. The report challenges that too often school counselors are either underprepared or underutilized. The report, funded by the MetLife Foundation, also calls on programs that train school counselors to do a better job of preparing their graduates to serve in this role.

 

»RECENTLY RELEASED RESOURCES

The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry has announced the release of the 2011-2012 Pennsylvania Career Guide. The newest version of the Pennsylvania Career Guide has been posted online and is available through the publications page on PA Work Stats. It can be accessed directly through this link: http://www.paworkstats.state.pa.us/admin/gsipub/htmlarea/uploads/CG_11-12.pdf

 The Center for Safe Schools has partnered with the Highmark Foundation to produce the Pennsylvania Bullying Prevention Toolkit designed to help parents, educators and professionals serving youth prevent bullying and support children affected by it. The Pennsylvania Bullying Prevention Toolkit can be downloaded at the following link: http://www.safeschools.info/bp_toolkit.pdf

 Pennsylvania's Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) cited a recent article that highlights the state's efforts regarding school readiness. The article, Improving School Readiness and Success for Children, by the Social/Emotional Development and Learning (SEDL) Southeast Comprehensive Center, reviews the significance of school readiness and factors that help young learners prepare for school.

 »DIRECTORY QUESTIONS:  The PSCA leadership has been receiving questions regarding e-mails that are being sent to school counselorsΔ to verify accuracy of information that will be used in an upcoming State of Pennsylvania School Counselor Guide listing school counselors (primarily high school) in PA. The e-mails have come from Diane Mancini who is doing the research for schoolcounselordirectory.com. PSCA is not affiliated with the project; the decision to send corrections is up to you. Members of PSCA have access to the Member Directory which contains the most up to date contact information…as edited by members themselves.   





"The future depends upon what we do in the present."

Mahatma Gandhi