Guidance Counselor

Westerly Public Schools•Westerly, RI

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Reporting directly to the middle school principal, the Middle School Counselor supports students in grades 5–8 through critical academic, personal, and developmental transitions. This role drives early career exploration, introduces high school and post-secondary pathways, and collaborates with families, teachers, and community partners to promote academic success and personal growth.

Requirements

Student Counseling & Advocacy.
Intervention & Support.
Career and occupational resources, trends, and opportunities.
Modern office practices, procedures, and equipment.
Basic research methods.
Student learning styles.
RTI theory and practice.
Master's degree required.
Must meet the current RI Department of Education requirements and or certifications.

Nice To Haves

Five years’ experience in a Middle School setting is preferred.

Responsibilities

Maintain open accessibility to provide individual guidance and counseling services to all students.
Advocate dedicatedly for students and their families while taking all necessary precautions to ensure student safety and well-being.
Assists students with development of their Individualized Learning Plan (ILP)
Facilitate outreach efforts to provide services to students, parents/guardians and staff.
Helps students map out academic, career, and personal goals through regular reviews with educators and families.
Assists with mediating peer conflicts and helps students develop healthy communication skills.
Schedule students in appropriate courses.
Consult with students, parents and staff to assist students with academic/career planning.
Obtains, organizes, files and displays guidance materials; catalog and prepare for use by students; maintain displays and bulletin boards.
Member of School MTSS Team.
Guides process for purchase of additional intervention materials
Promotes the use of Tier I classroom interventions - researched-based interventions in Tier II—and Tier III—Intensive Level.
Plans and delivers ongoing staff development for teachers and paraprofessionals with respect to RTI.
Implements interventions for individual students or small groups: Provides a clear definition of the student problem(s), Selects appropriate evidence-based intervention strategies or programs, Uses data to determine if the intervention is effective Measures success of the intervention to ensure that it is implemented with integrity.
Connect students, parents/guardians and staff with specialized referral agencies.
Understand, evaluate, and interpret academic performance data.
Interpret information about students to the student, their parents/guardians, and staff.
Implement individual and group counseling methods that are appropriate.
Conduct career and educational planning activities.
Participate in in-service activities promoted by the district.
Submit required reports promptly and accurately.
Performs related duties as assigned.