Prevention, Education and Training
Candidates know and have skills in the planning, organizing and implementing educational programs designed to promote pupil learning and high academic achievement. Candidates also have knowledge in preventing problems that pose barriers to learning and achievement. Candidates develop knowledge and skills in working with school staff, parents, and family members to enable them to eliminate barriers to learning and achievement.
- Knowledge of and skills in identifying early signs and predictors of student learning problems
Candidates are required to engage in activities that are designed to develop their knowledge of and skills in identifying early signs and predictors of student learning problems in the following courses:
COUN 203: Through class discussions, and reading required texts, candidates are given opportunities to:
- describe methods and theories related to the emotional, intellectual, and physical characteristics of typical and atypical students identify appropriate research methods and procedures used to carry out investigations in educational and psychological settings.
Assignment: Based on these concepts, they are given the opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge and skills through doing the following:
- write an assessment of the person based on the knowledge divulged in the student’s interview writing a psychological report on a student/partner from the class
Assignment: Candidates demonstrate their knowledge and skills in identifying problems in student development through the following activities:
- observation of a child and write-up
- interview with an adolescent and write-up
COUN 233: Candidates have an opportunity to observe and interact with children in the university Early Education Center.
CI 285: Through class discussions and the assigned readings, candidates are exposed to a wide range of psychological theories implicated in learning. Candidates demonstrate their understanding through:
- taking weekly quizzes on the course contents
- analyzing a research article
- making oral presentation
- complete a team or individual mini-research project/paper
Coun 249: Candidates participate in early identification of pupils’ learning conditions through the following activities:
- Identification of the gifted, retarded, and emotional child with adjustment difficulties in school
- Identification of children with ability in art, music, reading, arithmetic and other academic areas
- Identification of at risk students who may be potential drop-outs
Candidates are required to provide counseling and/or intervention for a student at risk of school failure. They are required to submit a case study write-up and make a verbal presentation in class. The case study write-up includes the following:
- A brief and concise summary of the family history and current situation addressing the following areas: ethnic, socio-economic, linguistic background, family dynamics, strengths and challenges.
- Assessment: Identify how these problems affect your student’s learning, academic achievement, and school behaviors; identify your student’s interest and strengths and things that can motivate your student’s learning.
Include what you have done to assess the problems, for example:
- consultation with parents, teachers, other school personnel and/or administrators,
- review of your student’s school records and other assessment reports,
- direct observation of your student in class or on campus,
- attendance at IEP or SST meetings for your student.
d. Intervention: Consider which of the following areas are most appropriate and feasible in your intervention activities:
- crisis intervention
- individual counseling/guidance
- group counseling/guidance
- consultation with parents, teachers, other school personnel and/or administrators referral to onsite or community program
Knowledge of and skills in developing, organizing, resenting and evaluating
- Educational programs
- Prevention programs for parents, family and community members
COUN 241, 242, 249 place strong emphasis on developing candidates’ knowledge and skills to develop, organize, present, and evaluate programs for education, prevention, and intervention purposes in school settings.
COUN 241: Candidates will write a research paper on successful programs.
COUN 242: Candidates will conduct a workshop in class on topics that involve planned prevention/intervention program, classroom management plan, parent education, and psychosocial and educational areas.
Coun 242a. Candidates study different consultation models, interview a consultant regarding strategies to alleviate school failure and increase school pupil success, and listen to one of their peers’ presentation on a planned prevention/intervention program, i.e. drug abuse prevention, school drop out prevention, intervention with at-risk students, positive alternatives to gangbanging, increasing school success for elementary, middle, or secondary school students.
b. Subsequently, candidates are required to develop a specific method for working with school staff and parents around a program to alleviate school failure and increase pupil success in response to a vignette in their final examination.
Coun 249: Candidates will be engaged in activities such as:
- Present inservice meeting to teachers/staff/parents
- Prepare behavior modification programs for students
- Work with or develop peer counseling program
- Establish a crisis counseling center
- Help evaluate the PPS program
Knowledge of and skills in working with teachers to implement and evaluate educational programs
Candidates have the opportunity to develop knowledge of and skills in working with teachers when they take COUN 242 that reviews different consultation models for use in educational settings. They demonstrate their knowledge and skills through class discussions and writing an essay for their Final Examination when they apply a specific consultation model to vignettes relating to school settings.
Candidates further apply their knowledge and practice their skills when they take Coun 249. Their activities in K-12 setting include:
Conference with teachers
- Participate on a Student Study Team as a counselor
- Consult with a teacher regarding a particular student
- Help a student adjust to peers/parents/teachers