Directions for Completing the Partnership Agreement

Guidelines for Completing the Annual School Counselor/Administrator Partnership Agreement

Administrator support is essential to the successful implementation of a comprehensive school counseling program and the effective practices of professional school counselors. The Partnership Agreement (PA) is developed after thorough planning by the school counseling team and collaboration with administrators.

The Partnership Agreement serves many purposes:

 develops a clear framework for the delivery of school counseling program  designates individuals who are responsible for large tasks/activities  addresses school counselor professional learning  indicates counselor involvement in professional collaboration  provides a format for outlining school counseling department core curriculum, closing the gap, and small group action plans  provides a format for sharing school counseling department core curriculum, closing the gap, and small group results reports  establishes office hours and division of duties  addresses other duties performed by the school counseling department  estimates the percentage of time school counselors plan to spend in each delivery service (classroom, individual planning, responsive services, system support)

Steps for Completing the Partnership Agreement

Suggestions for One Counselor at the Site: 1. Design a calendar reflecting times allotted for  Direct Services to Students  Indirect Services to Students  Program Planning and School Support

Refer to school/ district calendars when developing the school counseling program calendar.

2. Calculate the percentage of time you plan to spend in each of the delivery areas. The Recommended Use of Time chart is included in the PA. The percentages are to be used as a comparison of the school counseling program to an ideal comprehensive school counseling program and a point of discussion for increasing direct services to students.

3. Meet with identified administrator to review the proposed PA. Make revisions if necessary to meet the needs of all students and school community.

4. Once the PA is signed by both parties, the school counselor should maintain the original for the Annual Performance Evaluation.

Suggestions for Several Counselors at the Site: 1. Meet with the school counseling department to discuss allocation of duties  Division of students (alphabetical, academies, grade level, etc.)  Specific domains/specialties (grade level duties, academic, career, personal/social)  Areas of strength/interest  Office coverage (counselor on call, clerical support, parent volunteers, student aides, etc.)  Other duties/activities/programs

2. Design a calendar reflecting times allotted for  Direct Services to Students  Indirect Services to Students  Program Planning and School Support

Refer to school/ district calendars when developing the school counseling program calendar.

3. Calculate the percentage of time each counselor plans to spend in each of the delivery areas. The Recommended Use of Time chart is included in the PA. The percentages are to be used as a comparison of the school counseling program to an ideal comprehensive school counseling program and a point of discussion for increasing direct services to students. 4. Each school counselor will complete the counselor specific section of the PA. The remaining sections will reflect the duties carried out by the entire department.

5. Each school counselor should meet with identified administrator to review the proposed PA. The entire department, lead counselor, or designated school counselor should meet with the identified administrator to review the departmental sections of the PA. Make revisions if necessary to meet the needs of all students and the school community.

6. Once the PA is signed by both parties, the school counselor should maintain the original for the Annual Performance Evaluation.

Suggestions for Administrators: 1. Notify school counselors that the PA must be signed by the twenty-fifth day of school (not including pre-planning). 2. Review the PA template prior to meeting with school counselors. 3. Offer to assist with the development of the PA (especially for new counselors or in schools with one school counselor). 4. Arrange a time to meet with each school counselor to review the proposed PA. Make revisions if necessary to meet the needs of all students and the school community. 5. In schools with more than one counselor, arrange a time to review the departmental sections of the PA in addition to individual PAs. The departmental section of the PA drives the individual PA activities/duties. 6. Once the PA is signed by both parties, the administrator should maintain a copy for the Annual Performance Evaluation.

Important Note: Administrators and School Counselors should regard the PA as a framework for providing a school counseling program to all students. It is not a binding agreement; all parties should allow for flexibility and opportunities to revise and respond to students’ needs. The PA is not intended to address every aspect of the school counselor’s day, but it should reflect a majority of the school counselor’s time.

Even though the PA is part of the individual school counselor Annual Performance Evaluation, it may be used as tool for evaluating the overall school counseling program.