2006 Indiana Gold Star School Counseling Award  

The Indiana Department of Education and the American Student Achievement Institute recently announced that Lafayette Jefferson High School is one of 20 Indiana schools that received the 2006 Indiana Gold Star School Counseling Award.  The Gold Star School Counseling Award will be presented to representatives of the school at the Indiana School Counselor Association State Conference on November 3, 2006 in Indianapolis .     

Lafayette Jefferson High School meets all of the requirements for the nation’s highest recognition of school counseling programs, the American School Counselor Association’s RAMP program.   RAMP is the Recognized ASCA Model Program and demonstrates that a school is “committed to delivering a comprehensive, data-driven school counseling program.”  Only eighteen other school counseling programs around the country have received the distinctive RAMP recognition.   A national recognition program honoring RAMP schools will be held this spring in Washington , D.C.  

To qualify for both awards, the school submitted a portfolio with documentation that the school meets the nine program standards found in Indiana ’s Program Standards for School Counseling:  1) foundations, 2) data-based accountability, 3) student guidance, 4) student counseling, 5) student advocacy, 6) program management, 7) professionalism, 8) resources, and 9) continuous improvement.  The Indiana Gold Star School Counseling program was recognized by the national Pathways to College Network as one of approximately 100 programs across the country that "reflect research-based principles and actions to improve college access and success.”  

Sandy Burke, Glade Montgomery , Joyce Seidle, Stephanie Smith , Connie Shoemaker, and Jackie Wagner attended four training sessions in Indianapolis during the 2005-06 school year where they learned how to implement the Gold Star School Counseling model.  Also involved in the local initiative were students, teachers, parents, and community members who serve on the local School Counseling Advisory Council.  This group provided valuable input and feedback as the Gold Star School Counseling initiative was being developed.  Members of the Advisory Council include Tracy Banasiak, Joe Casa Santa, Holly Collins, Doug Elliott, Ann Jackson, Frank Lane , Jim Lilley, Kevin Maxwell , Ben Murray, Reid Schmidt, Emily Seevers, Linnette Smith, Bob Stwalley, and Manaz Taleyarkhan.  

Sue Reynolds, Executive Director of the American Student Achievement Institute, had high praise for the local school counseling program.  She stated, “The school counselors and others at  Jefferson High School have worked hard to ensure that students have an accountable school counseling program that meets their academic, career, and citizenship development needs.  These educators and community members are truly dedicated to the community’s young people and are going the ‘extra mile’ to help students succeed.”  

Indiana Department of Education School Counselor Consultant Gina Woodward says, “ Indiana ’s Gold Star Schools demonstrate the intensive work local communities are doing in collaboration with school counselors to remove the barriers to learning so that all students can find success in school.”