FTCE School Counseling 018 study plan

Map each stage of human development (physical, cognitive, language, social/emotional) from early childhood through adolescence and write a one-page comparison chart linking each stage to counseling implications.

Distinguish the core claims of major learning theories (behaviorism, social learning, cognitive/information processing, constructivism, motivation theory) and generate one school-based counseling application for each.

Explain how academic, career, and personal/social development interact during the middle and high school years, citing at least three concrete developmental tasks per domain.

Identify developmental risk and protective factors (e.g., family instability, peer influence, executive function delays) and draft a short list of counselor responses for each.

Differentiate norm-referenced, criterion-referenced, formative, and summative assessments and state the appropriate counseling use for each.

Interpret standard scores, percentile ranks, stanines, grade equivalents, and confidence intervals, and explain to a hypothetical parent why grade equivalents mislead.

Compute and interpret basic descriptive statistics (mean, median, mode, standard deviation) from a small school data set you construct yourself.

Identify the ethical and legal constraints on test administration, accommodation, and release of results, including parental consent and record access.

Draft three data-driven questions a school counselor could answer using achievement, attendance, or discipline data.

Outline the components of a comprehensive developmental school counseling program (foundation, delivery, management, accountability) and describe what each component contains.

Compare direct and indirect student services and classify at least ten counselor activities into the correct category.

Design a needs assessment instrument a counselor could administer to students, staff, and families, including at least eight items and a scoring approach.

Sequence a year-long program calendar that balances classroom lessons, group counseling, individual counseling, and responsive services.

Explain how a counselor aligns program goals to school improvement plan priorities.

Contrast individual and group counseling approaches and justify when each is indicated for a given student concern.

Plan a six-session small-group counseling series, specifying screening criteria, session objectives, activities, and evaluation of outcomes.

Apply at least three counseling techniques (e.g., active listening, reframing, solution-focused scaling, goal setting) in a written transcript-style demonstration.

Describe a consultation model for working with teachers and families, and draft a consultation opening that establishes roles and confidentiality limits.

Identify indicators of crisis and describe the counselor's role in suicide risk screening, threat assessment, and referral, including immediate safety steps.

Summarize the ethical standards most tested in school counseling (informed consent, confidentiality and its limits, dual relationships, competence, advocacy) and give a concrete example of each.

Distinguish the counselor's legal obligations regarding mandated reporting, FERPA records access, and students' rights, noting where state law may add requirements.

Explain the counselor's role in multidisciplinary teams (IEP, 504, MTSS) and describe how to collaborate with teachers, administrators, and community agencies.

Draft a confidentiality disclosure statement appropriate for students and one for parents, in plain language.

Analyze three short ethical dilemma scenarios and justify a course of action using an explicit decision-making model.

Revisit developmental content by matching ten student scenarios to the developmental issue and appropriate intervention.

Design a data-collection plan for evaluating a counseling intervention, including baseline, progress monitoring, and outcome measure.

Practice disaggregating school data (by grade, subgroup, and referral source) and identify equity gaps from a fictional data table.

Explain how to use results to adjust services and report outcomes to stakeholders in a one-page summary.

Identify common misinterpretations of data and testing results that counselors should correct.

Integrate program design with service delivery by mapping responsive services and counseling supports onto the annual plan created earlier.

Write measurable student competencies and align them to classroom lessons and group counseling objectives.

Build an accountability plan that pairs each program goal with a specific data source and reporting method.

Practice describing, in writing, how you would respond to a student in crisis within the program structure, including referral and follow-up.

Evaluate a fictional program plan for gaps in delivery, equity, and accountability, and propose revisions.

Review all five domain reference sheets and condense each into a one-page summary of the most testable concepts.

Complete a timed, full-length practice set of at least 100 original self-written questions or concept checks and analyze errors by domain.

Re-teach the two weakest domains aloud or in writing to confirm mastery.

Rehearse test-taking strategy for scenario and 'most appropriate response' items, articulating why distractors fail.

Finalize a personal exam-day plan covering timing, item-flagging strategy, and content areas to recheck.