Pubdate: Sat, 9 Dec 2006
Source: Press-Enterprise (Riverside, CA)
Copyright: 2006 The Press-Enterprise Company
Contact:  http://www.pe.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/830
Author: Jamie Ayala, The Press-Enterprise

SCHOOLS TO GUIDE PUPILS MORE

With the New Hires, Some Campuses ADD  Counselors to Deter Drugs, Violence.

SAN JACINTO - Sometimes, San Jacinto students did not  know their
school counselors, much less their purpose.

The district hopes to improve counseling services with  Department of
Education funds, allowing the district to  hire more counselors, add
programs and focus on  individual students.

"Counseling was seen as 'for crisis,' but now it's  defined and at the
end of the year there are outcomes,"  said Diane Perez, director of
student support. Last  year, the district received a $351,000
three-year,  elementary-school counseling grant through the
Department of Education Safe and Drug-Free Schools  Division. The
district matched the counseling funding  with in-kind contributions
valued at $358,100. It hired  three new counselors for its six
elementary schools  this year and is seeking a fourth one for the
district  office. Last year, the district could only afford to  hire
one for those schools.

Each counselor is assigned two schools. Despite the  split, Edgar
Sanchez, who is new at Estudillo and Hyatt  elementary schools, said
counselors are serving more  students. The student-to-elementary
school counselor  ratio last year was 4,000 to 1. It is now 1,394 to
1.

"Some students face many of the same issues that a  middle or high
school student does, such as grief and  divorce," said Sanchez, who,
like the other two  counselors, spends two days at each school and
dedicates Fridays to meeting with families. "If we can  help them out
at an earlier age, we can hopefully keep  them on the right path."

With the additional staffing, elementary schools have  also been able
to add guidance lessons on violence and  drug prevention, self-esteem
and conflict resolution.  Pupils in third, fourth and fifth grades are
targeted  this year, according to the district plan.

This year, the district also took advantage of $200  million in
counseling funding approved by Gov.  Schwarzenegger in the summer. The
funds, approved as  Assembly Bill 1802, were allocated to hire 3,000
new  middle school and high school counselors statewide.
Participating districts must hold yearly counseling  meetings with
every student and family in seventh  through 12th grades. Districts
receive about $80 per  enrolled student in those grades.

The school board is expected to approve the  implementation of the
counseling plan Tuesday.

The emphasis on counseling is welcome, said Garry  Chalmers, a
counselor at San Jacinto High School.

"It's been an uphill battle, and all of a sudden there  is more value
on what we do," he said.

San Jacinto hired a counselor at each of its two middle  schools and
an additional counselor at the high school.  Requirements of AB 1802
help boost awareness and  include parents, said Christine Gianunzio,
an assistant  principal for the middle schools. The recent hires and
a filling of vacancies increased counselors at the high  school from
four to six. Counselors say the increase  makes their workload manageable.

"Before, it was about 700-800 students per counselor  and it was just
a case of keeping our head above  water," Chalmers said.

The ratio today is about 350 students per counselor,  according to
student support services.

In addition to academic guidance, Chalmers said  counselors are able
to dedicate time to social and  emotional counseling, which was rarely
possible before.  Meanwhile, new counselors Cheryl Love and Marilyn
Hein  are reviving the school's career center, offering daily
services such as career exploration, help with college  applications
and guest speakers. They are organizing a  career fair for the spring.

[sidebar]

FOCUS ON INDIVIDUALS

Student-to-counselor ratios:

Recommended: 250 to 1

National average: 488 to 1

California average: 906 to 1

In San Jacinto schools, the ratio is 1,394 to 1 in  elementary
schools, 520 to 1 in middle schools and 350  to 1 in high schools.

Sources: American School Counselor Association,  California 
Department of Education, San Jacinto Unified  School District
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake