Chesapeake Bay Middle School is the first school in Maryland to be recognized nationallyfor its counseling department.
“They are the … only school in Maryland to be recognized for having a school counseling program that is aligned with national standards,” said Gayle Cicero, the school system?s coordinator of school counseling.
The Pasadena school recently earned the American School Counselor Association?s Recognized ASCA Model Program designation for “making an exemplary commitment to comprehensive school counseling programs,” association officials reported.
The school had to demonstrate how exemplary its counseling system was in terms of its foundation, management, delivery and accountability, said Jill Cook, ASCA assistant director.
“There is more accountability now,” Principal Jacques Smith said about his school of 1,356 students.
In the past, the school?s five guidance counselors would set goals, such as having a certain number of meetings with students identified as having poor study skills. The counselor would then report to the principal about whether the meetings happened as planned.
“Now, they?ll have to report back to us the level of success they?re having,” Smith said.
In other words, counselors now must describe the specific
progress being made by the students and their actual results, he said.
The award recognizes the school?s specific approach and not actual results because they haven?t been reported yet, Smith said.
Chesapeake Bay was the first Anne Arundel school to apply for the designation. Because of Chesapeake?s success, Cicero said she was expecting three more schools to apply next year.
The school was one of 60 schools nationwide to receive the honor this year from ASCA, a worldwide nonprofit based in Alexandria, Va.
The school will be honored during a ceremony at ASCA?s annual conference June 30 in Atlanta.
