The American School Counseling Association is the front runner in quality school counseling programming. The Gateway School District Counseling Department has adopted the National Model for School Counseling as our program foundation. The model serves as our guide as we deliver counseling services to all students in the district. By adopting the standards and incorporating the model into our district curriculum, we can better serve the student population by being accountable through a written, systematic, comprehensive program.

After 3 years of intensive professional development directly from ASCA, counselors have become versed in the language of the model. RAMP, which stands for a Recognized ASCA Model Program, is an acknowledgement through ASCA that we are delivering services that support student achievement through a comprehensive model using national standards. The 2010-2011 school year proved to be a year of applying all that we learned and created, and after reviewing the 2010-2011 data, Gateway was granted this award in 2012 from ASCA. Gateway High School Counseling Department is honored to be designated a RAMP school!

The Professional School Counselors of Gateway School District are committed to the following:

We believe:

• All students have the right to be served by the school counseling program.
• All students’ ethnic, cultural and racial differences and special needs are considered in the planning and implementation of the School Counseling Program.
• The School Counseling Program should be consistent with developmental stages of learning.
• All students will have access to a school counselor to address personal/social needs, academic achievement and career planning.
• The School Counseling Program is planned, coordinated, delivered, evaluated, and facilitated by state-certified counselors.
• Counselors will advocate for all students with special attention to barriers that impede student learning.
• All students have the ability to learn and have the right to take advantage of quality educational opportunities provided.
• School Counseling Program planning and decision making are data driven through an ongoing review of service delivery, curriculum management, and ASCA Model results reports
• An ongoing program of counselor competency training and retraining is necessary to maintain a quality School Counseling Program.
• The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) and the Pennsylvania School Counselors Association (PSCA) professional mandates and guidelines set the standards for the Gateway School District school counseling program.
• K-12 counselors shall abide by the professional ASCA Code of Ethics.

The vision of the Gateway School District Counseling Department is that all students will espouse the characteristics of the Gateway Seal:

Learning, Scholarship, Leadership, and Sportsmanship

Through our commitment to a comprehensive school counseling program, we envision all children learning from a student-centered, data-driven instructional program that provides a rigorous educational environment that promotes academic excellence, addresses personal/social needs, and supports career awareness, exploration and preparation. Our vision is to empower all students to be independent, empathetic thinkers who are prepared to be productive community members today, tomorrow, and in the future.

School Counseling Mission Statement

The mission of the Gateway Professional School Counselors is to provide a comprehensive developmental counseling program for all students K-12. Professional School Counselors provide equitable access to maximize academic achievement, to foster personal and social growth, and to facilitate career development in partnership with parents, guardians and all other members of the school community. We are key stakeholders in a collaborative effort to provide a safe and supportive environment academically, physically, and emotionally. Advocacy, leadership, collaboration, and systematic change are the framework of the Gateway School District School Counseling Program. Our mission is to inspire all students to develop their individual potential to become life-long learners who are college and career ready citizens in our diverse and changing world.