• Drake High School

    COUNSELING SERVICES

     

    The Tamalpais Union High School District counseling staff is committed to supporting students through their high school experience, assisting students to explore their personal and academic goals, and providing resources for students to research possibilities and plan post-secondary options. The program goals in counseling are aligned with the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Standards for counselors.  The program goals were established to best support students to meet outcomes aligned with the TUHSD Mission Statement in the areas of academic, career and personal/social development.  The counselor load is approximately 275-325 students per counselor. Counselors assist students to develop a personalized plan that acknowledges their personal strengths, values, challenges and boundaries.  The counselors annually guide students to make appropriate decisions regarding class scheduling to best meet their post-high school plans.

    Drake counselors work directly with students to support them to meet the following district goals throughout high school:

     

    ·         Students will recognize and access resources to explore personal, academic and career goals

    ·         Students will understand how current choices impact their future

    ·         Students will understand the importance of balancing academic, extra-curricular and personal responsibilities

    ·         Students will know how to communicate effectively and appropriately

    ·         Students will identify personal strengths, values, challenges and boundaries

     

    Online access to the many questions parents and students may have regarding counseling services can be accessed at the Drake Counseling Website. 

     

                Students are assigned a counselor who is aligned with their 9th and 10th grade Small Learning Community.  This counselor/SLC alignment provides a connection to the programs and streamlined support.  Students will have the same counselor for four years, which provides an opportunity for them to develop a relationship and maximize support throughout high school. Students may go to the counseling office during break, lunch, before school, or after school to sign up for an appointment. Counselors will send for students at their earliest convenience. In cases of personal emergencies, however, students should report directly to the counseling secretary, who will find someone to help them immediately. School counselors provide an array of services to families, which include, but are not limited to:

    ·         Classroom guidance

    ·         Small group Meetings

    ·         Parent Nights

    ·         Tutorial workshops

    ·         Individual conferences

     

                Counselors are also a referral source for support services in the community.

     

    In addition to school counselors, Drake has a College & Career Specialist. This specialist focuses specifically on post-high school plans and opportunities. She organizes on-site visits from college admission representatives and helps students to research different colleges, gap year programs and alternative educational opportunities. In addition, the College & Career Specialist organizes opportunities for students to prepare for the SAT, ACT and write college essays.

     

    Drake offers opportunities for career exploration through the use of internships. In this program, students are given credit for off-site internships in local business. This program has a part time School to Career Liaison on site.  Drake currently has the highest rate of internship participation in the district, with approximately 20% of our students participating in the program.

     

    All students are assigned a Naviance account which both the counselors and College & Career Specialist utilize when supporting students in their postsecondary planning. Through this program, students access, among others, the following resources:

     

    ●       College Match that identifies potential matches for students based on several indicators.

    ●       Six different personality and career surveys

    ●       Resume writing

    ●       Personality inventory when students begin career exploration

    ●       Scholarship opportunities