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2nd Largest in Iowa
16,000+Students enrolled
Teenage girl talks to school counselor

Cedar Rapids Community School District provides a comprehensive school counseling program that is developmental, proactive, preventative, and systemic. The program is essential to CRCSD’s educational program, and assists students in developing and using life-long learning skills. The school counseling program employs strategies to enhance academic development, provides career awareness and employment readiness, and encourages self-awareness and interpersonal communication skills.

The counseling program strives to meet the national standards of the American School Counseling Association, which categorizes the counseling responsibilities into three focus areas: academic, career and personal/social. Students’ development in these areas is fostered through consulting, counselor programming, responsive services, student planning, program management, and advocacy.

Direct student services

  • School counseling core curriculum instruction: direct instruction, team teaching, developing learning activities
    • Group activities: planned activities outside the classroom promoting academic, career, or social/emotional development
  • Individual student planning
    • Appraisal: assist students in evaluating interests abilities, skills, and achievement
    • Advisement: assist students in goal setting based on academic, career, and social/emotional data
  • Responsive services
    • Counseling: in individual or small group settings school counselors provide planned, short-term, and goal-focused counseling. School counselors do not provide therapy or long-term counseling in schools. However, school counselors are prepared to recognize and respond to student mental health needs and assist students and families seeking resources.
    • Crisis response: provide support and assistance to students and families as they navigate crisis and emergency situations

Indirect student services

  • Consultation: share strategies supporting student achievement with parents, teachers, other educators, and community organizations
  • Collaboration: work with other educators, parents, and the community to support student achievement
  • Referrals: support for students and families to school or community resources for additional assistance and information

Key contact

Paul Hayes

Future Ready Learning and School Counseling Lead