Program Review Educational Counseling

California State University, Bakersfield – Educational Counseling (EDCS) 

Program Summary 

Program Design 
The Educational Counseling program at CSUB provides a pathway for candidates to complete a master’s degree in Educational Counseling with a focus in School Counseling which allows graduates to apply for the Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) credential.  This program is led by Juterh Nmah, Ph.D. The program utilizes a cohort model and is comprised of five semesters over three academic years for full-time students with a total of 49 units for the PPS credential and 52 units to complete the master’s degree in Educational Counseling. A field experience is included in each semester. The first two semesters include 11 units per semester. Semesters three and four include 10 units each, and the final semester includes seven units. All courses are facilitated through in-person or synchronous meetings online. 

Several key modifications to the EDCS program are included to fulfill the requirements of this credential update. Implementation of the updated courses and content will begin with the Fall 2022 cohort. Prior to this cohort, the EDCS/PPS program was comprised of 48 units. The fieldwork component of the program has been expanded from three semesters to five semesters. Candidates complete 50 hours of practicum fieldwork experience in the first two semesters of the program. They continue with fieldwork courses (I, II, and III) in the remaining three semesters of the program. This change will allow students an opportunity to apply the lessons they are learning in the classroom to a real-world setting over the course of their entire credential/degree program. The courses were updated to reflect the current credential requirements. Additionally, two new courses were created to address the area of Crisis Counseling (EDCS 5150) and Collaboration and Leadership (EDCS 6310). 

In the 2019-2020 academic year, EDCS program faculty created an advisory board for the transition process which included several stakeholders including, but not limited to, former students, area counselors, site mentors, and community leaders. The advisory board engages in dialogue with the EDCS faculty to seek feedback about the efficacy of the EDCS program and ways in which the program might better support candidates in the program. 

Course of Study (Curriculum and Field Experience) 
The curriculum of the EDCS PPS program is directly and explicitly aligned to the SCPEs of the PPS credential update provided by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Specifically, students must complete 21 units in core counseling courses, 12 units in PPS specialty courses, and 16 units of supervised fieldwork. The core counseling courses cover the competencies and theories essential for all educational counselors. The PPS specialty courses introduce the competencies and theories required for counselors practicing in school counseling. The fieldwork courses allow students the opportunity to observe professionals practicing in the field, develop their own skills as practitioners, and make connections between the course content from the classroom and the scenarios faced by counselors working in the field. During the field experiences, credential candidates move from observing counselors in their work with students and families to conducting individual counseling sessions with students, academic advising, group interventions, classroom guidance lessons, and other interventions with students and their families. Candidates develop a community of practice to address equity issues that influence student outcomes. 

The course sequence allows students to develop the core counseling competencies as well as the specialized school counseling competencies to allow them to become effective practitioners. The core counseling courses provide the scaffolding for candidates to understand and develop individual counseling skills, overarching theories of counseling, and applications of the core skills and theories in school settings. The specialty courses review the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) Model and provide opportunities for candidates to develop strategies to design key components of school counseling programs. The specialty courses also provide space for candidates to examine and understand the ways in which equity and justice are influenced by systemic oppression. Signature Assignments throughout the coursework allow students to learn, evaluate, and reflect on their knowledge and performance. 

Candidates receive ongoing feedback from their instructors, site mentors, and university supervisors during the field experiences. Fieldwork placements during Practicum I and II allow students to understand the many roles that counselors play through direct observation and supporting activities. During these courses, students meet weekly with the university instructor to explore the connection between the content taught in courses to the experiences they observe in the counseling field.  In Fieldwork I, II, and III, candidates begin working, under supervision, in the capacity of school counselors. Candidates will complete placement at a minimum of two (2) different school levels during the Fieldwork I, II, and III courses. The fieldwork supervision course meets weekly and includes university faculty and candidates. Time in this space is dedicated to the review of key competencies and case review to increase candidate understanding and comfort with intervention strategies and supports. Candidates are required to present a case study, revise and implement self-care plan, and develop a professional growth plan throughout the fieldwork experiences. 

Assessment of Candidates 
The primary learning objectives for the EDCS program are the SCPEs. Candidates are evaluated on their knowledge of the SCPEs and their abilities to implement the core competencies of the SCPEs in school settings is assessed throughout the program. The candidate dispositions and the evaluations that assess student performance in these domains are introduced or reviewed in every class. Candidates are expected to demonstrate these core competencies in all aspects of the program. Instructors provide feedback regarding the dispositions through the signature assignments so that students may implement feedback to improve their performance as they progress through the course sequence. 

During Fieldwork I, II, and III, candidates are evaluated when they complete the required hours for each course. This assessment includes an evaluation of counselor dispositions by the site mentor and university supervisor as well as a self-reflection by the candidate. These evaluations serve as the foundation for on-going skill development for each candidate and are discussed with the candidates during the supervision process. 

The Master of Science degree in Counseling is a 52 (School Counseling/PPS) semester unit degree designed to provide graduate preparation for counselors in the areas of School Counseling and Student Affairs in Higher Education. This program is designed to prepare professional counselors to develop the skills necessary to serve as educational counselors in a wide variety of settings. 
 
The coursework in the MS in Counseling program includes core counseling courses, content specialty courses, supervised field experiences, and a final culminating activity (comprehensive exam) as outlined below. Most students in the PPS concentration complete the program in five semesters, attending full time, or eight semesters, attending part time. Students may extend their program for up to seven years according to university regulations.

6.1 Clinical Practice Table

6.2 Memorandums of Understanding
CSUB Educator Preparation Programs are committed to ensuring our candidates have school placements that are responsive to inclusion, diversity, and equity to ensure we are engaging with our partners to reflect our local context. In order to meet the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing standards and the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation standards, we partner with our clinical practice providers to ensure candidates have placements that are reflective of California public schools and promote culturally responsive practice. Our partner District MOUs are alphabetized in the 3 sections below. The district or school name link will provide the district demographics sheet outlining the race and ethnic, language, and socio-economic diversity of the district. Below each site name is a copy of each MOU we hold with the district or school.
Site Placements: Process, Diversity, and MOUs

6.3 Training Materials
Site-based supervisors (cooperating teachers and mentors) are co-selected by the university and district. Each program determines eligibility for site-supervisor selection based on program standards and program needs (Common Standard 3).

6.4 Placement Documentation 

6.5 Educational Counseling Program Clinical Practice Handbook

6.6 Field Experience Syllabi
EDCS 6360 Field Work 1
EDCS 6370 Field Work 2
EDCS 6380 Field Work 3 

7.1
Candidates are notified via email by the admissions advisor of the credential recommendation process, and given the link to CSUB’s in-house credential recommendation application.  The application packet also contains a checklist of required documents necessary to be eligible to apply for their credential.

Upon receipt of the credential application, the Credential Analyst reviews and verifies eligibility and that all program criteria are met, and that only qualified candidates are recommended for the credential. This process is completed through a review of candidate data in the CSUB Credential database and digital document file. The database and digital document file house each candidate’s program documents and verification of credential coursework completed through CSUB. Once the Credential Analyst has determined all requirements have been met, the recommendation is submitted using CTC’s online recommendation system for final review and issuance of the credential.

7.1.1
Link to Educational Counseling Program Plan.