PCSS’s Sycamore Elementary Counseling Program Recognized By ASCA

Putnam County’s Sycamore Elementary School counseling program is being recognized as a model program.

Only four schools in the state have the RAMP designation from the American School Counselor Association. Counselor Allyson Evans said having a data driven counseling system is a need in today’s world.

“This year, more so than ever, I feel like counseling is so important to for students,” Evans said. “Because, they are coming into so many different needs already, but then put in a pandemic and put in racial divide that has happened over our country this past year and a tornado for our community, as well.”

The designation is given to school’s that follow the American School Counselor Association model. Evans said the school modifies this yearly to fit student needs in academia, attendance and behavior.

“The ASCA model is supported by the American School Counseling Association,” Evans said. “It makes a model where anybody all over the United States if they follow this model, it is showing that they are doing what’s best for their students.”

Evans said it has been a four year process to achieve becoming a RAMP program. Evans said the county started the process by paying for the school system’s counselors to be trained on the association’s model.

“So, we had the specialized training through ASCA,” Evans said. “And during that training, they talked about being a model program and getting the RAMP certification and that was something we really wanted to do.”

Sycamore Elementary will be honored at the American School Counselor Association annual conference in Las Vegas in July. Evans said several other schools are striving to achieve the same honor.