Nora Malone, Eliza Gwin, Michael Welther
Editor, Staff Writers
Alexandria City High School counselors have been awarded the RAMP (Recognized ASCA Model Program) award for their excellent counseling. This is the first year our school has submitted an application and we succeeded on our first try. The award was commemorated by a ceremony in the cafeteria with the drumline, cheerleaders, a red carpet, and a crowd of people.
“It’s taken us almost two years to get to this level and the work that we already do that needs to be highlighted,” said College & Career counselor Stacy Morris.
A RAMP application is ranked along ten categories. They are: vision and mission statements, annual student outcome goals, classroom and group mindsets and behaviors action plan, annual administrative conference, advisory counsel, annual calendar, lesson plans, classroom instruction results report, small-group results report, and closing-the-gap action plan/results report. Each category is worth a certain amount of points adding up to a total of 60 across all ten categories.
Once a school enters the program they need to wait one academic year for RAMP to collect the data needed to fulfill the application requirements. Currently, Virginia has 53 schools that have won RAMP recognition, the second highest amount in the country.
“This award is like the Oscars of school counseling,” said Morris.
Melissa Deak, the director of school counseling, organized and submitted the application and works towards improving and implementing new counseling structures.
“The big benefit is that we have structures, supports, systems, and procedures that we can rely on to meet the needs of all different students,” said Deak.
“Our needs and the dynamics of our student body is so immense and diverse in every way, that without those structures or supports, you just have pockets of excellence, and so it’s a hit or miss for counselors. These structures give every counselor access to [resources] that can help support students,” she said.
Principal Balas stressed the significance of this achievement for our school. “Less than 50% percent of schools who submit an application make it, and we made it on the first try,” he said. “We are the largest school to have ever submitted an application.”
After the ceremony in the cafeteria, the school treated the counselors to a large spread of lunch and desserts in celebration of their hard work and dedication to their students.
“We do what we do because we love it and we do what we do because we want you all to be your best,” said Morris.
Photos Courtesy of Nora Malone
