For the second consecutive year, Dripping Springs Elementary and Rooster Springs Elementary earned the prestigious Counselors Reinforcing Excellence for Students in Texas award for the 2021–2022 school year.
The CREST award, given by the Texas School Counselor Association, honors not only each school but also its counselors: Michelle Tasin and Gabriela Mora for DSE and Kimberlee Guerrero and Karey Carroll for RSE. The award is part of a larger, continuous improvement program that gives school counselors an opportunity to demonstrate effective communication and a commitment to obtaining results. This helps counselors to evaluate and promote their guidance and counseling programs, empirically demonstrate each program’s effectiveness and implement state and national models.
“I am so proud of our school counseling programs in DSISD,” said Tisha Kolek, the director of Social and Emotional Learning and Health Services. “Highlighting and celebrating the work that our school counselors do each day with our students, staff, and families is important. Each of our campus counseling programs advocate for student success and provide social and emotional support through our programming.”
CREST looks at the counseling program in five categories:
• Introduction to the School and the Role of the Professional School Counselor
• Program Implementation Cycle
• Foundational Components
• Four Service Delivery Components
• Program Curriculum
Each counseling team prepares a digital submission that highlights these areas and communicates just what the counseling program is doing to help students succeed. These are sent to reviewers throughout the state of Texas to be judged according to pre-set standards of excellence.
“Celebrating the two campuses who submitted the application for statewide recognition and then having both of them receive the CREST award is a celebration for our district and community,” Kolek said.
For more information, visit dsisdtx.us.
