Another four schools in the Rockdale County Public Schools system have earned the Recognized American School Counselor Association Model Programs designation. Counselors have been engaged in a structured process to refine how they offer school counseling, especially at the elementary level this year. The areas of focus for the model programs include career, personal/social and academic domains. Counselors work with administrative teams and an advisory council to tailor the counseling programs to the identified needs of each school.

"Without their leadership and support the caliber of the counseling program would not rise to the level of national recognition," said Candace Ford, director of student support for Rockdale County Public Schools.

Alicia Perry from Hightower Trail Elementary, Gwen Strong from Barksdale Elementary School, Cussandra Martin from C.J. Hicks Elementary School and Leanne German from J.H. House Elementary School earned the award on behalf of their school leadership team.

The named schools join Peeks Chapel Elementary, the first RCPS school to receive RAMP designation under Principal Shirley Chesser's leadership and Tiffany Pinkins' guidance, for recognized counseling programs.

Martin, who serves as the lead elementary school counselor for Rockdale County Public Schools said the program has helped improve her service delivery.

"As a result of going through RAMP, it has given me more focus on the needs of most of our students," Martin said. "It has allowed me the opportunity to identify our school areas of need related to our students and to systematically address them with either classroom guidance, group guidance or individual guidance. Because of the relationships that have been established, our students are now more willing to come to me with problems where I give them the opportunity to discuss the issue and come up with their own solutions."