Crawford Long Middle School Receives National Counseling Program Designation 

In a first for Atlanta Public Schools, the school counseling program at Crawford Long Middle School has been designated as a Recognized American School Counseling Association (ASCA) Model Program (RAMP).

One of the most prestigious designations bestowed in the school counseling arena, the RAMP designation recognizes schools for delivering a comprehensive, data-driven school counseling program in an exemplary educational environment. Since the program’s inception, nearly 650 schools in the United States have received the RAMP designation.

To earn the designation, Long Middle School used data to drive its program development and implementation so all students can achieve success. Counselors will be recognized on Monday, July 16, at the ASCA annual conference.

Maria Grovner, APS counseling coordinator, said the designation is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the school’s counselors, Shirley Hale, Dr. Tony Jones and Shalonda Stinson, and Principal Lisa Hill.

“It is a rigorous process that takes into account collecting and analyzing data of work done with and on behalf of students,” Grovner said. “It takes commitment to earn and maintain the designation. Acquiring the RAMP designation shows that the counselors have gone above and beyond what they are required to do. Furthermore, it means you can clearly answer the question, ‘How are students different as a result of what school counselors do’?”

Long is the first Atlanta Public School to have received RAMP designation.