Douglas County School District: Developing Systemic School Counseling Across Sites
Team at Douglas County School District
The Background
Douglas County School District is one of the largest in Colorado, serving 61,000 students across 93 schools (~200 school counselors). In 2019, after the successful passage of a tax measure, the district made a major investment in school counseling. They hired 80 new school counselors, achieving a 1:250 ratio in secondary schools and placing one school counselor in every elementary school. It was a huge step forward!
The Challenge
From left: Mindy Willard, Angie Ness, Dr. Kelli Smith, Toni Dickerson, and Douglas County School District’s Renee Cawley
COVID-19 Friction: After the hiring successes, 2020 arrived. When the pandemic hit, school counselors were suddenly working from home. There were no centralized systems, not a shared understanding of school counseling, and no districtwide professional development that supported the specific needs of school counselors. The staffing was there, but the structure was not. School counselors were overwhelmed and didn't have the skills needed at a time when students needed them most.
The Solution
Essentials Across the District: Douglas County partnered with Hatching Results to launch a two-year professional development initiative focused on “essential-level school counseling programming.” The goal was to align every school with the ASCA National Model® and to implement a comprehensive school counseling program across the district. Through training, coaching, consultation, and collaboration, school counselors began building shared systems, speaking a common language, and gaining the tools to support students more effectively.
The Results
Districtwide Curriculum Achieved! Today, more than 80% of Douglas County schools are actively implementing the essential-level school counseling framework. Every K-12 student now receives six counseling lessons grounded in the ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors standards. Four schools have earned RAMP® recognition, and eight more are applying. School counselors are no longer seen only as crisis responders, but as essential, data-driven educators who contribute directly to student success.
“Our graduation rate is 92.2%, the highest it’s been in 15 years, and we are the number one performing school district in the Denver metro area. We are also one of the only districts in the country to meet or exceed our pre-pandemic test scores for two years in a row. I attribute this directly to the implementation of comprehensive school counseling.”
- Dr. Kelli Smith, Director of Health, Wellness and Prevention, Douglas County School District
90% of schools are working toward comprehensive school counseling programs - an increase of 42% from this time last year
4 new RAMP® schools in 2025, including the very first high school in the district, and additional schools applied for 2026 recognition
College & Career K-12 Mindset and Behavior Standards Alignment
District Individual Career and Academic Plan Alignment and Data
Many school counseling teams are meeting and exceeding their program SMARTIE goals (examples below):
“There isn’t another company like Hatching Results that can provide that leadership [and]
professional development to lead the work in districts.”
-Kelli Smith, Ed.D., Director of Health & Wellness, Douglas County School District
