Detroit Public Schools Community District offers a host of school counseling programs to help every child meet their college and career goals, including academic planning for college. Through our School Counseling Programs, we work to ensure that all students will acquire and demonstrate competencies in the areas of academic, career and social/emotional development. We strive to make sure students acquire college and career readiness skills, pursue post-secondary degrees and become responsible citizens, productive workers, and lifelong learners.

School counseling in DPSCD is based on the National and Michigan Comprehensive Guidance and Counseling Models, designed to meet the needs of all students, pre-school through high school. Our comprehensive model supports students by involving families, schools, and our communities in assuring academic success for ALL students. School counselors offer counseling activities that are developmental in design and preventive in purpose. Effective counseling programs are important to the school climate and culture, using data to drive program decisions to improve student achievement. Successful programs depend upon the support and collaboration of administrators, teachers, other school personnel, students, the community and other stakeholders.

About our Programs

Elementary/Middle School Guidance

The Elementary and Middle School Guidance Programs are designed to provide students with the skills to be successful in career planning, personal growth, interpersonal relationships and academic achievement. Prevention and early intervention are the foundation of the Program Components. Classroom and small group guidance are strategies often employed to support developmental and socialization skills. Counselors are less encumbered with records and documents management permitting them to deliver maximum engagement of interactive guidance activities and services.

High School Guidance

Guidance and Counseling is a comprehensive and proactive program of specialized activities that assist students in identifying, planning, and attaining those goals and employment opportunities consistent with their aptitude, needs, abilities, and interests. Academic planning for college and career readiness is essential in providing support for all students to be successful in “higher learning institutions”. The Guidance and Counseling Program is a systematically designed set of components including a counseling curriculum, responsive services, individual planning, and systems support. It is developmental in design to offer sequentially planned activities that meet the needs of all students as they mature and progress through high school.

Personal Curriculum

The Michigan Legislature has allowed districts consider modifications specific to State of Michigan Graduation requirements when requested.

This individualized credit requirement and/or content expectation modification is called a Personal Curriculum (PC).  

The majority of students will exit high school with a diploma without the help of a PC, but for some students a PC can provide the modifications necessary for them to earn a high school diploma.  A personal curriculum may be requested for one of four reasons: 

1. Students who are interested in earning additional credits in math, science, English language arts, or foreign languages.
   PC Enrichment
2. Students who demonstrate a need to reduce the Algebra II requirement in the Michigan Merit Curriculum.
   PC Algebra
3. Students transferring from out-of-state or nonpublic schools after completing two years of high school.
   PC Transfer
4. Students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP).
   PC IED

For more information, please contact your school administrator.

Detroit Promise Scholarship

The Detroit Promise provides last-dollar funding for students who live in the city of Detroit and will graduate from any high school located in Detroit. The Detroit Promise provides Detroit youth a tuition-free path to earn a post-secondary credential at a number of institutions after any Pell and/or TIP funding a student receives has been applied to the tuition and mandatory fees bill. More information is available in the Detroit Regional Chamber website. The website can be accessed by clicking here.

Detroit College Promise-DPS Foundation

Every DPSCD student who lives in the city of Detroit can earn a college scholarship through the Detroit College Promise. For more information, visit DetroitCollegePromise.org

Resources for Staff, Parents, and Students

• Educational Development Plan (EDP) www.careercruising.com
• ACT
• College Board
• FAFSA