February 12, 2026 — In Cobb Schools, counselors help with far more than meets the eye on a day-to-day basis. From keeping students engaged in the classroom and encouraging them to meet their goals to using data to maximize students' potential, counselors in Cobb continue to showcase their value in supporting Cobb's mission of "One Team, One Goal: Student Success."

This year, 11 schools were awarded the Cobb School Counseling Comprehensive Model  (CSCCM) certification. It is a lengthy, in-depth application process that schools prepare for more than a year in advance. 

The CSCCM certification is a distinguished recognition awarded to school counseling programs that demonstrate outstanding commitment to supporting students’ academic, career, and personal development—empowering them to thrive in school and beyond.

Each school that earns this certification will retain this title for the next five years. During National School Counselors Week, Cobb Schools staff surprised counselors at their schools with the news that they had achieved the recognition. 

Awtrey Middle School

After conducting an in-depth analysis of schoolwide data, school counselors Alex Daniel and Mary Wade identified organizational skills as a key factor affecting a student’s academic performance.

In response, they implemented the Study Smart classroom lesson and small-group intervention, focusing on strengthening essential executive functioning skills such as organization and time management. As a result, the targeted group of students reduced their total number of course failures by 35%.

Cooper Middle School

School counselors Kimberly Favors-Parks, Tamara Hines, and Ryan Tolbert-Jackson set out to make a meaningful difference by reducing discipline referrals among 7th and 8th-grade students, which had been negatively impacting academic achievement. By implementing the Zones of Regulation program schoolwide and the Me in My Zones small group intervention, they empowered students to use calming strategies to better manage stress leading to a remarkable 54% decrease in discipline referrals for the targeted group.

Dodgen Middle School

School counselors Tonia Gatlin, Kaley Hammonds, Kathryn Palmer set out to help Dodgen students truly embody the schoolwide ROAR motto (Respect, Ownership, Attitude, and Responsibility) with the goal of reducing discipline referrals leading to in-school suspensions (ISS). Through Counselor Talk classroom lessons, they reinforced these core values, while the Building Champions small-group intervention targeted select students to strengthen leadership skills and deepen their connection to the school community. This impactful initiative resulted in an impressive 77% reduction in ISS suspensions.

Durham Middle School

Through analysis of schoolwide data, school counselors Angie Hunt and Felicia Thrash identified students with frequent absences and lower academic achievement than their peers. To address this, they visited every classroom to teach students about the importance of attending school consistently. In addition, they reached out to parents, building strong partnerships to improve attendance across the board. Through a multi-tiered intervention approach, students developed a deeper understanding of how regular attendance impacts their academic success. The results were impressive; targeted students reduced their absences by 36% and cut course failures in half.

Lassiter High School

Analysis of student performance data revealed that some high-achieving students were under-enrolled in rigorous coursework, prompting the Lassiter High School counseling team, Meghan Ben, Liz Clark, Michaela Hall, Brittany Hughes, and Lindsey Johnson, to encourage increased Honors and AP enrollment among 10th-grade students. The counselors met individually with identified students to build confidence, discuss the importance of a strong work ethic, and inspire a mindset of growth and challenge. Through these intentional efforts and strong partnerships, they achieved a 210% increase in 10th-grade enrollment in Honors and AP classes, far surpassing their original goal.

McCleskey Middle School

After a comprehensive review of student data, school counselors Mary Knight and Danette Noldy identified a need to strengthen students’ conflict resolution skills to reduce discipline referrals and support the School Strategic Plan. To meet this need, they created the Dragon Behavior Academy, a small-group intervention that provided students with a safe and supportive environment to build trust, receive encouragement, reduce stress, and enhance emotional well-being. Following participation in the group, students demonstrated significant growth; discipline referrals decreased by 50%, and core class failures also decreased by 50%.

Pearson Middle School

School Counselors Alex Boynton, Rayniece Meadows, and Tekeya Weston played a vital role in advancing their school’s strategic plan to enhance student achievement in math and ELA. Through the implementation of the Study Smart small-group curriculum, the counselors equipped students with essential study skills to strengthen academic performance. Recognizing the importance of consistent parent engagement, they maintained regular communication throughout the school year to reinforce progress and support at home. As a result, students participating in their targeted intervention achieved a 40% reduction in course failures.

Pine Mountain Middle School

School Counselors Greonna Brooks and Candice Grella reviewed their schoolwide PBIS data and identified that 6th-grade male students would benefit from additional support in managing disruptive behaviors. Their Self-Awareness Small Group guided students in developing an emotional support toolbox, participating in team-building activities, and practicing effective problem-solving strategies. Through their collaboration with the PBIS Team and targeted interventions, these students demonstrated a 55% decrease in discipline referrals and showed noticeable improvement in their academic performance.

Shallowford Falls Elementary School

School counselors Carly Skaar and Autumn Westerman played a vital role in advancing their school’s strategic plan by supporting efforts to reduce discipline referrals and close the achievement gap for fifth-grade students, with a targeted focus on improving ELA Beacon scores. They implemented a targeted initiative that included play-based intervention strategies to help students develop essential emotional regulation skills. In addition, they facilitated small-group interventions focused on learning effective stress management techniques. As a result of these efforts, all students who participated in the small groups demonstrated growth on the BEACON assessment, with an average increase of 17% from the beginning of the year.

Sope Creek Elementary School

Kim Boyle, Lisa Hunt, and Meredith Weitnauer used supplemental data to identify a need for strengthening executive functioning skills among fifth-grade students to support overall academic achievement, particularly reading performance. In alignment with their school’s strategic plan, they implemented a targeted small-group intervention focused on building essential skills such as homework completion, organization, and positive self-talk. As a result of this intervention, students demonstrated a 4% increase in Lexile reading scores, and teachers reported observable improvements in student motivation and effort.

South Cobb Early Learning Center

South Cobb Early Learning Center’s school counselor, Keisha White, supported the schoolwide goal of increasing reading readiness skills for students in Pre-K by intentionally building students’ confidence in learning. Through a series of developmentally appropriate classroom lessons, Ms. White taught early learners the importance of emotional regulation when facing challenges. Addressing academic readiness and personal skills together proved to be a powerful strategy for improving student engagement and early literacy development. Students at the South Cobb Early Learning Center increased their alphabet recognition skills by 60%.

Up Next: Cobb Schools Earn Statewide Praise as Literacy and Math Leaders