Role of the Pupil Personnel Worker

Pupil Personnel Workers
Carroll County Public Schools (CCPS) currently employs ten Pupil Personnel Workers (PPWs) who are certified by the Maryland State Department of Education to help schools, students, and families. Each PPW is assigned to four or five schools. PPWs report to the Supervisor of Pupil Personnel and Student Support Services, Ms. Katherine Green.

Pupil Personnel Workers serve the needs of students attending Carroll County Public Schools (CCPS) by serving as consultants to the schools and by becoming involved with students and families when a situation cannot be resolved at the school level. Pupil Personnel Workers act as facilitators, problem solvers, and trouble-shooters. PPWs advocate for students and families by networking with appropriate school personnel and community agencies to initiate change and help students meet with success.

Pupil Personnel Workers monitor student attendance, initiate interventions to help improve attendance, and will take necessary action when no improvement is made. PPWs also investigate cases involving out-of-district requests, enrollment of non-resident students, Kinship Care requests, and custody issues. PPWs coordinate home teaching of students who are unable to attend school due to reasons that have been medically documented.

Pupil Personnel Workers also serve as collegial partners with school-based administrators and other school staff regarding implementation of Carroll County Public Schools’ rules and regulations. Additionally, PPWs are given the responsibility of annually updating and revising the Student Services Manual.

Certification

The State Board of Education requires certification according to the Code of Maryland Annotated Regulation (COMAR) 13A. 12.03.06. These requirements include:

Master’s degree in pupil personnel or a related field
Completion of 21 semester hours of graduate credit in specific areas including school law, counseling methods, family systems, abnormal psychology, multi-cultural issues, and educational assessment interpretation
Three years of satisfactory teaching or a related experience
Three semester hours of credit of State approved continuing education units in inclusion of special needs student populations

Consultant / Liaison

Pupil Personnel Workers are knowledgeable of the services and resources provided by community agencies. By attending school-based student services team meetings and accepting appropriate referrals, PPWs consult with school-based personnel and initiate referrals, when needed, to appropriate community agencies. PPWs also act as liaisons with these agencies and help to coordinate the exchange of needed information.

As consultants, PPWs are called upon to interpret CCPS rules and regulations and to help facilitate appropriate implementation of these rules and regulations in reference to disciplinary procedures.

Educational Placement

Pupil Personnel Workers approve or deny requests for out-of-district placements; investigate non-resident situations and make appropriate recommendations to the Director of Student Services; and assist homeless families with enrollment and school placement.

Pupil Personnel Workers facilitate student placement in alternative educational programs. When students are released from therapeutic or Juvenile Services placements, the PPW helps to ensure a smooth transition back into an appropriate educational program.

Staff Development

Pupil Personnel Workers, along with other members of the Student Services staff, conduct staff development and provide in-service training opportunities on such topics as Child Abuse and Neglect, Staff / Student Relations; Dealing with Difficult Students, and other related topics.