The mission of the Guidance Department is to assist students with their educational, vocational, and social development. Students will work with their assigned counselors throughout their four years at DHS, as they make programmatic decisions that will prepare them for appropriate post-secondary education and career choices. The Guidance Department utilizes a comprehensive program integrating technology, small group and individual work. The students interact with all of the counselors, including their own, during their four years.

It is critically important for every student to have a post-secondary plan upon graduation from DHS.  The Guidance Department works to provide students and families with enhanced information and services that lead to success in a variety of settings.  In addition to providing information about how to prepare for college, counselors also offer students information about a variety of career options, training opportunites and career interest inventories.

As a comprehensive high school, the mission of DHS is to ensure that all students are college and career ready upon graduation.  While not all students will choose a traditional two- or four-year college pathway, it remains a school-wide goal to provide all students with an educational foundation that allows for flexibility as they grow and mature.  Post-secondary planning is a continuous process that begins in the freshman year.  Parents are stronly encouraged to engage in frequent conversation with students about their plans for the future.  Goal setting is an important part of the educational process.  Without long-term goals students may find it difficult to connect their educational experience to their eventual success.  Parents, teachers, and guidance counselors must work together to ensure that each student sees the high school experience as relevant to future success.

The Guidance Department offers a wide range of educational counseling services, which allows students to access a full spectrum of options that meet their individual needs.  Parents are encouraged to contact their child's guidance counselor to discuss how these services can best serve each family's needs.