NAME:
Dan Luce
SCHOOL:
Park Lodge Elementary School
SCHOOL PHONE:
(253)583-5350
Professional school counselors are certified/licensed educators with
a minimum of a master’s degree in school counseling making them uniquely
qualified to address all students’ academic, personal/social and career
development needs by designing, implementing, evaluating and enhancing a
comprehensive school counseling program that promotes and enhances student
success. Professional school counselors are employed in elementary,
middle/junior high and high schools; in district supervisory positions; and
counselor education positions.
Professional school counselors serve a vital role in maximizing student
success (Lapan, Gysbers, & Kayson, 2007; Stone & Dahir, 2006). Through
leadership, advocacy and collaboration, professional school counselors
promote equity and access to rigorous educational experiences for all
students. Professional school counselors support a safe learning environment
and work to safeguard the human rights of all members of the school community
(Sandhu, 2000), and address the needs of all students through culturally
relevant prevention and intervention programs that are a part of a
comprehensive school counseling program (Lee, 2001). The American School
Counselor Association recommends a counselor-to-student ratio of 1:250.
The Professional School Counselor’s Role
Professional school counselors have a minimum of a master’s degree in school
counseling, meet the state certification/licensure standards, and abide by
the laws of the states in which they are employed. They uphold the ethical
and professional standards of ASCA and other applicable professional
counseling associations, and promote the development of the school counseling
program based on the following areas of the ASCA National Model: Foundation,
delivery, management and accountability.
Foundation
Professional school counselors identify a philosophy based on school
counseling theory and research/evidence-based practice that recognizes the
need for all students to benefit from the school counseling program.
Professional school counselors act on these philosophies to guide the
development, implementation and evaluation of a culturally relevant and
comprehensive school counseling programs. Professional school counselors
create a mission statement supporting the school’s mission and collaborate
with other individuals and organizations to promote all students’ academic,
career and personal/social development.
Delivery
Professional school counselors provide culturally competent services to
students, parents/guardians, school staff and the community in the following
areas:
• School Guidance Curriculum – This curriculum consists of structured lessons
designed to help students achieve the desired competencies and to provide all
students with the knowledge and skills appropriate for their developmental
level. The school guidance curriculum is delivered throughout the school's
overall curriculum and is systematically presented by professional school
counselors in collaboration with other professional educators in K-12
classroom and group activities.
• Individual Student Planning – Professional school counselors coordinate
ongoing systemic activities designed to help students establish personal
goals and develop future plans.
• Responsive Services – Responsive services consist of prevention and/or
intervention activities to meet students’ immediate and future needs. These
needs can be necessitated by events and conditions in students’ lives and the
school climate and culture, and may require any of the following:
• individual or group counseling
• consultation with parents, teachers and other educators
• referrals to other school support services or community resources
• peer helping
• psycho-education
• intervention and advocacy at the systemic level
Professional school counselors develop confidential relationships with
students to help them resolve and/or cope with problems and developmental
concerns.
• System Support – System support consists of management activities
establishing, maintaining, and enhancing the total school counseling program.
These activities include professional development, consultation,
collaboration, supervision, program management and operations. Professional
school counselors are committed to continual personal and professional
development and are proactively involved in professional organizations
promoting school counseling at the local, state and national levels.
Management
Professional school counselors incorporate organizational processes and tools
that are concrete, clearly delineated, and reflective of the school’s needs.
Processes and tools include:
• agreements developed with and approved by administrators for each
school year addressing how the school counseling program is organized and
what goals will be accomplished
• advisory councils include: students, parents/guardians, teachers,
counselors, administrators and community members to review school counseling
program goals and results and to make recommendations
• the use of student data to effect systemic change within the school
system so every student receives the benefit of the school counseling program
• action plans for prevention and intervention services defining the
desired student competencies and achievement results
• allotment of the professional school counselor's time in direct
service with students as recommended in the ASCA National Model
• the use of annual and weekly calendars to keep students,
parents/guardians, teachers, administrators, and community stakeholders
informed and to encourage active participation in the school counseling
program.
Accountability
Professional school counselors develop and implement data/needs-driven,
standards-based and research-supported programs, and engage in continuous
program evaluation activities. They also create results reports that
demonstrate immediate, intermediate, and long-range effectiveness of
comprehensive school counseling programs. Professional school counselors
analyze outcome data to guide future action and improve future results for
all students. The performance of the professional school counselor is
evaluated using an instrument based on the School Counselor Performance
Standards found in the ASCA National Model, and the ASCA School Counselor
Competencies. These standards of practice are expected of professional school
counselors when implementing a school counseling program.
Summary
Professional school counselors are certified/licensed educators with the
minimum of a master’s degree in school counseling and are uniquely qualified
to address the developmental needs of all students through a comprehensive
school counseling program addressing the academic, career and personal/social
development of all students.
References
Lapan, R. T., Gysbers, N. C., & Kayson, M. A. (2007). Missouri school
counselors benefit all students. Jefferson City, MO: Missouri Department of
Elementary and Secondary Education.
To motivate, encourage, teach skills and content and to help create a culture
of students who want to succeed as learners, know how to make good life
choices, dream big, feel good about school and who are becoming contributing
citizens at school, home and in the broader community.