The School Counselor's Role
The role of the school counselor is to ensure academic success for 100% of students. To accomplish this, school counselors help all students acquire the attitudes, skills, and knowledge they need to 1) attend school, 2) behave while in school, and 3) achieve.
Greater Detail of the Counselor's Role*
The professional school counselor is a certified/licensed educator trained in school counseling with unique qualifications and skills to address all students’ academic, personal/social and career development needs. Professional school counselors implement a comprehensive school counseling program that promotes and enhances student achievement.
Professional school counselors are employed in elementary, middle/junior high and high schools, district supervisory, counselor education, and post-secondary settings. Their work is differentiated by attention to developmental stages of student growth, including the needs, tasks, and student interests related to those stages.
Professional school counselors serve a vital role in maximizing student achievement. Incorporating leadership, advocacy, and collaboration, professional school counselors promote equity and access to opportunities, and 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.
Collaborating with other stakeholders to promote student achievement, professional school counselors address the needs of all students through prevention and intervention programs that are a part of a comprehensive school counseling program. To achieve maximum program effectiveness, the American School Counselor Association recommends a counselor-to-student ratio of 1:250.
Professional school counselors have a master’s degree or higher in school counseling or the substantial equivalent, 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 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.
*Adopted from the American School Counselor Association (Revised, June 2004)
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