What does a school counselor do?

My job is to “have a significant positive impact on student achievement, attendance, and discipline”.

Why elementary school counselors? CLICK HERE to find out!

The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) created a framework for school counseling programs and defines the role of a school counselor:

Component 1: Define

School counselors create school counseling programs based on three sets of standards that define their profession. These standards help school counselors develop, implement, and assess their school counseling program to improve student outcomes.

Component 2: Deliver

School counselors deliver developmentally appropriate activities and services directly to students or indirectly for students as a result of the school counselor’s interaction with others.

Direct Services with Students:
*Direct services are in-person interactions between school counselors and students and include the following:
-Instruction
-Appraisal (Testing) and Advisement
-Counseling

Indirect Services for Students:
Indirect services are provided on behalf of students as a result of the school counselors’ interactions with others, including:
-Consultation
-Collaboration
-Referrals

Component 3: Manage

To be delivered effectively, the school counseling program must be efficiently and effectively managed. School counselors use program focus and planning tools to guide the design and implementation of a school counseling program that gets results. This means the school counselor works closely with the administration and other faculty to keep the appropriate program running smoothly.

Component 4: Assess

To achieve the best results for students, school counselors regularly assess their program to:
-determine its effectiveness
-inform improvements to their school
counseling program design and delivery
-show how students are different as a
result of the school counseling program

School counselors also self–assess their own mindsets and behaviors to inform their professional development and annually participate in a school counselor performance appraisal with a qualified administrator.