What Do School Counselors Do?

Does the term "Guidance Counselor" sound more familiar? 

School Counselors emerged in schools in the late 1800s. They were teachers that worked with failing students. However, in the 1950s when Sputnik was launched, it sent Americans into a panic because they didn't have enough people in the science and technology field. Therefore, counselors were asked to "guide" any student at the middle or high school level into a science and technology career.

In the early 1990s, the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) tasked counselors to create their own comprehensive school counseling program. These programs needed to be, “designed to facilitate human growth and learning and at the same time foster resiliency with a preventive, proactive focus while providing a support system”.

Today, we are School Counselors

Today, School Counselors are tasked with creating a comprehensive School Counseling program that targets the child's academic, career and social emotional needs. These programs are built upon collecting feedback from teachers and families on what they think the need of the students is. They are also completely data driven. Are standardized test scores low? Counselor Counselors now are required to follow standards set by ASCA, just like teachers. 

Why Middle School Counselors

Today’s young people are living in an exciting time, with an increasingly diverse society, new technologies, and expanding opportunities. To help ensure that they are prepared to become the next generation of parents, workers, leaders, and citizens, every student needs support, guidance, and opportunities during adolescence, a time of rapid growth and change. Early adolescents face unique and diverse challenges, both personally and developmentally, that have an impact on academic achievement.

Middle School Students' Developmental Needs

Middle school is an exciting, yet challenging time for students, their parents and teachers. During this passage from childhood to adolescence, middle school students are characterized by a need to explore a variety of interests, connecting their learning in the classroom to its practical application in life and work; high levels of activity coupled with frequent fatigue due to rapid growth; a search for their own unique identity as they begin turning more frequently to peers rather than parents for ideas and affirmation; extreme sensitivity to the comments from others; and heavy reliance on friends to provide comfort, understanding and approval.


Meeting the Challenge

Middle school counselors are professional educators with a mental health perspective who understand and respond to the challenges presented by today’s diverse student population. Middle school counselors do not work in isolation; rather they are integral to the total educational program. They provide proactive leadership that engages all stakeholders in the delivery of programs and services to help students achieve success in school. Professional school counselors align with the school’s mission to support the academic achievement of all students as they prepare for the ever-changing world of the 21st century. This mission is accomplished through the design, development, implementation and evaluation of a comprehensive, developmental and systematic school counseling program. The ASCA National Standards in the academic, National Model: A Framework For School Counseling Programs, with it’s data driven and results-based focus serves as a guide for today’s school counselor who is uniquely trained to implement this program.


Middle School Counselors Implement the Counseling Program by Providing:


School Guidance Curriculum

Individual Student Planning

Responsive Services

System Support

Middle School Counselors Collaborate With:


Parents

Parent information night 

Communication/networking 

Academic planning programs 

Parent and family education 

One-on-one parent conferencing 

Assessment results interpretation 

Resource referrals 

College/career exploration


Teachers

Career portfolio development 

Assistance with students’ academic plans 

Classroom guidance activities on study skills, career development, etc. 

Academic support, learning style assessment and education to help students succeed academically 

Classroom career speakers 

At-risk student identification and implementation of interventions to enhance success 

Parent communication/education


Administrators

School climate 

Behavioral management plans 

School-wide needs assessment 

Student data and results 

Student assistance team building 

Leadership


Students

Peer education 

Peer support 

Academic support 

School climate 

Leadership development


Community

Job shadowing, service learning 

Crisis interventions 

Referrals 

Parenting classes 

Support groups 

Career education


Why Middle School Counselors?

Middle school students are characterized by rapid physical growth, curiosity about their world and an emerging self-identity. Through a comprehensive developmental school counseling program, counselors work as a team member with school staff, parents and the community to create a caring, supportive climate and atmosphere whereby young adolescents can achieve academic success. Middle school counselors enhance the learning process and promote academic achievement. School counseling programs are essential for students to achieve optimal personal growth, acquire positive social skills and values, set appropriate career goals and realize full academic potential to become productive, contributing members of the world community. The professional middle school counselor holds a master’s degree and required state certification in school counseling. Maintaining certification includes on-going professional development to stay current with education reform and challenges facing today’s students. Professional association membership is encouraged as it enhances the school counselor’s knowledge and effectiveness.

Content taken from ASCA's website at www.schoolcounselor.org