Role of the School Counselor
School Counselors
School counselors are highly educated, professionally certified individuals who help students succeed in school and plan their career. An integral part of the total education system, school counselors help students form healthy goals, mindsets and behaviors. With the aid of a school counselor, students learn to develop effective collaboration and cooperation skills, to practice perseverance, to develop time management and study skills, and to learn self-motivation and self-direction habits.
Role Statement by American School Counselor Association
The History of School Counseling
School counseling is 100-plus years old. It evolved shaped by various economic, social and educational forces guided by the work of many individuals. By embracing knowledge from the past, we can learn how school counseling evolved from a position, to a service, to a program. By welcoming the future we can combine the insights gained from the past with new knowledge, enabling us to continue to develop and fully implement comprehensive school counseling programs in every school district in the country.
Embrace the Past, Welcome the Future: A Brief History of School Counseling
Download a brief overview of the history of school counseling.
"School Counseling Principles: Remembering the Past, Shaping the Future"
Trace the development of school counseling from the early 1900s to present in this comprehensive publication by Norman C. Gysbers, Ph.D. Download the book.
American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Model
School counselors design and deliver school counseling programs that improve student outcomes. “The ASCA National Model: A Framework for School Counseling Programs” outlines the components of a school counseling program that is integral to the school’s academic mission and is created to have a significant positive impact on student achievement, attendance and discipline.
The ASCA National Model guides school counselors in the development of school counseling programs that:
are based on data-informed decision making
are delivered to all students systematically
include a developmentally appropriate curriculum focused on the mindsets and behaviors all students need for postsecondary readiness and success
close achievement and opportunity gaps
result in improved student achievement, attendance and discipline
*Information on this page taken from the American School Counselor Association website: https://www.schoolcounselor.org/