ASCA School Counselor Competencies

School Counselor Competencies History and Purpose The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) supports school counselors’ efforts to help students focus on academic, personal/social and career development so they achieve success in school and are prepared to lead fulfilling lives as responsible members of society. In recent years, the ASCA leadership has recognized the need for a more unified vision of the school counseling profession. “The ASCA National Model: A Framework for School Counseling Programs” was a landmark document that provided a mechanism with which school counselors and school counseling teams could design, coordinate, implement, manage and enhance their programs for students’ success. The ASCA National Model® provides a framework for the program components, the school counselor’s role in implementation and the underlying philosophies of leadership, advocacy, collaboration and systemic change. The School Counselor Competencies continue the effort for a unified vision by outlining the knowledge, attitudes and skills that ensure school counselors are equipped to meet the rigorous demands of our profession and the needs of our Pre-K-12 students. These competencies are necessary to better ensure that our future school counselor workforce will be able to continue to make a positive difference in the lives of students. Development of the Competencies competencies have been identified as those that will equip new The development of the School Counselor Competencies and experienced school counselors with the skills to establish, document was a highly collaborative effort among many maintain and enhance a comprehensive, developmental, members of the school counseling profession. results-based school counseling program addressing academic achievement, personal and social development and career A group of school counseling professionals that included planning. practicing school counselors, district school counseling super- visors and counselor educators from across the country met Applications in January 2007 to discuss ways to ensure that school coun- ASCA views these competencies as being applicable along a selor education programs adequately train and prepare future continuum of areas. For instance, school counselor education school counselors to design and implement comprehensive programs may use the competencies as benchmarks for school counseling programs. The group agreed that the logi- ensuring students graduate with the knowledge, skills and cal first task should be the development of a set of competen- dispositions needed for developing comprehensive school cies necessary and sufficient to be an effective professional counseling programs. Professional school counselors could school counselor. use the School Counselor Competencies as a checklist to self-evaluate their own competencies and, as a result, formu- The group created a general outline of competencies and late an appropriate professional development plan. School asked ASCA to form a task force to develop draft school coun- administrators may find these competencies useful as a guide selor competencies supporting the ASCA National Model. The for seeking and hiring highly competent school counselors task force used sample competencies from states, universities and for developing meaningful school counselor performance and other organizations to develop a first draft, which was pre- evaluations. Also, the School Counselor Competencies sented to the whole group for feedback. After comments and include the necessary technological competencies needed for revisions were incorporated, the revised draft was released for performing effectively and efficiently in the 21st century. public review and comment. Revisions through the public comment were incorporated to develop the final version. The I. School Counseling Programs school counselor competencies document is unique in several School counselors should possess the knowledge, abilities, ways. First, this set of competencies is organized around and skills and attitudes necessary to plan, organize, implement consistent with the ASCA National Model. Second, the com- and evaluate a comprehensive, developmental, results-based petencies are comprehensive in that they include skills, school counseling program that aligns with the ASCA knowledge and attitudes necessary for meritoriously per- National Model. forming the range of school counselor responsibilities (e.g., counseling, coordinating, consulting, etc.) in all four compo- nents of comprehensive school counseling programs: founda- tion, management, delivery and accountability. These WWW.SCHOOLCOUNSELOR .ORG

I-A: KNOWLEDGE I-A-9. counseling theories school counseling program The continuum of mental health I-B-1h. Demonstrates multicultural, ASCA’s position statement, The Professional services, including prevention and intervention strategies to ethical and professional School Counselor and School Counseling enhance student success competencies in planning, organizing, implementing and Preparation Programs, states that school coun- I-B: ABILITIES AND SKILLS evaluating the comprehensive school counseling program selors should articulate and demonstrate an An effective school counselor is able to accom- I-B-2. Serves as a leader in the school understanding of: plish measurable objectives demonstrating the and community to promote I-A-1 The organizational structure and support student success following abilities and skills. and governance of the I-B-1. Plans, organizes, implements I-B-2a. Understands and defines American educational system as leadership and its role in well as cultural, political and and evaluates a school comprehensive school social influences on current counseling program aligning counseling programs educational practices with the ASCA National Model I-A-2. The organizational structure I-B-1a. Creates a vision statement I-B-2b. Identifies and applies a model and qualities of an effective examining the professional and of leadership to a school counseling program personal competencies and comprehensive school that aligns with the ASCA qualities a school counselor counseling program National Model should possess I-A-3. Impediments to student I-B-1b. Describes the rationale for a I-B-2c. Identifies and demonstrates learning and use of advocacy comprehensive school professional and personal and data-driven school counseling program qualities and skills of effective counseling practices to act I-B-1c. Articulates the school leaders effectively in closing the counseling themes of advocacy, achievement/opportunity gap leadership, collaboration and I-B-2d. Identifies and applies I-A-4. Leadership principles and systemic change, which are components of the ASCA theories critical to a successful school National Model requiring I-A-5. Individual counseling, group counseling program. leadership, such as an advisory counseling and classroom I-B-1d. Describes, defines and identifies council, management system guidance programs ensuring the qualities of an effective and accountability equitable access to resources school counseling program that promote academic I-B-1e. Describes the benefits of a I-B-2e. Creates a plan to challenge the achievement; personal, social comprehensive school non-counseling tasks that are and emotional development; counseling program for all assigned to school counselors and career development stakeholders, including including the identification of students, parents, teachers, I-B-3. Advocates for student success appropriate post-secondary administrators, school boards, I-B-3a. Understands and defines education for every student department of education, school I-A-6. Collaborations with counselors, counselor educators, advocacy and its role in stakeholders such as parents community stakeholders and comprehensive school and guardians, teachers, business leaders counseling programs administrators and community I-B-1f. Describes the history of school I-B-3b. Identifies and demonstrates leaders to create learning counseling to create a context benefits of advocacy with environments that promote for the current state of the school and community educational equity and success profession and comprehensive stakeholders for every student school counseling programs I-B-3c. Describes school counselor I-A-7. Legal, ethical and professional I-B-1g. Uses technology effectively advocacy competencies, which issues in pre-K—12 schools and efficiently to plan, include dispositions, I-A-8. Developmental theory, organize, implement and knowledge and skills learning theories, social justice evaluate the comprehensive I-B-3d. Reviews advocacy models theory, multiculturalism, and develops a personal counseling theories and career advocacy plan I-B-3e. Understands the process for AMERICAN SCHOOL COUNSELOR ASSOCIATION

development of policy and I-C: ATTITUDES and developmental procedures at the building, issues affecting student success district, state and national levels School counselors believe: I-C-1. Every student can learn, and II-A-6 District, state and national I-B-4. Collaborates with parents, student standards and teachers, administrators, every student can succeed competencies, including ASCA community leaders and other I-C-2. Every student should have Student Competencies stakeholders to promote and support student success access to and opportunity for a II-A-7 Legal and ethical standards high-quality education and principles of the school I-B-4a. Defines collaboration and its 1-C-3. Every student should graduate counseling profession and role in comprehensive school from high school and be educational systems, including counseling programs prepared for employment or district and building policies college and other post- I-B-4b. Identifies and applies models secondary education II-A-8 Three domains of academic of collaboration for effective I-C-4. Every student should have achievement, career planning, use in a school counseling access to a school counseling and personal and social program and understands the program development similarities and differences I-C-5. Effective school counseling is a between consultation, collaborative process involving II-B: ABILITIES AND SKILLS collaboration and counseling school counselors, students, and coordination strategies. parents, teachers, An effective school counselor is able to accom- administrators, community plish measurable objectives demonstrating the I-B-4c. Creates statements or other leaders and other stakeholders following abilities and skills. documents delineating the I-C-6. School counselors can and II-B-1. Develops the beliefs and various roles of student service should be leaders in the school providers, such as school social and district philosophy of the school worker, school psychologist, I-C-7. The effectivness of school counseling program that align school nurse, and identifies counseling programs should be with current school best practices for collaborating measurable using process, improvement and student to affect student success perception and results data success initiatives at the school, district and state level I-B-4d. Understands and knows how II: Foundations II-B-1a. Examines personal, district and to apply a consensus-building School counselors should possess the state beliefs, assumptions and process to foster agreement in knowledge, abilities, skills and attitudes philosophies about student a group necessary to establish the foundations success, specifically what they of a school counseling program aligning should know and be able to do I-B-4e. Understands how to facilitate with the ASCA National Model. II-B-1b. Demonstrates knowledge of a group meetings to effectively school’s particular educational and efficiently meet group goals II-A: KNOWLEDGE philosophy and mission II-B-1c. Conceptualizes and writes a I-B-5. Acts as a systems change agent School counselors should articulate and personal philosophy about to create an environment demonstrate an understanding of: students, families, teachers, promoting and supporting II-A-1 Beliefs and philosophy of the school counseling programs student success and the educational process school counseling program consistent with the school’s I-B-5a. Defines and understands that align with current school educational philosophy and system change and its role in improvement and student mission comprehensive school success initiatives at the counseling programs school, district and state level II-B-2. Develops a school counseling II-A-2 Educational systems, mission statement aligning I-B-5b. Develops a plan to deal with philosophies and theories and with the school, district and personal (emotional and current trends in education, state mission. cognitive) and institutional including federal and state resistance impeding the legislation II-B-2a. Critiques a school district change process II-A-3 Learning theories mission statement and II-A-4 History and purpose of school identifies or writes a mission I-B-5c. Understands the impact of counseling, including statement aligning with beliefs school, district and state traditional and transformed educational policies, roles of school counselors II-B-2b. Writes a school counseling procedures and practices II-A-5 Human development theories mission statement that is supporting and/or impeding specific, concise, clear and student success comprehensive, describing a WWW.SCHOOLCOUNSELOR .ORG

school counseling program’s professional development and focused brief counseling, purpose and a vision of the uses resources to inform and reality therapy, cognitive- program’s benefits every guide ethical and legal work behavioral therapy student II-B-4i. Practices within the ethical III-A-3. Counseling theories and II-B-2c. Communicates the philosophy and statutory limits of techniques in different and mission of the school confidentiality settings, such as individual counseling program to all II-B-4j. Continually seeks planning, group counseling appropriate stakeholders consultation and supervision and classroom guidance to guide legal and ethical III-A-4. Classroom management II-B-3. Uses student standards, such decision making and to III-A-5. Principles of career planning as ASCA Student recognize and resolve ethical and college admissions, Competencies, and district or dilemmas including financial aid and state standards, to drive the II-B-4k. Understands and applies an athletic eligibility implementation of a ethical and legal obligation not III-A-6. Principles of working with comprehensive school only to students but to parents, various student populations counseling program administration and teachers as based on ethnic and racial well background, English language II-B-3a. Crosswalks the ASCA Student proficiency, special needs, Competencies with other II-C: ATTITUDES religion, gender and income appropriate standards III-A-7. Responsive services School counselors believe: III-A-8. Crisis counseling, including II-B-3b. Prioritizes student standards II-C-1. School counseling is an grief and bereavement that align with the school’s goals organized program for every III-B: ABILITIES AND SKILLS student and not a series of II-B-4. Applies the ethical standards services provided only to An effective school counselor is able to accom- and principles of the school students in need plish measurable objectives demonstrating the counseling profession and II-C-2. School counseling programs following abilities and skills. adheres to the legal aspects of should be an integral III-B-1. Implements the school the role of the school counselor component of student success and the overall mission of guidance curriculum II-B-4a. Practices ethical principles of schools and school districts III-B-1a. Crosswalks ASCA Student the school counseling II-C-3. School counseling programs profession in accordance with promote and support academic Competencies with the ASCA Ethical Standards achievement, personal and appropriate guidance for School Counselors social development and career curriculum planning for every student III-B-1b. Develops and presents a II-B-4b. Understands the legal and II-C-4. School counselors operate developmental guidance ethical nature of working in a within a framework of school curriculum addressing all pluralistic, multicultural, and and district policies, state laws students’ needs, including technological society. and regulations and closing-the-gap activities professional ethics standards III-B-1c. Demonstrates classroom II-B-4c. Understands and practices in management and instructional accordance with school district III: Delivery skills policy and local, state and School counselors should possess the III-B-1d. Develops materials and federal statutory requirements. knowledge, abilities, skills and attitudes instructional strategies to meet necessary to deliver a school counseling student needs and school goals II-B-4d. Understands the unique legal program aligning with the ASCA III-B-1e. Encourages staff involvement and ethical nature of working National Model. to ensure the effective with minor students in a implementation of the school school setting. III-A: KNOWLEDGE guidance curriculum III-B-1f. Knows, understands and uses a II-B-4e. Advocates responsibly for School counselors should articulate and variety of technology in the school board policy, local, state demonstrate an understanding of: delivery of guidance curriculum and federal statutory III-A-1. The concept of a guidance activities requirements that are in the III-B-1g. Understands multicultural and best interests of students curriculum pluralistic trends when III-A-2. Counseling theories and developing and choosing II-B-4f. Resolves ethical dilemmas by guidance curriculum employing an ethical decision- techniques that work in making model appropriate to school, such as solution- work in schools. II-B-4g. Models ethical behavior II-B-4h. Continuously engages in AMERICAN SCHOOL COUNSELOR ASSOCIATION

III-B-1h. Understands the resources facilitation and substance abuse available for students with III-B-3c. Compiles resources to utilize counseling, within a special needs continuum of care with students, staff and III-B-3m. Understands the role of the III-B-2. Facilitates individual student families to effectively address school counselor and the planning issues through responsive school counseling program in services the school crisis plan III-B-2a. Understands individual III-B-3d. Understands appropriate student planning as a individual and small-group III-B-4 Implements system support component of a comprehensive counseling theories and activities for the program. techniques such as rational comprehensive school emotive behavior therapy, counseling program III-B-2b. Develops strategies to reality therapy, cognitive- implement individual student behavioral therapy, Adlerian, III-B-4a. Creates a system support planning, such as strategies for solution-focused brief planning document addressing appraisal, advisement, goal- counseling, person-centered school counselor’s setting, decision-making, social counseling and family systems responsibilities for professional skills, transition or post- III-B-3e. Demonstrates an ability to development, consultation and secondary planning provide counseling for collaboration and program students during times of management III-B-2c. Helps students establish goals, transition, separation, and develops and uses heightened stress and critical III-B-4b. Coordinates activities that planning skills in collaboration change establish, maintain and with parents or guardians and III-B-3f. Understands what defines a enhance the school counseling school personnel crisis, the appropriate response program as well as other and a variety of intervention educational programs III-B-2d. Understands career strategies to meet the needs of opportunities, labor market the individual, group, or III-B-4c. Conducts in-service training trends, and global economics, school community before, for other stakeholders to share and uses various career during and after crisis school counseling expertise assessment techniques to assist response students in understanding III-B-3g. Provides team leadership to III-B-4d. Understands and knows how their abilities and career the school and community in to provide supervision for interests a crisis school counseling interns III-B-3h. Involves appropriate school consistent with the principles III-B-2e. Helps students learn the and community professionals as of the ASCA National Model importance of college and well as the family in a crisis other post-secondary situation III-C: ATTITUDES education and helps students III-B-3i. Develops a database of navigate the college admissions community agencies and School counselors believe: process service providers for student III-C-1 School counseling is one referrals III-B-2f. Understands the relationship III-B-3j. Applies appropriate counseling component in the continuum of academic performance to approaches to promoting of care that should be available the world of work, family life change among consultees to all students and community service within a consultation approach III-C-2 School counselors coordinate III-B-3k. Understands and is able to and facilitate counseling and III-B-2g. Understands methods for build effective and high- other services to ensure all helping students monitor and quality peer helper programs students receive the care they direct their own learning and III-B-3l. Understands the nature of need, even though school personal/social and career academic, career and counselors may not personally development personal/social counseling in provide the care themselves schools and the similarities and III-C-3 School counselors engage in III-B-3. Provides responsive services differences among school developmental counseling and III-B-3a. Understands how to make counseling and other types of short-term responsive counseling, such as mental counseling referrals to appropriate health, marriage and family, III-C-4 School counselors should refer professionals when necessary students to district or III-B-3b. Lists and describes community resources to meet interventions used in more extensive needs such as responsive services, such as long-term therapy or diagnoses consultation, individual and of disorders small-group counseling, crisis counseling, referrals and peer W W W. S C H O O L C O U N S E L O R . O R G

IV: Management organizations practices and procedures School counselors should possess the IV-B-1e. Develops a yearly professional leading to successes, systemic knowledge, abilities, skills and attitudes barriers and areas of weakness necessary to manage a school counsel- development plan IV-B-3c.Uses student data to ing program aligning with the ASCA demonstrating how the school demonstrate a need for National Model. counselor advances relevant systemic change in areas such knowledge, skills and as course enrollment patterns; IV-A: KNOWLEDGE dispositions equity and access; and the IVB-1f. Communicates effective goals achievement, opportunity and School counselors should articulate and and benchmarks for information gap demonstrate an understanding of: meeting and exceeding IV-B-3d. Understands and uses data to IV-A-1. Leadership principles, expectations consistent with establish goals and activities the administrator-counselor to close the achievement, including sources of power agreement and district opportunity and information and authority, and formal and performance appraisals gap informal leadership IV-B-1g. Uses personal reflection, IV-B-3e. Knows how to use and analyze IV-A-2. Organization theory to consultation and supervision to data to evaluate the school facilitate advocacy, promote professional growth counseling program, research collaboration and systemic and development activity outcomes and identify change gaps between and among IV-A-3. Presentation skills for IV-B-2. Establishes and convenes an different groups of students programs such as teacher in- advisory council for the IV-B-3f. Uses school data to identify services and results reports to comprehensive school and assist individual students school boards counseling program who do not perform at grade IV-A-4. Time management, including level and do not have long- and short-term IV-B-2a. Uses leadership skills to opportunities and resources to management using tools such facilitate vision and positive be successful in school as schedules and calendars change for the comprehensive IV-B-3g. Knows and understands IV-A-5. Data-driven decision making school counseling program theoretical and historical bases IV-A-6. Current and emerging for assessment techniques technologies such as use of IV-B-2b. Determines appropriate the Internet, Web-based education stakeholders who IV-B-4. Organizes and manages time resources and management should be represented on the to implement an effective information systems advisory council school counseling program IV-B: ABILITIES AND SKILLS IV-B-2c. Develops meeting agendas IV-B-4a. Identifies appropriate IV-B-2d. Reviews school data, school distribution of school An effective school counselor is able to accom- counselor’s time based on plish measurable objectives demonstrating the counseling program audit and delivery system and school’s following abilities and skills. school counseling program data IV-B-1. Negotiates with the goals with the council IV-B-2e. Records meeting notes and IV-B-4b. Creates a rationale for school administrator to define the distributes as appropriate counselor’s time to focus on management system for the IV-B-2f. Analyzes and incorporates the goals of the comprehensive comprehensive school feedback from advisory school counseling program counseling program council related to school IV-B-1a. Discusses and develops the counseling program goals as IV-B-4c. Identifies and evaluates fair- components of the school appropriate share responsibilities, which counselor management system articulate appropriate and with the other members of the IV-B-3. Collects, analyzes and inappropriate counseling and counseling staff interprets relevant data, non-counseling activities IV-B-1b. Presents the school counseling including process, perception management system to the and results data, to monitor IV-B-4d. Creates a rationale for the principal, and finalizes an and improve student behavior school counselor’s total time annual school counseling and achievement spent in each component of the management agreement school counseling program IV-B-1c. Discusses the anticipated IV-B-3a. Analyzes, synthesizes and program results when disaggregates data to examine IV-B-5. Develops calendars to ensure implementing the action plans student outcomes and to the effective implementation of for the school year identify and implement the school counseling program IV-B-1d. Participates in professional interventions as needed IV-B-3b. Uses data to identify policies, AMERICAN SCHOOL COUNSELOR ASSOCIATION

IV-B-5a. Creates annual, monthly and seling program aligning with the ASCA V-B-1i. Uses results obtained for weekly calendars to plan National Model. program improvement activities to reflect school goals V-A: KNOWLEDGE V-B-2. Understands and advocates for IV-B-5b. Demonstrates time appropriate school counselor management skills including School counselors should articulate and demon- performance appraisal process scheduling, publicizing and strate an understanding of: based on school counselors prioritizing time and task V-A-1. Basic concept of results-based competencies and compietion of the guidance curriculum IV-B-6. Designs and implements action school counseling and and agreed-upon action plans plans aligning with school and accountability issues school counseling program V-A-2. Basic research and statistical V-B-2a. Conducts self-appraisal related goals concepts to read and conduct to school counseling skills and research performance IV-B-6a. Uses appropriate academic V-A-3. Use of data to evaluate and behavioral data to develop program effectiveness and to V-B-2b. Identifies how school guidance curriculum and determine program needs counseling activities fit within closing-the-gap action plan V-A-4. Program audits and results categories of performance and determines appropriate reports appraisal instrument students for the target group or interventions V-B: ABILITIES AND SKILLS V-B-2c. Encourages administrators to use performance appraisal IV-B-6b. Identifies ASCA domains, An effective school counselor is able to accom- instrument reflecting standards and competencies plish measurable objectives demonstrating the appropriate responsibilities for being addressed by the plan following abilities and skills. school counselors V-B-1. Uses data from results reports IV-B-6c.Determines the intended impact V-B-3. Conducts a program audit on academics and behavior to evaluate program V-B-3a. Completes a program audit to effectiveness and to determine IV-B-6d. Identifies appropriate activities program needs compare current school to accomplish objectives V-B-1a. Uses formal and informal counseling program methods of program evaluation implementation with the IV-B-6e. Identifies appropriate to design and modify ASCA National Model resources needed comprehensive school V-B-3b. Shares the results of the counseling programs program audit with IV-B-6f. Identifies data-collection V-B-1b. Uses student data to support administrators, the advisory strategies to gather process, decision making in designing council and other appropriate perception and results data effective school counseling stakeholders programs and interventions V-B-3c. Identifies areas for IV-B-6g. Shares results of action plans V-B-1c. Measures results attained from improvement for the school with staff, parents and school guidance curriculum counseling program community. and closing-the-gap activities V-B-1d. Works with members of the V-C: ATTITUDES IV-C: ATTITUDES school counseling team and with the administration to School counselors believe: School counselors believe: decide how school counseling V-C-1. School counseling programs IV-C-1. A school counseling program programs are evaluated and how results are shared should achieve demonstrable and guidance department must V-B-1e. Collects process, perception results be managed like other programs and results data V-C-2. School counselors should be and departments in a school V-B-1f. Uses technology in conducting accountable for the results of IV-C-2. One of the critical research and program the school counseling program responsibilities of a school evaluation V-C-3. School counselors should use counselor is to plan, organize, V-B-1g. Reports program results to quantitative and qualitative implement and evaluate a professional school counseling data to evaluate their school school counseling program community counseling program and to IV-C-3. Management of a school V-B-1h. Uses data to demonstrate the demonstrate program results counseling program must be value the school counseling V-C-4. The results of the school done in collaboration with program adds to student counseling program should be administrators. achievement analyzed and presented in the context of the overall school V: Accountability and district performance School counselors should possess the knowledge, abilities, skills and attitudes necessary to monitor and evaluate the processes and results of a school coun- W W W. S C H O O L C O U N S E L O R . O R G

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