ASCA School Counselor Competencies

ASCA School Counselor
Competencies

ASCA School Counselor

Competencies

T
he A
SCA School Counselor Competencies outline the knowledge, abilities,
skills and attitudes that ensure school counselors are equipped to meet the
rigorous demands of the profession and the needs of pre-K–12 students. These
competencies help ensure new and experienced school counselors are equipped
to establish, maintain and enhance a comprehensive school counseling program
addressing academic achievement, career planning and personal/social development.
Organized around and consistent with “The ASCA National Model: A Framework
for School Counseling Programs (Third Edition),” the competencies can be used in a
variety of ways including:
School counselors
n
Self-assess their own competencies
n
Formulate an appropriate professional development plan
School administrators
n
Guide the recruitment and selection of competent school counselors
n
Develop or inform meaningful school counselor performance evaluation
School counselor education programs
n
Establish benchmarks for ensuring school education students graduate with the
knowledge, skills and attitudes
needed for developing comprehensive school
counseling
programs.

SCHOOL COUNSELING PROGRAMS

School counselors should possess the knowledge, abilities, skills and attitudes necessary to
plan, organize, implement and evaluate a comprehensive, developmental, results-based school
counseling program that aligns with the ASCA National Model.
I-A: Knowledge
ASCA’s position statement, The Professional School Counselor and School Counseling
Preparation Programs, states that school counselors should articulate and demonstrate an
understanding of:
n
I-A-1.
The organizational structure and governance of the American educational system
as well as cultural, political and social influences on current educational practices
n
I-A-2.
The organizational structure and components of an effective school counseling
program that aligns with the ASCA National Model
n
I-A-3.
Barriers to student learning and use of advocacy and data-driven school counseling
practices to close the achievement/opportunity gap
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WWW.SCHOOLCOUNSELOR.ORG
n
I-A-4.
Leadership principles and theories
n
I-A-5.
Individual counseling, group counseling and classroom instruction ensuring
equitable access to resources promoting academic achievement, career development
and personal/social development for every student
n
I-A-6.
Collaborations with stakeholders such as parents and guardians, teachers,
administrators and community leaders to create learning environments that
promote educational equity and success for every student
n
I-A-7.
Legal, ethical and professional issues in pre-K–12 schools
n
I-A-8.
Developmental theory, learning theories, social justice theory, multiculturalism,
counseling theories and career counseling theories
n
I-A-9.
The continuum of mental health services, including prevention and intervention
strategies to enhance student success










I-B: Abilities and Skills
An effective school counselor is able to accomplish measurable objectives demonstrating the
following abilities and skills.
n
I-B-1.
Plans, organizes, implements and evaluates a school counseling program aligning
with the ASCA National Model
n
I-B-1a.
Creates a vision statement examining the professional and personal competencies
and qualities a school counselor should possess
n
I-B-1b.
Describes the rationale for a comprehensive school counseling program
n
I-B-1c.
Applies the school counseling themes of leadership, advocacy, collaboration and
systemic change, which are critical to a successful school counseling program
n
I-B-1d.
Describes, defines and identifies the qualities of an effective school counseling
program
n
I-B-1e.
Describes the benefits of a comprehensive school counseling program for all
stakeholders, including students, parents, teachers, administrators, school boards,
department of education, school counselors, counselor educators, community
stakeholders and business leaders
n
I-B-1f.
Describes the history of school counseling to create a context for the current state
of the profession and comprehensive school counseling programs
n
I-B-1g.
Uses technology effectively and efficiently to plan, organize, implement and
evaluate the comprehensive school counseling program
n
I-B-1h.
Demonstrates multicultural, ethical and professional competencies in planning,
organizing, implementing and evaluating the comprehensive school counseling
program
n
I-B-2.
Serves as a leader in the school and community to promote and support student
success
n
I-B-2a.
Understands and defines leadership and its role in comprehensive school counseling
programs
n
I-B-2b.
Identifies and applies a model of leadership to a comprehensive school counseling
program
n
I-B-2c.
Identifies and demonstrates professional and personal qualities and skills of
effective leaders
n
I-B-2d.
Identifies and applies components of the ASCA National Model requiring
leadership, such as an advisory council, management tools and accountability
n
I-B-2e.
Creates a plan to challenge the non-counseling tasks that are assigned to school
counselors


 I-B-3.

Advocates for student success

n
I-B-3a.
Understands and defines advocacy and its role in comprehensive school counseling
programs
n
I-B-3b.
Identifies and demonstrates benefits of advocacy with school and community
stakeholders
n
I-B-3c.
Describes school counselor advocacy competencies, which include dispositions,
knowledge and skills
n
I-B-3d.
Reviews advocacy models and develops a personal advocacy plan
n
I-B-3e.
Understands the process for development of policy and procedures at the building,
district, state and national levels
n
I-B-4.
Collaborates with parents, teachers, administrators, community leaders and other
stakeholders to promote and support student success
n
I-B-4a.
Defines collaboration and its role in comprehensive school counseling programs
n
I-B-4b.
Identifies and applies models of collaboration for effective use in a school
counseling program and understands the similarities and differences between
consultation, collaboration and counseling and coordination strategies
n
I-B-4c.
Creates statements or other documents delineating the various roles of student
service providers, such as school social worker, school psychologist or school
nurse, and identifies best practices for collaborating to affect student success
n
I-B-4d.
Understands and knows how to apply a consensus-building process to foster
agreement in a group
n
I-B-4e.
Understands how to facilitate group meetings to effectively and efficiently meet
group goals
n
I-B-5.
Acts as a systems change agent to create an environment promoting and supporting
student success
n
I-B-5a.
Defines and understands system change and its role in comprehensive school
counseling programs
n
I-B-5b.
Develops a plan to deal with personal (emotional and cognitive) and institutional
resistance impeding the change process
n
I-B-5c.
Understands the impact of school, district and state educational policies,
procedures and practices supporting and/or impeding student success
I-C: Attitudes
School counselors believe:
n
I-C-1.
Every student can learn, and every student can succeed
n
I-C-2.
Every student should have access to and opportunity for a high-quality education
n
I-C-3.
Every student should graduate from high school and be prepared for employment
or college and other post-secondary education
n
I-C-4.
Every student should have access to a school counseling program
n
I-C-5.
Effective school counseling is a collaborative process involving school counselors,
students, parents, teachers, administrators, community leaders and other
stakeholders
n
I-C-6.
School counselors can and should be leaders in the school and district
n
I-C-7.
The effectiveness of school counseling programs should be measurable using
process, perception and outcome data