School Counseling

BENEFITS

• Fewer mental health problems: school-based mental health services reduced problems with a small-to-medium effect (g = 0.39). Targeted help for students who were already struggling had the largest effect (g = 0.76).pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih

• Less depression and anxiety: School-based interventions in grades K–12 significantly reduced depression and anxiety.pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih

• Better school climate:  measurable improvements in school climate and student well-being after a comprehensive counseling program was put in place.

• Better attendance and fewer suspensions: Access to counselors is linked to better attendance and lower discipline and suspension rates.files.eric.ed

• Less exclusionary discipline: More counselors led to significant drops in suspensions, expulsions and disciplinary transfers, though not in school-related arrests.jerodriguezs.github

• Caseloads matter: In a multistate study, schools where each counselor served more students had more suspensions and more chronic absenteeism.journals.sagepub

• Higher graduation and college enrollment: Students assigned to a more effective counselor were about 2 percentage points more likely to graduate and enroll in college, with larger effects for some groups.brookings

• Biggest gains for students who need them most: Adding one effective counselor raised graduation and four-year college attendance, especially for lower-achieving and lower-income students.files.eric.ed

• Stronger results in structured programs: High schools recognized under ASCA’s model program (RAMP) averaged SAT scores 92 points higher and had higher college enrollment (58% vs. 46%). Elementary schools with that recognition had higher English and math proficiency.eric.ed+1

• Better college and career decisions: Research also connects counselors to higher ACT and SAT scores and better-informed college choices.

HOW TO

• Use a proven framework: Adopt the ASCA National Model. Its four parts are Define, Manage, Deliver and Assess.schoolcounselor

• Carry it out fully.  High schools that fully implemented comprehensive guidance programs had higher graduation rates and ACT scores, fewer discipline problems, better attendance and higher college enrollment. education.ne

• Spend at least 80% of time with or for students. ASCA recommends 80% or more on direct and indirect student services. Track how time is actually used each year.schoolcounselor

• Remove duties that don’t belong to counselors. Examples include building the master schedule, coordinating testing, substitute teaching, calculating GPAs and entering data. Counselors and administrators both name time and testing as major barriers.

• Aim for a 250:1 caseload. ASCA recommends one counselor for every 250 students.

• Agree on roles and priorities. Principals are more likely than counselors to see scheduling, test coordination and record-keeping as counseling work. Settle roles at the start of each year, for example with a written annual agreement.aft

• Set priorities together. When principals and counselors work together on program priorities and student outcomes, counselors report more job satisfaction. A stronger relationship also improves how effective the program is seen to be. onlinelibrary.wiley

•  Fit counseling into MTSS (multi-tiered system of supports). Plan academic, career and social-emotional supports across tiers.schoolcounselor

  • Tier 1: Classroom lessons and schoolwide programs for every student.

  • Tier 2: Small groups and check-ins, based on regular monitoring of social-emotional data instead of waiting for students to ask for help.ocde

  • Tier 3: Individual counseling, crisis response and referrals to outside services.

• Write SMART goals with baseline and target numbers. Use attendance, discipline or achievement data. For example: “By December, 6th graders with 6 or more absences will cut total absences 50%, from 84 to 42” Rhode Island Department of Education

• Target specific gaps. Include at least two “closing the gap” action plans for student groups that are falling behind, and report the results.schoolcounselor

• Use ASCA’s free templates. They cover goals, action plans and results reports.

IMPACT OF COUNSELING (effect size)

• Cognitive-Behavioral interventions (0.90 effect size)

• Relaxation (0.84 effect size)

• Student depression (0.70 effect size)

• Attitude (0.65 effect size)

• “Effects higher for elementary students” (0.65 effect size)

• Anxiety (0.54 effect size)

• Self-esteem (0.50 effect size)

• Social skills training (0.50 effect size)

• Attendance (0.20 effect size)

• Reducing aggression (0.13 effect size)

• Improving academic performance in MS (0.08 effect size)

• GPA improvement in HS (0.05 effect size)

• Play therapy (0.03 effect size)

• Improving academic performance in elementary (0.00 effect size) Prout, 1998;  Whitson, 2009; Reese, 2010

• Optimal ratio of school counselor to students 1 / 250. Reese, 2010; Villares, 2012

CHALLENGES

• 75% of counselors have more than 250 students, and about 11% have more than 550.edweek

• Michigan is among the worst states, with 573 students per counselor in 2023–24.bridgemi

• Being given duties that aren’t counseling is the challenge counselors name most often (59%). Common examples are coordinating 504 plans, coordinating testing, substitute teaching and handling discipline.edweek

• Counselors spend about 72% of their time on direct and indirect student services. ASCA’s target is 80%.edweek

• 54% say compliance paperwork takes up a large part of their day.eschoolnews

• 73% say mental health support is a major part of their job, but many feel underprepared for how complex student needs have become.eschoolnews

• Because of time pressure, 89% of middle school counselors and 86% of high school counselors struggle to give students personalized guidance.eschoolnews

• 75% of high school students feel unprepared to make college or career decisions.eschoolnews

• Closing opportunity and achievement gaps is a top challenge for 49% of counselors.

• Students and administrators mostly understand what counselors do. Far fewer families (31%), school board members (24%) and state policymakers (14%) do.edweek

WHAT NOT TO DO

• Don’t skip the principal–counselor agreement.  Settle the counselor’s role, and how the program supports school goals, before the year starts.schools.utah

• Don’t hire counselors without updating job descriptions. Clarify their role and how it differs from other support staff, such as social workers and psychologists.edresearchforaction

• Don’t keep doing things just because the last counselor did. wholeheartedschoolcounseling

• The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) lists these as inappropriate for counselors:schoolcounselor

• • Building the master schedule, or coordinating testing programs

  • Covering classes, or supervising common areas or in-school suspension

  • Disciplining students

  • Data entry, computing GPAs, or keeping records

  • Coordinating schoolwide IEPs, 504 plans, multi-tiered support teams (RTI/MTSS) or attendance boards

  • Signing tardy or absence excuses

• Don’t focus only on emergencies. Build preventive programming tied to the school improvement plan and to all three tiers of the school’s support system.edresearchforaction

• Don’t save college and career work for seniors.

• Don’t form small groups from anecdotes alone, such as one teacher’s request. Confirm the need with data first.wholeheartedschoolcounseling

• Don’t skip breaking results down by student group. Look at attendance, achievement and access to advanced courses by race, income and disability status to find inequities.

• Don’t launch without a clear referral system. Otherwise, students and staff will invent their own.wholeheartedschoolcounseling

• Don’t write every lesson from scratch. Use evidence-based curricula instead.wholeheartedschoolcounseling

• Don’t treat outside college-access programs as a replacement for school counselors.edresearchforaction

• Don’t skimp on professional development, especially in using data, college and career advising, and culturally responsive practice.edresearchforaction