The development of all students is the keystone to the school counseling occupation. Ensuring that students achieve self-set goals and educational aspirations becomes the driving influence of every school counselor. The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) has set forth National Standards for Students through competencies for academic, career, and personal and social development. With these as influence, school counseling lesson plan development and implementation helps to guide students to their full potential.

Each level of education presents variations of developmental achievements. For elementary school-aged students, school counselors may address early intervention, character education, and self-awareness. During adolescence, students’ personalities develop as school counselors assist them in personal growth and discovery, understanding peer relationships, developing resolution skills, and exploring careers. In the high school setting, school counselors assist their students in planning their post-secondary education intentions through career and college investigation, to expand communication and problem-solving skills, and to gain a better understanding of peer relationship dynamics. Overall, all students experience academic, career, and personal and social achievements with the support of their school counselor.

Find out more on how school counselors provide a core school counseling curriculum, individual student planning, and meet the immediate needs of students through responsive services.

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Coordinating with other educational stakeholders in the interest of students is a competency set forth by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) to create learning environments that promote educational equity for every student. Involving parents/guardians in their child’s development can help to promote and support student success. These collaborations between school counselors and parents/guardians, teachers, student support staff, administrators, and community leaders guide a comprehensive school counseling program to further advocate for all students academic, career, and personal and social needs.

Relationships that are developed between professional school counselors and others in the interest of students creates a school culture that promotes student success, systemic change, advocacy, and reinforces the mission of the school counseling program.

Throughout much of the professional school counseling literature are statements on the value of collaborations between school counselors and other school personnel to ensure the success of every student academically, in career development, and personally/socially.

[Adapted from Strengthening Links Between the Levels: School Counselor Collaboration for Successful Student Transitions, a study on inter-collaboration activities.]

Last updated: April 2020