The American School Counselor Association collaborated to create a National Model for School Counseling Programs to align counseling programs with educational reforms emphasizing student achievement and success. The model addresses historical problems in counseling programs like lack of identity, involvement in reforms, and inconsistent roles. It moves programs from an entitlement focus on efforts to a performance focus on goals, objectives, outcomes and responsiveness to change based on data-driven decisions and student results.

1. School Counselors:
Partners in Student Achievement
Adapted from
American School Counselor Association (ASCA) in collaboration
National Model for School Counseling Programs
to connect school counseling with
current educational reform movements
that emphasize student achievement and success.

2. Overview
The
American School Counselor Association (ASCA)
has collaborated to create a
National Model for School Counseling Programs
to connect school counseling with
current educational reform movements
that emphasize student achievement and success.

3. Rationale
•By aligning a counseling program with the
school’s mission and school improvement plan,
professional school counselors:
• partner as leaders in systemic change
• ensure equity and access
• promote academic, career and
personal/ social development for
every student

4. Historical Problems in
School Counseling Programs
• Lack of legitimization
• Lack of consistent identity
• Limited or no involvement in reform
movements
• Variation in roles from state to state
and site to site
• Non-school counselor responsibilities

5. Varied and Conflicting Approaches
• Vocational counselors vs. Mental Health
counselors
• Directive vs. Non-directive
• Individualized services vs. Comprehensive
program
• Pre-service training varies as do administrative
expectations

6. Historical Problems Have
Continued
• Lack of basic philosophy
• Poor integration
• Insufficient student access
• Inadequate guidance for some students
• Lack of counselor accountability
• Failure to utilize other resources
Source: From Gatekeeper to Advocate. Transforming the Role of the School Counselor, Hart, P.J. & M.
Jacobi (1992)

7. From Entitlement… to Performance
From a program that: To a program that:
• Focuses generally on the • Focuses on outcomes and
number of activities improved results
• Measures the amount of
effort
• Attends to the process of • Measures impact related to
doing work goals
• Works to maintain the • Attends to goals, objectives,
existing system and outcomes
• Changes and adapts to be
more responsive
Source: McGowen, P. & Miller, J., “Changing the Entitlement
Culture,” The American School Board Journal, August 1999, p.43

8. From Entitlement… to Performance
From counselors who: To counselors who:
• Focus on good intentions • Focus on accomplishments
• Talk about effectiveness
• Talk about how hard they
work • Know their future rests on
accomplishments
• Generally feel little need to • Communicate goals and
change their behavior or objective
approach
Source: McGowen, P. & Miller, J., “Changing the Entitlement
Culture,” The American School Board Journal, August 1999, p.43

9. School Counseling Programs Are About
Counseling Managing Resources
Leadership Teaming
Assessment Collaboration
Technology Data-Driven Decisions
Advocacy
How are students different
as a result of the school counseling
program?

10. ASCA National Model