III-B: Abilities and Skills
An effective school counselor is able to accomplish measurable objectives demonstrating the following abilities and skills.
III-B-1. Implements the school school counseling core curriculum
III-B-1a. Crosswalks ASCA Student Standards with appropriate guidance curriculum
III-B-1b. Develops and presents a developmental guidance curriculum addressing all students’ needs, including closing-the-gap activities
III-B-1c. Demonstrates classroom management and instructional skills
III-B-1d. Develops materials and instructional strategies to meet student needs and school goals
III-B-1e. Encourages staff involvement to ensure the effective implementation of the school guidance curriculum
III-B-1f. Knows, understands and uses a variety of technology in the delivery of school counseling core curriculum activities
III-B-1g. Understands multicultural and pluralistic trends when developing and choosing school counseling core curriculum
III-B-1h. Understands the resources available for students with special needs
III-B-2. Facilitates individual student planning
III-B-2a. Understands individual student planning as a component of a comprehensive program.
III-B-2b. Develops strategies to implement individual student planning, such as strategies for appraisal, advisement, goal-setting, decision-making, social skills, transition or postsecondary planning
III-B-2c. Helps students establish goals, and develops and uses planning skills in collaboration with parents or guardians and school personnel
III-B-2d. Understands career opportunities, labor market trends, and global economics, and uses various career assessment techniques to assist students in understanding their abilities and career interests
III-B-2e. Helps students learn the importance of college and other post-secondary education and helps students navigate the college admissions process
III-B-2f. Understands the relationship of academic performance to the world of work, family life and community service
III-B-2g. Understands methods for helping students monitor and direct their own learning and personal/social and career development
III-B-3. Provides responsive services
III-B-3a. Understands how to make referrals to appropriate professionals when necessary
III-B-3b. Lists and describes interventions used in responsive services, such as consultation, individual and small-group counseling, crisis counseling, referrals and peer facilitation
III-B-3c. Compiles resources to utilize with students, staff and families to effectively address issues through responsive services
III-B-3d. Understands appropriate individual and small-group counseling theories and techniques such as rational emotive behavior therapy, reality therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, Adlerian, solution-focused brief counseling, person-centered counseling and family systems
III-B-3e. Demonstrates an ability to provide counseling for students during times of transition, separation, heightened stress and critical change
III-B-3f. Understands what defines a crisis, the appropriate response and a variety of intervention strategies to meet the needs of the individual, group, or school community before, during and after crisis response
III-B-3g. Provides team leadership to the school and community in a crisis
III-B-3h. Involves appropriate school and community professionals as well as the family in a crisis situation
III-B-3i. Develops a database of community agencies and service providers for student referrals
III-B-3j. Applies appropriate counseling approaches to promoting change among consultees within a consultation approach
III-B-3k. Understands and is able to build effective and high-quality peer helper programs
III-B-3l. Understands the nature of academic, career and personal/social counseling in schools and the similarities and differences among school counseling and other types of counseling, such as mental health, marriage and family, and substance abuse counseling, within a continuum of care
III-B-3m. Understands the role of the school counselor and the school counseling program in the school crisis plan
III-B-4. Implements program management and school support activities for the comprehensive school counseling program
III-B-4a. Creates a program management and school support planning document addressing school counselor’s responsibilities for professional development, consultation and collaboration and program management
III-B-4b. Coordinates activities that establish, maintain and enhance the school counseling program as well as other educational programs
III-B-4c. Conducts in-service training for other stakeholders to share school counseling expertise
III-B-4d. Understands and knows how to provide supervision for school counseling interns consistent with the principles of the ASCA National Model
An effective school counselor is able to accomplish measurable objectives demonstrating the following abilities and skills.
III-B-1. Implements the school school counseling core curriculum
III-B-1a. Crosswalks ASCA Student Standards with appropriate guidance curriculum
III-B-1b. Develops and presents a developmental guidance curriculum addressing all students’ needs, including closing-the-gap activities
III-B-1c. Demonstrates classroom management and instructional skills
III-B-1d. Develops materials and instructional strategies to meet student needs and school goals
III-B-1e. Encourages staff involvement to ensure the effective implementation of the school guidance curriculum
III-B-1f. Knows, understands and uses a variety of technology in the delivery of school counseling core curriculum activities
III-B-1g. Understands multicultural and pluralistic trends when developing and choosing school counseling core curriculum
III-B-1h. Understands the resources available for students with special needs
III-B-2. Facilitates individual student planning
III-B-2a. Understands individual student planning as a component of a comprehensive program.
III-B-2b. Develops strategies to implement individual student planning, such as strategies for appraisal, advisement, goal-setting, decision-making, social skills, transition or postsecondary planning
III-B-2c. Helps students establish goals, and develops and uses planning skills in collaboration with parents or guardians and school personnel
III-B-2d. Understands career opportunities, labor market trends, and global economics, and uses various career assessment techniques to assist students in understanding their abilities and career interests
III-B-2e. Helps students learn the importance of college and other post-secondary education and helps students navigate the college admissions process
III-B-2f. Understands the relationship of academic performance to the world of work, family life and community service
III-B-2g. Understands methods for helping students monitor and direct their own learning and personal/social and career development
III-B-3. Provides responsive services
III-B-3a. Understands how to make referrals to appropriate professionals when necessary
III-B-3b. Lists and describes interventions used in responsive services, such as consultation, individual and small-group counseling, crisis counseling, referrals and peer facilitation
III-B-3c. Compiles resources to utilize with students, staff and families to effectively address issues through responsive services
III-B-3d. Understands appropriate individual and small-group counseling theories and techniques such as rational emotive behavior therapy, reality therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, Adlerian, solution-focused brief counseling, person-centered counseling and family systems
III-B-3e. Demonstrates an ability to provide counseling for students during times of transition, separation, heightened stress and critical change
III-B-3f. Understands what defines a crisis, the appropriate response and a variety of intervention strategies to meet the needs of the individual, group, or school community before, during and after crisis response
III-B-3g. Provides team leadership to the school and community in a crisis
III-B-3h. Involves appropriate school and community professionals as well as the family in a crisis situation
III-B-3i. Develops a database of community agencies and service providers for student referrals
III-B-3j. Applies appropriate counseling approaches to promoting change among consultees within a consultation approach
III-B-3k. Understands and is able to build effective and high-quality peer helper programs
III-B-3l. Understands the nature of academic, career and personal/social counseling in schools and the similarities and differences among school counseling and other types of counseling, such as mental health, marriage and family, and substance abuse counseling, within a continuum of care
III-B-3m. Understands the role of the school counselor and the school counseling program in the school crisis plan
III-B-4. Implements program management and school support activities for the comprehensive school counseling program
III-B-4a. Creates a program management and school support planning document addressing school counselor’s responsibilities for professional development, consultation and collaboration and program management
III-B-4b. Coordinates activities that establish, maintain and enhance the school counseling program as well as other educational programs
III-B-4c. Conducts in-service training for other stakeholders to share school counseling expertise
III-B-4d. Understands and knows how to provide supervision for school counseling interns consistent with the principles of the ASCA National Model