National School Counseling Week Resource Guide & Expert Interview (2024)

This year’s National School Counseling Week will be celebrated from February 6-10, 2023. Sponsored by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), National School Counseling Week aims to bring public attention to the unique contribution of school counselors within US school systems, and how students are impacted by what school counselors do.

Nationwide, more than 100,000 school counselors will participate in the week’s festivities, with many schools hosting events and activities that highlight the benefits of a comprehensive school counseling program. This year’s theme for National School Counseling Week is “School Counselors: Helping Students Dream Big.”

It’s hard to overstate the importance of today’s school counselors. From championing student success to unlocking student potential to helping students and families navigate the path to postsecondary education and a meaningful career—to everything in between—the compassionate and complex work of school counselors changes lives for the better every single day.

To get a deeper look at who school counselors are, what impact they have, which pressing issues they face, and all the ways that you can get involved in National School Counseling Week, read on.

Who Are School Counselors?

School counselors are highly educated, professionally certified individuals who help students succeed in school and plan their careers. Over the years, the roles and responsibilities of school counselors have matured and evolved; today, they’re an integral part of the total education system. The schoolwide programs that school counselors implement have a significant impact on improving student achievement and attendance, while also reducing issues with discipline.

“School counseling is 100-plus years old,” says Eric Sparks, EdD, Deputy Executive Director for ASCA. “Starting as vocation guidance in the early 1900s, school counseling has shifted from a job position to a service and finally to an organized K-12 schoolwide program that improves outcomes for all students.”

The modern framework for school counseling is the ASCA National Model, which provides consistency and standardization for school counseling programs across the country. The National Model emphasizes the use of data-driven methods to quantify school counselors’ impact on student achievement and success.

But data-driven doesn’t mean impersonal: school counselors are focused on teaching students the knowledge, attitudes, and skills needed to succeed academically and to be prepared for post-secondary education and careers.

“By implementing a school counseling program, school counselors encourage all students to develop mindsets for success, such as a positive attitude toward work and learning, self-confidence in their ability to succeed, and using their personal abilities to their fullest,” Dr. Sparks says. “School counselors also teach all students behaviors to help them succeed throughout their K-12 experience and to be prepared for the next steps in life.”

What Are the Top Issues for School Counselors?

Reducing Student-to-Counselor Ratios

Academic research has emphasized the importance of students’ access to school counselors. But in many settings, the ratio of students to school counselors is so high that it prevents school counselors from engaging with each student at the appropriate level.

ASCA recommends a ratio of no more than 250 students to every school counselor. Unfortunately, only two states currently meet that standard; the national average is 415 students for every school counselor. Reducing the ratio further will allow school counselors to have a more measurable impact on student attendance, wellbeing, and test scores.

Supporting Appropriate Use of Time

As evidenced by the high student-to-counselor ratios across the country, student counselors are spread too thin. Unfortunately, other burdens on a student counselor’s time spread them out even further. Today’s school counselors have graduate-level educations but are still being called upon by school administrations to perform tasks such as building master schedules, supervising classrooms, or assisting in administrative tasks.

Too often, school counselors are seen as all-position workhorses, instead of the highly specialized professionals they are. A major push for school counselors across the nation is to institute a requirement that a minimum of 80 percent of a school counselor’s time be spent on direct and indirect student services. Anything less than that comes at a significant cost to students.

Advocating for Student Issues

Many of the most important advocacy issues for school counselors revolve around issues related to students. These issues include:

• Preparing for a safe return to school during and after the COVID-19 pandemic
• Reducing and removing racism and bias in schools
• Promoting safety through conflict resolution and harassment prevention
• Increasing access to broadband services that support online learning and student development
• Building out community resources for mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and multiple forms of trauma

Empowering more school counselors to positions within a school’s leadership team would ensure that more students have compassionate advocates in decision-making roles.

Where Can You Learn More About School Counseling?

The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) is the definitive source for all things school counseling. Founded in 1952, ASCA has a network of 50 state and territory associations, and a membership of approximately 40,000 school counseling professionals. ASCA promotes student success by expanding the image and influence of school counseling through leadership, advocacy, collaboration, and systemic change.

In addition to hosting the annual National School Counseling Week, ASCA also acts as the central hub for America’s school counselors. ASCA’s website offers valuable information and resources on everything from legislative affairs to standards of practice to certification and licensing requirements.

Whether you’re an aspiring, new, current, or retired school counselor, ASCA membership is a must-have.