Benefits of Comprehensive Guidance and Counseling for Stakeholders
Comprehensive guidance and counseling programs provide profound benefits to students,
parents, teachers, administrators, school counselors, school site councils and advisory
groups, business and industry, and the community.
Development of a model for school guidance and counseling began in the 1970’s with the
work of Dr. Norman C. Gysbers, Professor in Educational and Counseling Psychology at the
University of Missouri - Columbia. In 2002, the American School Counselor Association
(ASCA) published its national model based upon Gysbers’ work and years of field research by
many other individuals in the counseling profession. The implication of the research clearly
supports the adoption of comprehensive guidance and counseling models by our school
districts. The findings support the benefits presented below (as summarized by ASCA).
Benefits for Students
A comprehensive guidance and counseling program:
1. Prepares students for the challenges of the future by supporting their academic, career, and
personal/social development and community participation.
2. Teaches the skills for a lifetime of learning, career self-management, and social interaction.
3. Relates their educational program to next steps and future success.
4. Broadens knowledge of our changing world.
5. Facilitates career exploration and planning.
6. Assures equitable access to opportunities.
7. Advocates for the individual student.
Benefits for Parents
A comprehensive guidance and counseling program:
1. Prepares their children for the challenges of the future.
2. Develops a system for their child’s long-range planning and learning.
3. Ties academics to their child’s next steps.
4. Provides support for parents in advocating for their child’s academic, career, and personal
development.
5. Increases opportunities for parent/school interaction.
6. Facilitates parent access to school and community resources.
Benefits for Teachers
A comprehensive guidance and counseling program:
1. Supports academic success of each student.
2. Clearly defines teachers’ guidance role and places it within the context of the guidance and
counseling program and student learning.
3. Provides for an interdisciplinary team effort to address student needs and educational goals.
4. Provides consultation to assist teachers in their guidance role.
Comprehensive Guidance and Counseling http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/results/?id=132
Oregon Department of Education April 2008
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Comprehensive Guidance and Counseling http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/results/?id=132
Oregon Department of Education April 2008
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Benefits for School Counselors
A comprehensive guidance and counseling program:
1. Ensures provision of program content to each student.
2. Enhances the role of the school counselor as a student advocate.
3. Provides a clearly defined role and function.
4. Focuses on critical counseling functions.
5. Provides a tool for program management and accountability.
6. Ensures involvement in the academic mission of the school.
Benefits for Administrators
A comprehensive guidance and counseling program:
1. Integrates school counseling with the academic mission of the school.
2. Provides a program structure with specific content.
3. Defines the school counselors’ role in enhancing learning and development for each student.
4. Clarifies types of activities to include in a school counselor’s job description.
5. Provides a means of evaluating school guidance and counseling programs.
Benefits for the Community
A comprehensive guidance and counseling program:
1. Creates community awareness and visibility of the student support systems required for student
success.
2. Enhances economic development through quality preparation of students for the world of work.
3. Provides an increased opportunity for collaboration and participation of community members
with the school program.
4. Educates the community to the needs of the school and the school to the needs of the
community.
Benefits for Business and Industry
A comprehensive guidance and counseling program:
1. Provides the future workforce with decision-making skills, pre-employment skills, increased
worker maturity, and career self-management skills.
2. Increases opportunities for business and industry to participate actively in the total school
program.
3. Provides increased opportunity for collaboration among counselors, business, industry, and
communities.
Source:
Oregon Department of Education (2003).
Oregon’s Framework for Comp ehensive Guidance and
Counseling Programs
. Salem, OR
r
http://www.ode.state.or.us/teachlearn/certificates/cam/pdfs/orframe/oregonframework-cgcp.pdf
