ASCA School Counselor Professional Standards & Competencies

ASCA SCHOOL COUNSELOR PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS & COMPETENCIES 1

The ASCA School Counselor Professional Standards & Competencies outline the mindsets and behaviors

school counselors need to meet the rigorous demands of the school counseling profession and the

needs of pre-K–12 students. These standards and competencies help ensure new and experienced school

counselors are equipped to establish, maintain and enhance a school counseling program addressing

academic achievement, career planning and social/emotional development. These standards and

competencies can be used in a variety of ways including:

ASCA School Counselor

Professional Standards & Competencies

Mindsets: The mindset standards include beliefs school coun-

selors hold about student achievement and success. Although it

may be possible to measure these beliefs, the mindsets are more

readily recognized through the behaviors a school counselor

demonstrates as a result of the implementation of a school coun-

seling program. Therefore, the mindset standards do not have

correlating competencies.

Behaviors: The behavior standards include essential behaviors

school counselors demonstrate through the implementation of a

school counseling program including:

1. Professional foundation – the essential skills that are the basis

of a school counselor’s professional orientation

2. Direct and indirect student services – interactions that are

provided directly to students or indirectly for students in

collaboration with families, teachers, administrators, other

school sta and education stakeholders

3. Planning and assessment – activities necessary for the design,

implementation and assessment of the school counseling

program

Each behavior standard has speciﬁc competencies that are mea-

surable indicators of the broader standard. These competencies

can be used to further deﬁne the behaviors necessary for the

implementation of a school counseling program.

The mindsets and behaviors standards are found in the follow-

ing chart, and the behavior competencies are listed afterwards.

School counselors

n Self-assess their own mindsets and behaviors

n Formulate an appropriate professional development plan

School administrators

n Guide the recruitment and selection of competent school

counselors

n Develop or inform meaningful school counselor performance

appraisal

School counselor education programs

n Establish benchmarks for ensuring school counseling

students graduate with the knowledge, skills and attitudes

needed to develop a school counseling program.

Organization of the ASCA School Counselor

Professional Standards & Competencies

The ASCA School Counselor Professional Standards & Com-

petencies are organized by mindset standards and behavior

standards and competencies. The standards are broader topics

that describe the knowledge, attitude and skills school coun-

selors need to implement a school counseling program. The

competencies are more speciﬁc and measurable indicators of the

behavior standards.

ASCA SCHOOL COUNSELOR PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS & COMPETENCIES 2

ASCA School Counselor Professional Standards & Competencies

MINDSETS

School counselors believe:

M 1. Every student can learn, and every student can succeed.

M 2. Every student should have access to and opportunity for a high-quality education.

M 3. Every student should graduate from high school prepared for postsecondary opportunities.

M 4. Every student should have access to a school counseling program.

M 5. Effective school counseling is a collaborative process involving school counselors, students, families, teachers, administrators, other school

staff and education stakeholders.

M 6.

School counselors are leaders in the school, district, state and nation.

M 7. School counseling programs promote and enhance student academic, career and social/emotional outcomes.

BEHAVIORS

School counselors demonstrate the following standards in the

design, implementation and assessment of a school counseling program.

Professional Foundation Direct and Indirect Student Services Planning and Assessment

B-PF 1.

Apply developmental, learning,

counseling and education theories

B-SS 1.

Design and implement instruction

aligned to ASCA Student Standards:

Mindsets & Behaviors for Student

Success in large-group, classroom,

small-group and individual settings

B-PA 1.

Create school counseling program

beliefs, vision and mission

statements aligned with the school

and district

B-PF 2.

Demonstrate understanding of

educational systems, legal issues,

policies, research and trends in

education

B-SS 2.

Provide appraisal and advisement

in large-group, classroom, small-

group and individual settings

B-PA 2.

Identify gaps in achievement,

attendance, discipline, opportunity

and resources

B-PF 3.

Apply legal and ethical principles of

the school counseling profession

B-SS 3.

Provide short-term counseling in

small-group and individual settings

B-PA 3.

Develop annual student outcome

goals based on student data

B-PF 4.

Apply school counseling

professional standards and

competencies

B-SS 4.

Make referrals to appropriate

school and community resources

B-PA 4.

Develop and implement action

plans aligned with annual student

outcome goals and student data

B-PF 5.

Use ASCA Student Standards:

Mindsets & Behaviors for

Student Success to inform the

implementation of a school

counseling program

B-SS 5.

Consult to support student

achievement and success

B-PA 5.

Assess and report program results

to the school community

B-PF 6.

Demonstrate understanding of

the impact of cultural, social and

environmental inﬂuences on

student success and opportunities

B-SS 6.

Collaborate with families, teachers,

administrators, other school staff

and education stakeholders for

student achievement and success

B-PA 6.

Use time appropriately according

to national recommendations and

student/school data

B-PF 7.

Demonstrate leadership

through the development and

implementation of a school

counseling program

B-PA 7.

Establish agreement with the

principal and other administrators

about the school counseling

program

B-PF 8.

Demonstrate advocacy for a school

counseling program

B-PA 8.

Establish and convene an advisory

council for the school counseling

program

B-PF 9.

Create systemic change through

the implementation of a school

counseling program

B-PA 9.

Use appropriate school counselor

performance appraisal process

ASCA SCHOOL COUNSELOR PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS & COMPETENCIES 3

PROFESSIONAL FOUNDATION

B-PF 1. Apply developmental, learning,

counseling and education theories

a. Use human development theories to have an impact on de-

velopmental issues aecting student success

b. Use learning theory to support student achievement and

success, including students with diverse learning needs

c. Use established and emerging evidence-based counseling

theories and techniques that are eective in a school setting

to promote academic, career and social/emotional develop-

ment, including but not limited to rational emotive behavior

therapy, reality therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, Ad-

lerian, solution-focused brief counseling, person-centered

counseling and family systems

d. Use counseling theories and techniques in individual,

small-group, classroom and large-group settings to promote

academic, career and social/emotional development

e. Use career development theories to promote and support

postsecondary planning

f. Use principles of multitiered systems of support within the

context of a school counseling program to provide instruc-

tion and interventions matched to student need

B-PF 2. Demonstrate understanding of

educational systems, legal issues, policies,

research and trends in education

a. Explain the organizational structure and governance of the

American educational system as well as cultural, political and

social inﬂuences on current educational practices

b. Explain educational systems, philosophies and theories and

current trends in education, including federal and state

legislation

c. Explain and/or inform the process for development of policy

and procedures at the building, district, state and national

levels

d. Explain the history of school counseling to create a context

for the current state of the profession and school counseling

programs

e. Explain the nature of academic, career and social/emotional

counseling in schools and the similarities and dierences

between school counseling and other ﬁelds of counseling,

such as mental health, marriage and family, substance abuse

counseling, social work and psychology, within a continuum

of care

f. Delineate the roles of student service providers, such as

school social worker, school psychologist or school nurse,

and identify best practices for collaborating to have an impact

on student success

g. Articulate a rationale for a school counseling program

h. Use education research to inform decisions and

programming

i. Use current trends in technology to promote student success

B-PF 3. Apply legal and ethical principles of the

school counseling profession

a. Practice within the ethical principles of the school counseling

profession in accordance with the ASCA Ethical Standards

for School Counselors

b. Adhere to the legal responsibilities of the role of the school

counselor including the unique legal and ethical principles of

working with minor students in a school setting

c. Adhere to the ethical and statutory limits of conﬁdentiality

d. Fulﬁll legal and ethical obligations to families, teachers,

administrators and other school sta

e. Consult with school counselors and other education,

counseling and legal professionals when ethical and legal

questions arise

f. Resolve ethical dilemmas by employing an ethical decision-

making model in accordance with the ASCA Ethical

Standards for School Counselors

g. Model ethical behavior

h. Engage in continual professional development to inform and

guide ethical and legal work

B-PF 4. Apply school counseling professional

standards and competencies

a. Stay current with school counseling research and best

practices

b. Conduct and analyze self-appraisal and assessment related to

school counseling professional standards and competencies

c. Use personal reﬂection, consultation and supervision to

promote professional growth and development

d. Develop a yearly professional development plan to ensure

engagement in professional growth opportunities related

to relevant professional standards and competencies and

personal limitations

B-PF 5. Use ASCA Student Standards: Mindsets

& Behaviors for Student Success to inform the

implementation of a school counseling program

a. Select ASCA Student Standards: Mindsets & Behaviors for

Student Success to address student needs demonstrated in data

b. Prioritize ASCA Student Standards: Mindsets & Behaviors

for Student Success aligned with school improvement goals

c. Select or create competencies aligned with the ASCA Student

Standards: Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success and

the Common Core State Standards or other state-speciﬁc

standards

B-PF 6. Demonstrate understanding of the

impact of cultural, social and environmental

inﬂuences on student success and opportunities

a. Demonstrate basic knowledge and respect of dierences in

customs, communications, traditions, values and other traits

among students based on race, religion, ethnicity, nationality,

sexual orientation, gender identity, physical or intellectual

ability and other factors

ASCA SCHOOL COUNSELOR PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS & COMPETENCIES 4

b. Explain how students’ cultural, social and economic

background may aect their academic achievement, behavior,

relationships and overall performance in school

c. Maintain and communicate high expectations for every

student, regardless of cultural, social or economic

background

d. Explain the dynamics of cross-cultural communications and

demonstrate the ability to communicate with persons of

other cultures eectively

e. Collaborate with administrators, teachers and other sta

in the school and district to ensure culturally responsive

curricula and student-centered instruction

f. Understand personal limitations and biases, and articulate

how they may aect the school counselor’s work

B-PF 7. Demonstrate leadership through the

development and implementation of a school

counseling program

a. Identify sources of power and authority and formal and

informal leadership

b. Identify and demonstrate professional and personal qualities

and skills of eective leaders

c. Apply a model of leadership to a school counseling program

d. Create the organizational structure and components of an

eective school counseling program aligned with the ASCA

National Model

e. Apply the results of a school counseling program assessment

to inform the design and implementation of the school

counseling program

f. Use leadership skills to facilitate positive change for the

school counseling program

g. Deﬁne the role of the school counselor and the school

counseling program in the school crisis plan

h. Serve as a leader in the school and community to promote

and support student success

i. Participate in the school improvement process to bring the

school counseling perspective to the development of school

goals

B-PF 8. Demonstrate advocacy for a school

counseling program

a. Model school counselor advocacy competencies to promote

school counseling program development and student success

b. Advocate responsibly for school board policy and local, state

and federal statutory requirements in students’ best interests

c. Explain the beneﬁts of a school counseling program for

all stakeholders, including students, families, teachers,

administrators and other school sta, school boards,

department of education, school counselors, school

counselor educators, community stakeholders and business

leaders

d. Articulate and provide rationale for appropriate activities for

school counselors

e. Articulate and provide rationale for discontinuation of

inappropriate activities for school counselors

f. Use data (e.g., closing-the-gap reports) to promote reduction

in student-to-school-counselor ratios and reduction of

inappropriate non-school-counseling-related tasks

g. Participate in school counseling and education-related

professional organizations

B-PF 9. Create systemic change through the

implementation of a school counseling program

a. Act as a systems change agent to create an environment

promoting and supporting student success

b. Use data to identify how school, district and state educational

policies, procedures and practices support and/or impede

student success

c. Use data to demonstrate a need for systemic change in areas

such as course enrollment patterns; equity and access; and

achievement, opportunity and/or information gaps

d. Develop and implement a plan to address personal and/or

institutional resistance to change that better supports student

success

PROFESSIONAL FOUNDATION, cont.

ASCA SCHOOL COUNSELOR PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS & COMPETENCIES 5

B-SS 1. Design and implement instruction

aligned to the ASCA Student Standards:

Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success

in large-group, classroom, small-group and

individual settings

a. Use student, school and district data to identify achievement,

attendance and discipline issues to be addressed through

instruction

b. Assess cultural and social trends when developing and

choosing curricula

c. Identify appropriate evidence-based curricula aligned to the

ASCA Student Standards: Mindsets & Behaviors for Student

Success or select/develop other materials informed by research

and best practice if evidence-based materials do not exist

d. Demonstrate pedagogical skills, including culturally

responsive classroom management strategies, lesson planning

and personalized instruction

e. Create lesson plans identifying activities to be delivered,

standards to be addressed, to whom activities will be

delivered, how they will be delivered and how data will be

assessed to determine impact on student outcomes

f. Use a variety of technologies in the delivery of lessons and

activities

g. Engage with school administrators, teachers and other sta

to ensure the eective implementation of instruction

h. Analyze data from lessons and activities to determine impact

on student outcomes

B-SS 2. Provide appraisal and advisement

in large-group, classroom, small-group and

individual settings

a. Develop strategies to provide appraisal and advisement to

students and families about attaining the ASCA Student

Standards: Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success

b. Use assessments to help students understand their abilities,

values and career interests

c. Include career opportunities, labor market trends and global

economics to help students develop immediate and long-range

plans

d. Help students cross reference individual assessment

results (e.g. MBTI, Holland Code, ASVAB, O*Net) with

occupational/career goals

e. Help students understand how academic performance relates

to the world of work, family life and community service

f. Help students understand the importance of postsecondary

education and/or training as a pathway to a career

g. Help students and families navigate postsecondary awareness,

exploration, admissions and ﬁnancial aid processes

h. Connect students to workplace experiences to deepen

understandings and explore career interests

B-SS 3. Provide short-term counseling in

small-group and individual settings

a. Use data to identify students in need of counseling intervention

b. Provide support for students, including individual and small-

group counseling, during times of transition, heightened

stress, critical change or other situations impeding student

success

c. Explain the dierence between appropriate short-term

counseling and inappropriate long-term therapy

d. Explain the impact of adverse childhood experiences and

trauma, and demonstrate techniques to support students who

have experienced trauma

e. Respond with appropriate intervention strategies to meet the

needs of the individual, group or school community before,

during and after crisis response

B-SS 4. Make referrals to appropriate school

and community resources

a. Maintain a list of current referral resources, consistent with

school and district policies, for students, sta and families

to eectively address academic, career and social/emotional

issues

b. Communicate the limits of school counseling and the

continuum of mental health services

c. Articulate why diagnoses and long-term therapy are outside

the scope of school counseling

B-SS 5. Consult to support student achievement

and success

a. Gather information on student needs from families,

teachers, administrators, other school sta and community

organizations to inform the selection of strategies for student

success

b. Share strategies that support student achievement with

families, teachers, administrators, teachers, school sta and

community organizations

c. Consult with school counselors and other education and

counseling professionals when questions of school counseling

practice arise

d. Facilitate in-service training or workshops for families,

administrators, other school sta, teachers or other

stakeholders to share school counseling expertise

B-SS 6. Collaborate with families, teachers,

administrators, other school staff and

education stakeholders for student

achievement and success

a. Partner with others to advocate for student achievement and

educational equity and opportunities

b. Explain the potential for dual roles with families and other

caretakers

c. Identify and involve appropriate school and community

professionals as well as the family in a crisis situation

d. Supervise school counseling interns consistent with the

principles of the ASCA School Counseling Professional

Standards & Competencies

DIRECT AND INDIRECT STUDENT SERVICES

ASCA SCHOOL COUNSELOR PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS & COMPETENCIES 6

B-PA 1. Create school counseling program

beliefs, vision and mission statements aligned

with the school and district

a. Analyze personal, school, district and state beliefs,

assumptions and philosophies about student success

b. Compose a personal beliefs statement about students,

families, teachers, school counseling programs and the

educational process consistent with the school’s educational

philosophy and mission

c. Analyze the school’s vision and mission

d. Create a school counseling vision statement describing

a future world where student outcomes are successfully

achieved

e. Create a school counseling mission statement aligned with

school, district and state missions

f. Communicate the vision and mission of the school

counseling program to administrators, teachers, other school

sta and stakeholders

B-PA 2. Identify gaps in achievement,

attendance, discipline, opportunity and

resources

a. Collect and analyze data to identify areas of success or

gaps between and among dierent groups of students in

achievement, attendance, discipline and opportunities

b. Review, disaggregate and interpret student achievement,

attendance and discipline data to identify and implement

interventions as needed

c. Create goals based on student, school and/or district data to

close the achievement, opportunity and/or information gaps

B-PA 3. Develop annual student outcome goals

based on student data

a. Use achievement, attendance and/or discipline data to

create annual student outcome goals aligned with school

improvement plans

b. Write goals in a measurable format such as the SMART goal

format, and include baseline and target data within the goal

statement

c. Use student data and results from survey tools to monitor

and reﬁne annual student outcome goals

d. Communicate annual student outcome goals to

administrators, teachers, other school sta and stakeholders

B-PA 4. Develop and implement action plans

aligned with annual student outcome goals and

student data

a. Design and implement school counseling action plans aligned

with school and annual student outcome goals and student

data

b. Determine appropriate students for the target group of

action plans based on student, school and district data

c. Identify appropriate ASCA Student Standards: Mindsets &

Behaviors for Student Success addressing needs identiﬁed in

action plans

d. Select evidence-based curricula and activities to accomplish

objectives, or select/develop other materials informed by

research and best practice if evidence-based materials do not

exist

e. Identify appropriate resources needed to implement action

plans

f. Identify intended impact on academics, attendance and

discipline as result of action plan implementation

g. Explain basic research sampling, methodology and analysis

concepts as they relate to research outcomes and action

research

B-PA 5. Assess and report program results to

the school community

a. Explain concepts related to program results and assessment

within a school counseling program

b. Review progress toward annual student outcome goals

c. Analyze data to assess school counseling program

eectiveness and to inform program development

d. Collaborate with members of the school counseling team

and with administration to decide how school counseling

programs are assessed and how results are shared

e. Use data to demonstrate the value the school counseling

program adds to student achievement

f. Use presentation skills to share eectiveness data and results

of action plans and activities with administrators, advisory

councils, teachers, faculty and sta, families, school boards

and stakeholders

B-PA 6. Use time appropriately according to

national recommendations and student/school

data

a. Articulate the distinction between direct and indirect student

services

b. Assess use of time in direct and indirect student services

and program management and school support to determine

how much time is spent in each school counseling program

component

c. Articulate the best use of a school counselor’s time to

meet student needs as identiﬁed through student data and

program goals

d. Organize and manage time to eectively implement a school

counseling program using skills including scheduling,

publicizing and prioritizing time

e. Create annual and weekly calendars to plan activities

reﬂecting annual student outcome goals

f. Identify, evaluate and participate in fair-share responsibilities

PLANNING AND ASSESSMENT

ASCA SCHOOL COUNSELOR PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS & COMPETENCIES 7

B-PA 7. Establish agreement with the principal

and other administrators about the school

counseling program

a. Complete managing templates for the school counseling

program with other members of the school counseling sta

b. Discuss school counseling with the principal and/or

supervising administrator to formalize delivering, managing

and assessing the school counseling program

c. Explain and model the appropriate role of the school

counselor and the organization of the school counseling

program

d. Explain annual student outcome goals, their basis in student

data and their alignment with the school improvement plan

e. Advocate for the appropriate use of school counselor time

based on national recommendations and student needs

f. Finalize the annual administrative conference template after

presentation to and discussion with the principal and/or

supervising administrator

B-PA 8. Establish and convene an advisory

council for the school counseling program

a. Determine appropriate education stakeholders for

representation on the advisory council

b. Develop eective and ecient advisory council meeting

agendas to inform stakeholders about the school counseling

program

c. Explain and discuss school data, school counseling program

assessment and annual student outcome goals with the

advisory council

d. Record advisory council meeting notes, and distribute as

appropriate

e. Analyze and incorporate feedback from the advisory council

related to annual student outcome goals as appropriate

B-PA 9. Use appropriate school counselor

performance appraisal process

a. Explain and advocate for appropriate school counselor

performance appraisal process based on school counselor

standards and implementation of the school counseling

program

b. Explain how school counseling activities ﬁt within categories

of a performance appraisal instrument

c. Utilize components of the ASCA National Model to

document data-informed, student-focused activities that

demonstrate evidence of meeting standards of performance

appraisal instruments

PLANNING AND ASSESSMENT, cont.

Citation Guide

When citing from this publication, use the following reference:

American School Counselor Association (2019). ASCA School

Counselor Professional Standards & Competencies. Alexandria,

VA: Author.

277 S. Washington St., Suite 390, Alexandria, VA 22314 • www.schoolcounselor.org