Professional School Counselors incorporate organizational assessments and tools that are concrete, clearly delineated and reflective of the school’s needs. Assessments and tools include:

School counselor competency and school counseling program assessments to self-evaluate areas of strength and improvement for individual skills and program activities

Use-of-time assessment to determine the amount of time spent toward the recommended 80 percent or more of the school counselor’s time to direct and indirect services with students

Annual agreements developed with and approved by administrators at the beginning of the school year addressing how the school counseling program is organized and what goals will be accomplished

Advisory councils made up of students, parents, teachers, school counselors, administrators and community members to review and make recommendations about school counseling program activities and results

Use of data to measure the results of the program as well as to promote systemic change within the school system so every student graduates college- and career-ready

Curriculum, small-group and closing-the-gap action plans including developmental, prevention and intervention activities and services that measure the desired student competencies and the impact on achievement, behavior and attendance

Annual and weekly calendars to keep students, parents, teachers and administrators informed and to encourage active participation in the school counseling program