Brief Description of the Jobto top
Guidance counselors are school professionals who specialize in helping students make decisions about their personal and educational needs while providing information about colleges and other life choices. They assist students with personal, family, educational, mental health, and career decisions and problems. Counselors can help you to realize your interests, talents, and personality characteristics so you can develop realistic goals for the future. In a high school setting, guidance counselors advise students regarding college majors, admission requirements, entrance exams (like SATs), financial aid availability, and scholarship information. Counselors are also mandated reporters and must be on the lookout for domestic abuse and any other family problems. Traditionally, guidance counselors work the average 9-10 month school year, but more counselors are now employed for 11 months, especially in high schools. When it comes time for students to apply to colleges, the hours of work for a high school counselor tend to increase. The overall job of a high school guidance counselor is to talk with students, listen to their problems, provide advice, and help them to develop better problem-solving and decision-making skills.
For more information on the job description of a high school guidance counselor please refer to:
Difference by Academic Levelto top
While the training for a guidance counselor at the various academic levels is very similar, the practitioner will engage in different activities based on the age of the students they work with. There are very few guidance counselors at the elementary level, basically the activities at that level involve ensuring that students are in appropriate classes, are receiving the kind of support hey need to flourish and are meeting state requirements. The middle school guidance counselor will also be involved with course selection and ensuring compliance with state and national requirements. In addition, they will be discussing possible career options and the appropriate educational experiences to achieve those goals. Most guidance counselors will be found in the high schools where they continue the activities of those in the middle school. The counselor at this level plays a critical role in record keeping for each student to ensure academic compliance. A major element for the counselor at the high school level is helping students prepare themselves for college or careers after high school. A great deal of time is spent in college selection and the actual application process. Counselors at the college level will work with students on course selection, but are more involved in career preparation and guidance in preparation for those careers.
What Training/Certification is Requiredto top
It is highly recommended that school counselors have Master’s degrees in school counseling. Some states will accept a bachelor’s degree but only with the appropriate counseling courses. Although it varies from state to state, some require counselors to have a degree in teaching and a counseling degree with some teaching experience as well. In New York, there are several tests for different levels of certification that are required. Approximately forty-eight to sixty graduate semester hours and observed clinical work in counseling is required for a Master’s. Also, counselors must be certified in the state they wish to work which depends on the particular state’s requirements. There are various other certifications a counselor could chose to have in addition.
This information was obtained from the following sites:
A detailed description of guidance counseling is found on this site. There is more information on growth in this field but general requirements are listed as well.
This page is very easy to read and at the same time gives a very thorough report
on job outlook and requirements in training.
Differences by Stateto top
The overall role of the high school guidance counselor is relatively similar in each state, with each school district and individual school having its own responsibilities and personalized position for each counselor. The main differences by state are seen between each state’s certification requirements. The American School Counselor Association website lists the certification requirements to be a school counselor according to the various states. Some of the requirements that differ between states are (previous) educational and experience requirements, and which specific examination (if any) is needed to obtain a certification. A specific requirement that varies greatly by each state is the actual certification in specific grades that one will need to be a school counselor. For example, some states require a certification in grades K-12 or preK-12 while others want one certification for grades K-6 and then another one for grades 7-12. Most of the states require a certification in either grades K-12 or preK-12. Other requirements that vary amongst the states are reciprocity and background check. The reciprocity requirement is usually stated as yes or no, and if the requirement is needed the ASCA website sometimes lists the specific conditions. The background check is also stated as yes or no, and if one is required, there are often an examples given such as chest X-rays, the presence of U.S. citizenship, no felony conviction or misdemeanor involving abuse, neglect, or sexual misconduct, or simply just a fingerprint check is required (which would usually cover many of those previously stated).
For more information on the differences by state of a school counselor refer to:
This site is a page of the American School Counselor Association website. It lists the state certification requirements by state. It includes all of the criteria listed above.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor all states require all school counselors to have completed some graduate course work and to hold a state school counseling certification, while most states require the completion of a master’s degree. There are some states where both counseling and teaching certificates as well teaching experience are required before certification can be received. Earning a certificate can be done through boards such as the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC) or the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). National certification through these boards is voluntary, but the certification will exempt certificate holders from taking the state certification exam in some states.
The website (of the U.S. Department of Labor) where you can find more information about school counseling is:
Schools in NY Awarding Related Graduate Degreesto top
For a list of schools which offer graduate programs in school counseling, see the website listed below:
This website provides a detailed and extensive list of schools all over New York that have masters programs or programs offering certification in school counseling.
Salary Rangeto top
A counselor’s salary range can vary from $21,000 to $73,000. The annual median pay is approximately $39,000. Pay can also vary depending upon professional certifications, geographic location, and the sector of the employer.
For further information on Salary Range, refer to:
This website specifically explains what a guidance counselor does and the salary range depending on different factors. The website gives instructions, tips, and warning on how to research a guidance counselor’s salary.
Job Forecast (Courtney Kenyon)to top
Job growth is faster than average. As student enrollment increases in colleges and secondary schools, the demand for school counselors increases. Some states are even requiring elementary schools to hire guidance counselors. As other counselors retire, there will be more opportunity. Currently, the demand for guidance counselors is higher than the number of students graduating from school counseling programs. Responsibilities for school counselors are increasing as well leading to more job opportunity. Counselors are expected to now deal with crisis problems the students might have such as drug and alcohol abuse as well as suicide. Growth in this field could lessen due to budget cuts where counselors could be asked to work at more than one school.
For more information on the job forecast of a high school guidance counselor please refer to
A detailed description of guidance counseling is found on this site. There is more information on growth in this field but general requirements are listed as well.
Reference Section of Related Articlesto top
Sociology of Education: Vol. 45, No.4, p.339: Educational Decision Makers: The School Guidance Counselor and Social Mobility.
This article discusses three questions regarding high school guidance counselors. The first is, are counselors equally splitting their time
between all of their students? While the second question refers to the topic of counselors stereotyping their students and spending more
time on students depending on different variables, like the student’s intelligence level or status. Lastly, the third questions includes,
does the counselor have an affect on the student he is working with?
For further information, refer to:
The NC Standard Course of Study discusses guidance curriculum and high school career development website. It explains different
areas of guidance counseling and what one can do to become one. It describes different scenarios and how to go about solving them.
Specifically it discusses how to develop career awareness, employment readiness, acquire career information, and identify career goals.
For more information, refer to:
The British Journal of Guidance and Counseling has numerous articles from 1999 to the present, pertaining to guidance counseling. The database
EBSCOhost is where the journal can be found, along with various other journals about guidance counseling.
For further information:
The Cortland Memorial Library website has a search for journals and articles. There are both various journals and articles on Guidance and
Counseling. Specifically, the article “Counseling and Guidance in the Schools” can be found, this article discusses three approaches to guidance counseling.
Another article includes “Introduction to Guidance” which describes the basics of being a guidance counselor. Many more articles like these two can also
be found on this website.
For further information refer to:
The “Guidance and Counseling” article discusses the foundation of guidance counselors and how they came about. It also provides an idea of what
is required from a guidance counselor. The website offers in depth information about guidance counseling and different counseling programs.
For further information, refer to: http://columbia.thefreedictionary.com/guidance+and+counseling
Links to Good Web Sitesto top For general information about counseling:
American Counseling Association
The American School Counselor Association works to make sure that it helps to meet the needs of all school counselors, in all settings, with
all levels of experience. There are over 18,000 school counseling professionals that make up the ASCA. The goals of the ASCA are to provide professional
development, to enhance school counseling programs, and to research effective school counseling practices. Its mission is to “represent professional
school counselors and to promote professionalism and ethical practices.”
The Bureau of Labor Statistics breaks down different aspects of being a counselor like nature of work, working conditions, training, qualifications,
and advancement, employment, job outlook, earnings, and related occupations.
For information on school counseling:
American School Counselor Association
The ASCA supports school counselors' efforts to help students focus on academic, personal/social, and career development so they achieve success
in school and are prepared to lead fulfilling lives as responsible members of society. They provide professional development, publications and other resources,
research and advocacy to more than 19,000 professional school counselors around the globe.
The ASCA is a division of the American Counseling Association.
Accredited counseling and related training programs:
Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs
The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) is a council whose mission is it to “promote the professional
competence of counseling and related practitioners through the development of preparation standards, the encouragement of excellence in program development,
and the accreditation of professional preparation programs.” CACREP is an independent agency which is recognized by the Council for Higher Education
Accreditation to accredit master’s degrees programs in career, college, community, gerontological, and mental health counseling, as well as marital, couple, and
family counseling/therapy.
For national certification requirements for counselors:
National Board for Certified Counselors
The National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) is made up of approximately 400,000 certified counselors. The board is (according to the NBCC website)
“the nation’s premiere professional certification board devoted to credentialing counselors who meet standards for the general and specialty practices of
professional counseling.” Counselors who have meet the predetermined standards in their training, experience, and performance on the NCE (National Counselor
Examination for Licensure and Certification), are recognized in the NBCC program. The NBCC’s examinations are used in over 40 states, as well as in the District of
Columbia and Guam to credential counselors on a state level.
Professional Organizationsto top
American Counseling Association (please see description above):
The Center for School Counseling Outcome Research is “dedicated to improving the practice of school counseling by developing the research base that is necessary
for responsible and effective practice.” This mission is achieved through research and program evaluation, consultation, and professional development opportunities.
Each state has its own school counselor association and through the Center for School Counseling Outcome Research website links to each association are provided:
The National Board for Profession Teaching Standards (NBPTS) was formed in 1987 with goals to “advance the quality of teaching and learning by developing professional
standards for accomplished teaching, creating a voluntary system to certify teachers who meet those standards and integrating certified teachers into educational reform
efforts.” The NBPTS is an organization which is independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan, and nongovernmental. This organization administers National Board Certification (which
is a voluntary assessment program that certifies educators who meet those specific standards), and it is known and recognized for “developing the professional standards
that define that accomplished teachers should know and be able to do.”
The NBPST’s website is:
Related Journals of Interestto top
The Professional School Counseling Journal “communicates the latest theory, research, practice, techniques, materials and ideas to assist school counseling professionals
at all levels in their professional development. Additionally, it strengthens bonds among school counselors and helps maintain a shared awareness of the roles, problems and
progress of school counseling at various settings and levels.”
All the information to subscribe to this journal (address, phone number, etc) can be found on the American School Counselor Association website at:
The Journal of School Counseling “is dedicated to publishing articles that promote the effective practice of school counseling. The mission of the journal is to promote
a community of scholarship that includes the thoughts, practices, and research of school counselors and counselor educators from throughout the nation.”
The JSC’s website is:
The Journal of Counseling Psychology “publishes empirical research in the areas of (a) counseling activities (including assessment, interventions,
consultation, supervision, training, prevention, and psychological education), (b) career development and vocational psychology, (c) diversity and underrepresented populations in relation to counseling activities, (d) the development of new measures to be used in counseling activities, and (e) professional issues in counseling psychology.”
For more information about this journal please visit:
This site was originally developed by: Courtney Kenyon, Brittney Petillo, Emily Ripps, and Robyn Shapiro for a course in Psychology in the Schools taught by Dr. Margaret Anderson at SUNY Cortland in Fall 2006.
