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Counseling and Student Support
School Counseling Programs
School counseling programs are comprehensive in scope, preventive in design, and
developmental in nature. The purpose is to impart specific skills and learning
opportunities in a proactive, preventive manner, ensuring that all students,
prekindergarten to adult, achieve success in school. The goal of a school counseling
program is to increase student learning and achievement by advancing student
academic development, career development, and personal and social development.
A counseling program is an integral component of the educational system and is vital in
preparing and assisting students to be successful, lifelong learners. School counselors
and other members of the student support team (school psychologists, school social
workers, child welfare and attendance supervisors, and school nurses) assist students
in making decisions, managing emotions, coping with crises, overcoming barriers to
learning, and seeking access to the core curriculum. School counselors and members
of the support team help students set short-term and long-term goals, improve
attendance, reduce and resolve conflicts, and prevent youth suicide. This support team
works to create a positive learning environment; teaches self-management skills; acts
as advocates for youths; and provides relevant academic, career, and personal/social
counseling to enable them to make informed decisions toward their future goals.
School counselors are trained educators possessing a valid credential with a
specialization in pupil personnel services (California Education Code [EC] Section
49600). As specialists in child and adolescent development, school counselors
coordinate the objectives, strategies, and activities of a comprehensive counseling
program.
The following list of resources is available on the Counseling Resources Web site at
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/cg/re. These resources provide valuable direction to school
districts and county offices of education in developing program standards and
accountability systems in school counseling programs.
• The Support Personnel Accountability Report Card (SPARC), developed by the
Los Angeles County Office of Education and the CDE, is a continuous
improvement tool that is modeled after the School Accountability Report Card
(SARC). It assists schools in promoting their counseling and student support
program, improving their program’s accountability, and implementing the National
Model for School Counseling Programs.
• The National Model for School Counseling Programs, developed by the American
School Counselor Association, connects school counseling programs with current
educational reform movements. The National Model reflects a comprehensive
approach to program foundation, delivery, management, and accountability. The
model provides the mechanism through which school counselors and school
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