Advocacy Resources: Review and Use Them

School counselors are often faced with answering questions about their role and responsibilities. One Vision, One Voice resources about the current mission and work of school counselors have been developed by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) in conjunction with representatives from the 51 state school counseling associations. The Role of the School Counselor and 41 position statements are rich in a consistent message and talking points about the many facets of the school counselor’s work. The Role and position statements are reviewed periodically to ensure that they are current and impactful. Each one includes the position statement, the rationale, the school counselor’s role, a summary and references for further research.
Access all of the position statements
 
Pennsylvania’s ESSA plan focuses on a variety of topics relative to the school counselor’s role including but not limited to college and career readiness. The position statement on Individual Student Planning for Postsecondary Preparation provides a basis and rationale for the school counselor’s significant importance in this process. School-Family-Community Partnerships has information relative to the community connections focus of this newsletter. The School Counselor and Students with Disabilities addresses the role of the school counselor in the IEP process. Become familiar with the topics and the extensive information that can be very helpful in advocating for school counselors and school counseling programs in your district.

REMINDER Visit the PSCA website to get updated details on PSCA’s 62nd Annual Conference: Preparing for the Future: School Counselors, Lead the Way! November 30-December 1, 2017 The Hershey Lodge and Convention Center, Hershey, PA

The Position Statements address the following topics:
Academic Development
Annual Performance Evaluation
Career Development 
Character Education
Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention
Children Experiencing Homelessness
College Access Professionals
Comprehensive School Counseling Programs
Confidentiality
Corporal Punishment
Credentialing and Licensure
Cultural Diversity
Discipline
Equity for All Students
Gender Equity
Gifted and Talented Student Programs
Group Counseling
High-Stakes Testing
HIV/AIDS/STD
Identification, Prevention and Intervention of Behaviors That Are Harmful and Place Students At Risk
Individual Student Planning for Postsecondary Preparation
LGBTQ Youth
Multitiered Systems of Support
Peer Support Programs
Promotion of Safe Schools Through Conflict Resolution and Bullying/Harassment Prevention
Retention, Social Promotion and Age-Appropriate Placement
Safe Schools and Crisis Response
School Counseling Preparation Programs
School-Family-Community Partnerships
Social/Emotional Development
Student Mental Health
Student Postsecondary Recruitment
Student Safety and the Use of Technology
Students With Disabilities
Test Preparation Programs
Transgender/Gender-Nonconforming Youth
Trauma-Informed Practice
Use of Non-School-Counseling-Credentialed Personnel
Use of Support Staff in School Counseling Programs
Virtual School Counseling
Working With Students Experiencing Issues Surrounding Undocumented Status: