President's Letter: So, What Do School Counselors Do?

As the title suggests, this issue emphasizes what we do as school counselors; more specifically, what our comprehensive school counseling programs achieve. Often, school counselors are asked, “What do you really do at the school?” Many counselors have a prepared narrative for such a question, while others struggle to find the words to truly depict their role in the school. Both groups will continue to struggle to define their role and the role of the counseling program until it is transparent to all stakeholders what is happening with the comprehensive school counseling program. So, now we as school counselors must ask, “How to we promote our comprehensive school counseling program?”
 
School counseling programs are collaborative efforts benefiting students, parents, teachers, administrators and the overall community. School counseling programs should be an integral part of students' daily educational environment, and school counselors should be partners in student achievement. To keep all of these stakeholders abreast of the impact that a comprehensive school counseling program has on students, counselors must have evidence to support their work. That is the first step in promoting a counseling program. 

1. School counselors must take the time to analyze data, implement interventions that address the identified gaps, and compile follow-up data to determine the effectiveness of the various interventions.
2. We must share what we have learned with various stakeholder groups. This should include administration, teachers, parents, students and the members of the advisory council.
3. Counselors must provide time to receive feedback and collaborate with all stakeholder groups as to the mission and vision of the counseling department, including the goals that are to be achieved on an annual basis.

Although these three steps seem simple and many counselors may feel they are achieving these steps, all of us could take a hard look at how we are promoting our programs through the use of data-driven interventions. Without using hard data to support a counseling program, the program will have little ground to stand on when identifying what school counselors are doing to positively impact students.
 
Promoting a school counseling program is a task that school counselors must embrace as part of the continued advocacy effort for school counselors and school counseling programs. Here are some areas where school counselors could be part of the conversation and have a seat at the table to speak on behalf of their program: 

• School leadership team
• Professional development
• Advisory council
• Parent–Teacher Association
• Using social media
• Presenting to Board of Education
• Professional learning communities
• Local school improvement council

All of the above are groups or forums where a school counselor can present the work being done by a comprehensive school counseling program. I hope school counselors statewide are taking the opportunity to promote their school counseling program whenever possible. 
 
Contact Richard Tench, WVSCA president, at Rtench@mail.kana.k12.wv.us.