School Counselors: How Many is Enough?

Education Week recently published an article titled Data: Does Your State Have Enough School Psychologists and Counselors? Spoiler alert: The answer is no. Most states do not have enough school psychologists and counselors. 

The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommends a ratio of one school counselor for every 250 students. The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) recommends a ratio of one school psychologist for every 500 students. According to Education Week, in California 2.62% of students are attending schools in districts that meet the recommended ratio for psychologists and 0.49% attend schools in districts that meet the recommended ratio for counselors. To put it another way, more than 95% of students in California are attending schools that do not meet the recommended ratios for school counselors or psychologists. 

So, why does this matter? What do school psychologists and counselors do and why are they an important part of the school site team? 

We hear a lot about “educating the whole child” when talking about education. School counselors and psychologists are really the epitome of this idea. ASCA describes counselors as “highly educated, professionally certified individuals who help students succeed in school and plan their career.”  The work of school counselors focuses on three domains: academic development, college and career planning, and social emotional development. (For a nice snapshot of what a school counselor does, check out this school counselor Role Statement from ASCA’s website.) What that might look like in real life is that they guide your child with course selections based on your child’s interests and strengths and assist them in finding resources if they are struggling academically; discuss post-high school plans and help your child figure out the path to get to that next step; and are available for short-term counseling your child may need and may give referrals for long term counseling if that could benefit your child. 

School psychologists are described by NASP as “uniquely qualified members of school teams that support students’ ability to learn and teachers’ ability to teach.” Like counselors, school psychologists support a student’s academic achievement, but may take a greater role in supporting diverse learners and promoting mental health. (NASP outlines the job of a school psychologist here.) In a real life setting they may help assess learning differences and help modify and adapt curricula to accommodate those differences; provide individual and group counseling; and help families understand their children’s learning and mental health needs, among many other duties. 

School counselors and psychologists are incredible assets to schools and individual students.  As you determine what high school is the right fit for your student, you should consider what the school counseling programs look like at the schools you are looking at and how much access your student will have to a counselor and/or psychologist.

Some questions you might want to ask as you look at high school options:

–What is the ratio of school counselors to students?

–What are the credentials and licenses that the counseling team has? Oftentimes a school may not have a designated school psychologist, but may have members of the counseling team that have the same academic qualifications and licenses as required for school psychologists. 

–Will my student have the same counselor for all four years of high school or will their counselor change? If so, when and why will the counselor change? These questions will help you learn about the counseling program, especially as to how college counseling is approached at the school. 

–How often will my student see the counselor? Can my student make appointments with their counselor as needed? Can I make appointments with the counselor as needed? 

High school is a time of change and preparation. Students transition from being children to young adults and prepare for career, college and a more independent life. A strong school counseling program can be invaluable in assisting students with the transition and preparation and really can separate a good school from a great school. So, as you look at high school options, meet the teachers, question the principal, talk to current students and parents and most definitely find out about the counseling program.