Back to School Resources

As students and staff return for the new school year, ASCA is here to help you prepare – from updating your school counseling program to assessing your equity practices and supporting student wellness.

School Counseling Program Basics

A new school year is an excellent opportunity for a fresh start, ensuring you’re on track to build and implement your school counseling program all year long. Access these tools to ensure you get off on the right foot.

• Review or get stated with your ASCA National Model implementation. The ASCA National Model Phased Implementation Plan guides school counselors in creating an ASCA National Model program in several phases that will make a difference in student success.
• Go a step further and become an ASCA National Model Specialist with ASCA U. This self-paced online course will help you become an ASCA National Model pro. View the syllabus here and register ($99 for members).
• Enhance your relationship with your principal by holding your annual administrative conference. Access the ASCA webinars, School Counselor/Principal Collaboration: Build Social Capital for Student Success, Nurture a Positive Relationship with Administration and RAMP Tips: Annual Administrative Conference for tips. (Webinars are free for ASCA members.) Review the ASCA Research Report School and District Administrators and the School Counselor Role. 
• Refresh your ethical expertise and ensure your competencies are on point with the ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors and the ASCA Professional Standards & Competencies. 
• Download all of the ASCA National Model templates, which includes the annual calendar, annual student outcome goal plan, school data summary, use-of-time 5-day calculator, school counseling program assessment and the other tools for managing your program.
• Ensure your ASCA National Model library is complete. “The ASCA National Model, fourth edition,” “ASCA National Model Implementation Guide: Manage & Assess, second edition,” and “ASCA National Model Implementation Guide: Student Standards.” Or, if you need all three, purchase the ASCA National Model bundle and receive a discount. Make sure you’re logged in to see member prices. 
• Download the ASCA National Model App (MApp), which includes a tool to track your time in direct/indirect student services throughout the day and allows you to create an online portfolio of your school counseling program. Free to ASCA members.
• Get certified. The ASCA-Certified School Counselor (ACSC) certification demonstrates school counselor knowledge in designing, implementing and assessing a school counseling program. Get national recognition and verification of graduate preparation, knowledge and skills.
• Sign up for some quick professional development you can enjoy with your morning coffee. The ASCA U Flash web series brings you 5-minute tips and advice three days a week at 9 a.m. Click here to subscribe to ASCA Flash. Be sure to click the red “Subscribe” button on the right-hand side and select “ASCA U Flash” under “Channel Subscriptions.”
• Register for ASCA U Ignite: Practical Strategies for a Successful Year: Whether you’re a new school counselor about to start your first job or if you’d just like to review the basics, the two-day ASCA U Ignite online training helps you hit the ground running. It includes 23 hours of sessions focused on the ins and outs of building and maintaining your school counseling program. Member rate is $99.

Assessing Equity Practices

Equity is infused throughout the ASCA National Model. In fact, you can’t earn the Recognized ASCA National Model Program (RAMP) designation without demonstrating how your school counseling program closes gaps in achievement, attendance or discipline. Are closing-the-gap action plans and results reports part of your school counseling program?

• Review the new guide ASCA National Model: Equity in Action for a visual demonstrating how equity is woven throughout the ASCA National Model.
• Check out RAMP Stories: Closing the Gap, a new research study that shows how 2023 RAMP schools used closing-the-gap action plans and results reports to identify equity needs, improve outcomes for students and address systemic issues.
• Become well-versed in ASCA’s position statements, so you're prepared to use national standards and best practice to support your work ensuring equity and inclusion for all students. The following position statements were revised/added in 2023:
  • The School Counselor and Academic Development
  • The School Counselor and Career Development
  • The School Counselor and Identification, Prevention and Intervention of Harmful or Disadvantageous Behavior
  • The School Counselor and Military-Connected Students (new)
  • The School Counselor and Retention, Social Promotion and Age-Appropriate Placement
  • The School Counselor and School Counseling Programs
  • The School Counselor and School Resource Officers (new)
  • The School Counselor and Social/Emotional Development
  • The School Counselor and Student Safety with Digital Technologies
  • The School Counselor and Universal Screening (new)
  • The School Counselor and Virtual/Distance School Counseling

Supporting Student Wellness

Preparing to meet students’ social/emotional developmental needs continues to be front and center for many K–12 schools. Take a look at these resources to ensure you’re ready to address students’ needs when they return to classrooms. 

• ASCA Student Standards: Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success - use the standards to assess student growth and development, create culturally sustaining strategies and activities and build a program that helps students achieve their highest potential.
• ASCA U Specialist trainings, including Mental Health Specialist, Anxiety & Stress Management Specialist and Trauma & Crisis Specialist will give you tools you need to support student wellness. ASCA U Specialist trainings are $99 for members ($249 for nonmembers) and are equal to 5 CEUs/50 Contact Hours.
• Review the new Information-Gathering Tool: Suicide Concern as well as the new Quick Guide to Support Students with Suicidal Ideation. Access resources to promote the 988 Suicide and Crisis Hotline.
• Professional School Counseling journal special Issue: School Counselors Addressing Education, Health, Wellness and Trauma Disparities looks at post-COVID-19 implications for school counselors. 
• Access relevant ASCA webinars and ASCA U Flash videos, including ASCA U Flash: Culture and Student Mental Health — Strategies to Support Students, ASCA U Flash: School Counselors & Mental Health Counselors, Rising Risk: K–6 Mental Health and Support Challenging Students.
• Review materials to support grieving students. Even though the impact of the pandemic is diminishing, its effects continue to touch both students and educators. The Coalition for Grieving Students has prepared a number of resources.
• Check out all the ASCA toolkits and frameworks.

Engaging with ASCA and Your State Association

The best way to stay current in the school counseling profession and to ensure you have a voice in policy changes in your state is to engage with ASCA and your state/territory association. Here's how. 

• Access ASCA's new online Member Community (formerly ASCA Scene). Engage with your peers, ask questions, seek solutions together and learn how others are addressing issues similar to yours. In addition to the Open Forum for all members, you can also join communities focused on areas of particular interest to you, such as rural school counselors, high school counselors, social/emotional learning and others. 
• Join an ASCA Affinity Group, small communities of members who share a similar interest or identity. Members enjoy opportunities to discuss shared challenges, brainstorm solutions, identify valuable resources and network with like-minded peers. Each group is formed based on grassroots interest and needs, is self-directed and led by members, and offers opportunities for meaningful conversations in safe spaces.
• Join or expand your engagement with your state association. Look for leadership and committee opportunities to ensure you get the most from your membership. Find your state/territory ASCA affiliate here. 
• Learn about all the ways you can engage with ASCA in committee and volunteer work.