The School Counselor and Appraisal and Advisement for Postsecondary Preparation

ASCA Position

School counselors design, implement and assess a school counseling program that includes student appraisal and advisement to help students understand their abilities, values and career interests and to attain the ASCA Student Standards: Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success. This two-part process results in school counselors working collaboratively to ensure all students develop an academic and career plan that includes rigorous and relevant coursework and reflects their individual interests, abilities, short- and long-term goals, cultural beliefs, along with other factors.

The Rationale

Appraisal is the process where school counselors work with students to analyze and assess their abilities, interests, skills and achievement. Advisement is the process through which school counselors make recommendations based on review of tests, inventories and other data to help students make decisions for their future (ASCA, 2019).
 
Academic and college/career planning provides students with the opportunity to identify strengths, areas in need of improvement and areas of interest early in their education so students and their families can set postsecondary goals and make informed choices that support achieving their desired goals (Conley, 2013; Darling-Hammond et al., 2014). College and career readiness begins as early as preschool or kindergarten to prepare students for a wide array of postsecondary experiences without the need for remediation and to ensure all students possess the knowledge, attitudes and skills needed to qualify for and succeed in their chosen field.

The School Counselor's Role

School counselors take a proactive role in providing appraisal and advisement to students as a part of the school counseling program. They help students, families and staff assess the individual student’s strengths and interests and encourage the selection of a rigorous and relevant educational program supporting each student’s postsecondary goals. 
 
School counselors provide activities such as the following in support of these outcomes:

• Foster a school culture that acknowledges, respects and celebrates student diversity, cultures and beliefs throughout the appraisal and advisement process 
• Align appraisal and advisement activities and procedures with state and district policies 
• Facilitate student exploration of their strengths, interests and abilities in relation to knowledge of self and the world of work
• Use tests, inventories and other data to support students’ decision-making about their future
• Provide opportunities for students to demonstrate skills needed for success in academic and postsecondary goals
• Facilitate co-curricular/extracurricular opportunities aligned with students’ goals
• Help students make connections between coursework and life experiences
• Guide course selections that allow students the opportunity to choose from a wide range of postsecondary options

Summary

School counselors design, implement and assess a school counseling program that includes appraisal and advisement for all students to assist them in reaching their academic, career and social/emotional goals. School counselors collaborate with school staff, families and the community to ensure all students have the opportunity to design a rigorous and relevant academic and career program that will prepare them to achieve their postsecondary goals.