The School Counselor and Student Postsecondary Recruitment

ASCA Position

School counselors encourage and promote positive and equitable reception of career and postsecondary educational institution recruiters into the school setting. These recruiters may include individuals from organizations such as but not limited to:

• apprenticeship programs
• athletic programs
• branches of the military
• career and technical education institutions
• colleges and universities

The Rationale

Comprehensive and accurate information is essential for students as they explore postsecondary career and educational options (National Occupational Information Coordinating Committee, 2001). Although federal law requires the distribution of student directory information, the school counselor also recognizes the importance of student and family choices in the recruitment process and assists them as they make informed postsecondary choices (Dahir & Stone, 2012). ASCA believes in the right of every student to have access to counseling and advisement for postsecondary (career and education) preparation, access and success. In implementing a school counseling program aligned with the ASCA National Model, the school counselor delivers information on postsecondary career and college options and collaborates with other student service professionals in service to students (SDSU White House Convening 2014).

The School Counselor's Role

School counselors are advocates for students in the recruitment process and ensure students and their families are informed of their rights under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and in accordance with ASCA’s Ethical Standards for School Counselors. School counselors provide and advocate for individual students’ career awareness, exploration and postsecondary plans supporting students’ right to choose from the wide array of options when they leave secondary education. The school counselor develops strategies and implements activities for appraisal and advisement, goal-setting, decisionmaking, transition and/or postsecondary planning. The school counselor collaborates with students, their families, other student service professionals and recruiters to provide information about postsecondary options and assists students as they make choices about their future

Collaborating with school administrators, school counselors develop written information and/or hold informational meetings to inform all concerned parties about the policies and procedures for obtaining student information as well as students’ and parents’/guardians’ right to withhold their information. Once the student reaches the age of 18, FERPA prohibits parents from accessing student records without the student’s permission. The school counselor can play a critical role in bridging the communication gap between parents and recruitment entities. In addition to the above activities, school counselors can encourage parents to sign waivers to release information, deal directly with the students, encourage conversation between students and parents and encourage recruiters to create informational sessions and activities for parents.

Summary

The school counselor assists students and their families as they make informed decisions about postsecondary options. The school counselor collaborates with individuals involved in the student recruitment process to ensure the delivery of comprehensive and accurate information while protecting student rights as specified by state/federal law, school district policies and procedures and ASCA’s Ethical Standards for School Counselors.