Category Archives: Importance of School Counselors

Importance of School Counselors

Why You Should Celebrate National School Counseling Week

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It just figures that National School Counseling Week starts the day after the Super Bowl. The country gorges on guacamole-covered chicken wings on Sunday, and when America’s most misunderstood group of educators asks for three nacho chips and a high-five on Monday, the country is too tired to party.

In some ways, we don’t mind. The last time we made headlines, most people surveyed felt that school counselors were more of a hindrance than a help in applying to college. Before that, we were the punch line of a car ad — “Your guidance counselor drives a minivan” — or we were known as the washed-up teachers who were given offices close to the principal so he could keep an eye on us.

But Jenny doesn’t see us that way.

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Importance of School Counselors

Celebrate National School Counseling Week

National School Counseling Week kicks off on Monday. The annual five-day event, sponsored by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), highlights the many ways counselors help students succeed in the classroom and beyond.

Fun contests and local events are scheduled across the country, making it the perfect time for school counselors to celebrate the profession they love.

This year’s theme is “School Counselors: Helping Students Reach for the Stars.” Photo and video challenges are planned throughout the week

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Importance of School Counselors

Counselors Change Lives

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As a counselor, it is too easy to feel unappreciated or to feel as though you aren’t making a difference.

But one former student is here to reassure you that even the smallest acts can make the biggest difference.

Gloria Delores Chin recently wrote a beautiful tribute to her high school college counselor, Dr. Donald Comras, in the New York Daily News thanking him for being “a source of support.”

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Access, Importance of School Counselors

Report: Lack of Access to College Counselors Stymies Success for NYC Students

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A lack of access to college counselors was cited as a major factor in a new report on New York City’s low college success rate.

Only 22 percent of students who enter community college associate degree programs at the City University of New York (CUNY) earn a degree in three years and just 55 percent of students enrolled in four-year CUNY programs finish after six years, according to the research.

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College Admission, Importance of School Counselors

Apply to 100 Colleges? What 1 Student Wishes She Had Known About the Admission Process

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A freshman college student in Tennessee isn’t experiencing buyer’s remorse over her college choice. But she has some issues with the way she was told to shop for one.

“I was also told by counselors to apply to 100 colleges. I was never told why that number was chosen, but my peers were told the same,” Anisah Karim, now a psychology student at the University of Memphis, wrote in Chalkbeat.

“We were often pulled out of class to complete these applications, which took away from instructional time — about an hour per day. My high school also ran on an infraction system, and not turning in college applications and other documents led to disciplinary actions.”

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Importance of School Counselors, NACAC News

NACAC Celebrates National School Counseling Week

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National School Counseling Week kicked off on Monday. The annual five-day event, sponsored by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), highlights the many ways counselors help students succeed in the classroom and beyond.

Fun photo contests and local events are scheduled across the country this week, making it the perfect time for school counselors to celebrate the profession they love.

Admitted recently asked NACAC members to reflect on the week’s theme — “School Counseling: Helping Students Realize Their Potential.”

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Access, College Admission, Financial Aid, Importance of School Counselors

Spread the Word: School Counselors Positively Impact College Access

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Need another reason to celebrate National School Counseling Week?

A recent NACAC study confirmed that students who meet one-on-one with a school counselor are significantly more likely to attend college and apply for federal financial aid.

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Access, College Admission, College Readiness, Importance of School Counselors

Researcher: US High Schools Must Invest in College Counselors

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Editor’s Note: A version of this post originally appeared on Admitted in December 2015.

US high schools must devote more time to college counseling if they want to “see the fruit of other investments,” according to one education researcher.

In a 2015 column, New America staffer Abigail Swisher makes the case that students need both rigorous curriculum and personalized guidance to achieve their postsecondary plans.

“If we want to recreate the American high school as a place where all students have the resources for success in college and career, we need to reinvent the role of counselors,” Swisher writes, citing data from NACAC and other education associations. “This could mean reducing the caseload or number of responsibilities each counselor has, or it might mean moving to an entirely different model of support.”

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Access, College Admission, Importance of School Counselors

Michelle Obama Cites NACAC Data in White House Remarks

First Lady Michelle Obama used NACAC data Friday to help shine a spotlight on the importance of school counselors.

The comments were woven into Obama’s remarks honoring 2017 School Counselor of the Year Terri Tchorzynski.

“A recent study showed that students who met with a school counselor to talk about financial aid or college were three times more likely to attend college and they were nearly seven times more likely to apply for financial aid,” Obama said, referencing a NACAC report released last month. “Our school counselors are truly among the heroes of the Reach Higher story.”

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Access, Importance of School Counselors

States Bolster School Counseling Programs

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A growing number of states are using government and philanthropic funds to bring more counselors into public schools.

The trend is outlined in a recent Education Week article by reporter Catherine Gewertz.

“The counseling initiatives are far from the biggest-ticket items in states’ budgets,” she writes. “But they’re a significant sign of a renewed commitment to school counseling, which took particularly heavy hits in layoffs driven by the Great Recession eight years ago.”

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