Standards

Sometimes it is difficult to understand exactly what school counselors do. It would be hard to explain most of the job, because it encompasses so many areas of the functioning school; however, for the planned delivery part of the job, I can point to our SC Comprehensive Guidance & Counseling Program Model (SCPM). The SCPM provides standards for all "prevention programming" -- that is, classroom guidance, group counseling, and system support. Intervention services are guided by those standards as well, but in a more indirect way.

1. Learning to Live: Students will...
1. understand & appreciate self
2. understand & respect others
3. understand & appreciate home & family
4. develop a sense of community
5. make decisions, set goals, and take actions
6. develop safety & survival skills
   
2. Learning to Learn: Students will...
1. develop personal qualities that contribute to being an effective learner
2. employ strategies to achieve school success
3. understand the interrelationship of life in the school, home, community, and society
   
3. Learning to Work: Students will...
1. understand the relationships among personal qualities, education and training, and the world of work
2. demonstrate decision-making, goal-setting, problem-solving, and communication skills
3. explore careers and the connection of school to work
4. demonstrate a positive attitude toward work and the ability to work together
5. understand how community awareness relates to work

These standards are for all grade levels, but the competency indicators (specific measures that show the standards have been addressed) vary by grade level. For more detailed information, and a copy of the SCPM, visit the SC Department of Education.

Source: South Carolina State Department of Education. (1999). The South Carolina Comprehensive Developmental Guidance and Counseling Program Model: A Guide for School Counseling Programs. Columbia, SC: Author.