System Support
As stated in the Texas Model, "System support is essential to the total school counseling program. System support can be categorized in two areas: program management activities and support services. Program management activities establish, maintain, and enhance the total school counseling program. Through this indirect service component, school counselors plan, organize, implement, manage, and evaluate their school counseling programs to increase the efficiency and efficacy of direct services that are provided.
System support is the foundation of the school counseling program. Without system support, the three direct service delivery components might be a collection of disorganized and ineffective services. Support services include indirect services to students through school counselor relationships with other adults as well as campus, district, and community programs and services that can be beneficial to students. Through school counselors’ coordinated and consultative efforts, the strengths and resources of these individuals and entities are harnessed on behalf of students’ educational, career, personal, and social development.
School counselors provide direct services to students through guidance curriculum, individual planning, and responsive services. To implement a comprehensive school counseling program, a school counselor must be intentional in designing and managing the program development cycle (See Section II). Whereas guidance curriculum, responsive services, and individual planning serve students directly, system support includes program management (inclusive of program data and accountability) and support services that indirectly benefit students.
System support is the foundation of the school counseling program. Without system support, the three direct service delivery components would be ineffective and inefficient. Through system support, school counselors
• consult with teachers, advisory boards or councils (administrator, community member, parent, teacher, and student member), or support specialists (licensed specialists in school psychology, academic or behavioral specialists, department chairs or leads, Communities in Schools representatives, or district personnel), along with other personnel (paraprofessionals, secretaries, aides, assistants), and volunteers (PTA/PTO/PTSO) on the needs of the students or total school program;
• provide support for parent education programs and community relations efforts;
• participate in the campus-based school improvement plans and goals;
• participate in activities to speak/advocate on the behalf of a student’s academic, behavior, social, and emotional needs/development;
• conduct program audits that will inform accountability, action plans, time management, and systemic change;
• respond as a leader, consultant, and collaborator of the school counseling program, infusing methods of
• consult with teachers, advisory boards or councils (administrator, community member, parent, teacher, and student member), or support specialists (licensed specialists in school psychology, academic or behavioral specialists, department chairs or leads, Communities in Schools representatives, or district personnel), along with other personnel (paraprofessionals, secretaries, aides, assistants), and volunteers (PTA/PTO/PTSO) on the needs of the students or total school program;
• provide support for parent education programs and community relations efforts;
• participate in the campus-based school improvement plans and goals;
• participate in activities to speak/advocate on the behalf of a student’s academic, behavior, social, and emotional needs/development;
• conduct program audits that will inform accountability, action plans, time management, and systemic change;
• respond as a leader, consultant, and collaborator of the school counseling program, infusing methods of
effective communication, advocacy, and social justice efforts;
• interpret state and local testing data to plan, create interventions, and guide students; and
• provide input from the students’ perspective to policy-makers and instructional/curriculum planners.
• interpret state and local testing data to plan, create interventions, and guide students; and
• provide input from the students’ perspective to policy-makers and instructional/curriculum planners.
School counselors consult with teachers and administrators on behalf of students, parents, and the guidance program and staff. School counselors may collect, summarize, and interpret data generated by the testing program. Additionally, they manage the school counseling program, pursue professional development, cooperate in the implementation of school-wide, district-wide or state-wide activities, and coordinate guidance-related activities."