Define · 7 min read
The ASCA National Model and ASCA Student Standards
Purpose of the Model
The ASCA National Model: A Framework for School Counseling Programs describes how to design, deliver, manage, and evaluate a comprehensive school counseling program that is data-informed, preventive, developmental, and available to every student. The current fourth edition organizes the program into four components, Define, Manage, Deliver, and Assess, surrounded by the themes of leadership, advocacy, collaboration, and systemic change (Chapter 1). The model is a framework, not a script: each school adapts it to its own data, and schools that implement it fully can apply for RAMP (Recognized ASCA Model Program) designation.
Define: The Standards That Guide the Program
Define contains the three sets of standards that establish what students should learn and how school counselors should practice. The student standards are the ASCA Student Standards: Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success. The professional standards are the ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors (Chapter 6) and the ASCA School Counselor Professional Standards & Competencies, which describe the mindsets and behaviors school counselors need in order to meet the demands of the profession. The competencies also serve as the basis of school counselor self-assessment in the Assess component.
Manage: Program Focus and Program Planning
Manage turns the standards into an organized, data-driven program. Program focus includes the counselors’ beliefs about students, families, and the program; a vision statement describing the future the program hopes to see for students (often five to fifteen years out); and a mission statement that describes the program’s purpose, aligns with the school and district mission, and focuses on all students. Program planning tools include the school data summary, annual student outcome goals written as SMART goals, action plans (classroom and group action plans and closing-the-gap action plans), lesson plans, the annual administrative conference with the principal, the use-of-time assessment, annual and weekly calendars, and the advisory council. Section 3 of this guide covers these tools in detail.
Deliver: Direct and Indirect Student Services
Deliver is where counselors spend at least 80 percent of their time. Direct student services are in-person interactions with students: instruction (teaching the school counseling curriculum in classrooms, small groups, or large groups), appraisal and advisement (helping students understand their abilities, interests, and achievement and using that information to make plans), and counseling (short-term individual or small-group counseling and crisis response). Indirect student services are provided on students’ behalf through others: consultation (sharing strategies and information with parents, teachers, and other professionals), collaboration (working jointly with stakeholders on shared goals), and referrals (connecting students and families to school and community resources when needs exceed what the school counselor provides).
Assess: Program and Counselor Assessment
Assess asks whether the program made a difference and how the counselor can improve. Program assessment includes the school counseling program assessment (a self-study of how fully the program reflects the model) and annual results reports: the classroom and group Mindsets & Behaviors results report and the closing-the-gap results report. School counselor assessment and appraisal includes self-assessment using the ASCA School Counselor Professional Standards & Competencies and the school counselor performance appraisal, ideally based on a counselor-specific instrument rather than a teacher evaluation form. Results flow back into next year’s data summary and goals.
| Current term (fourth edition) | Formerly (third edition) |
|---|---|
| Define | Foundation (in part) |
| Manage | Management |
| Deliver | Delivery |
| Assess | Accountability |
| Instruction | School counseling core curriculum |
| Appraisal and advisement | Individual student planning |
| Counseling (short-term; crisis response) | Responsive services |
| Annual administrative conference | Annual agreement |
| School counseling program assessment | Program audit |
| Mindsets & Behaviors data | Perception data |
ASCA Student Standards: Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success
The ASCA Student Standards describe the knowledge, attitudes, and skills students need for college, career, and life readiness. There are 35 standards: 6 Mindset standards and 29 Behavior standards. Mindsets are beliefs students hold about themselves in relation to academic work, and Behaviors are the observable skills students use to succeed. The Behavior standards fall into three categories: Learning Strategies, Self-Management Skills, and Social Skills. Every standard can be applied in any of the three domains: academic, career, and social/emotional development. The standards are not grade-specific; school counselors write grade-level learning objectives (competencies) that make a standard measurable for a particular group of students.
- Belief in development of the whole self, including a healthy balance of mental, social/emotional, and physical well-being
- Sense of acceptance, respect, support, and inclusion for self and others in the school environment
- Positive attitude toward work and learning
- Self-confidence in ability to succeed
- Belief in using abilities to their fullest to achieve high-quality results and outcomes
- Understanding that postsecondary education and lifelong learning are necessary for long-term success
| Category | Number | Representative standards |
|---|---|---|
| Learning Strategies | 10 | Critical-thinking skills to make informed decisions; time-management, organizational, and study skills; goal setting for long- and short-term academic, career, and social/emotional goals; self-motivation and self-direction for learning; engagement in challenging coursework |
| Self-Management Skills | 10 | Responsibility for self and actions; self-discipline and self-control; ability to delay immediate gratification for long-term rewards; perseverance to achieve goals; effective coping skills; ability to manage transitions and adapt to change |
| Social Skills | 9 | Effective oral and written communication and listening skills; positive, respectful, and supportive relationships; leadership and teamwork; advocacy skills for self and others; empathy; ethical decision-making and social responsibility |
- 6 Mindsets + 29 Behaviors = 35 standards.
- Behaviors: Learning Strategies (10), Self-Management Skills (10), Social Skills (9).
- Three domains: academic, career, social/emotional development. The domains are where a standard is applied; the categories organize the Behaviors.
- “Mindsets & Behaviors data” (formerly perception data) measures students’ attitudes, knowledge, and skills related to these standards, usually with pre- and post-assessments.
Using the Standards to Select and Align Lessons
The standards connect data to instruction. A counselor does not choose a lesson because it is popular or available; the counselor starts with a need visible in school data, chooses the Mindset or Behavior standard that addresses the need, writes a measurable learning objective, selects or designs an activity that teaches it, and measures whether students gained the targeted attitude, knowledge, or skill. Because the same standards are used throughout the program, they also let the counselor show a coherent, developmentally sequenced curriculum from kindergarten through grade 12 instead of a collection of unrelated activities.
- Name the four components in fourth-edition terms: Define, Manage, Deliver, Assess. Foundation, Management, Delivery, and Accountability are third-edition names.
- Place each element in the right component: vision and mission, annual student outcome goals, action plans, calendars, and the advisory council belong to Manage; results reports belong to Assess; the Student Standards and Ethical Standards belong to Define.
- Direct services = instruction, appraisal and advisement, counseling. Indirect services = consultation, collaboration, referrals.
- 35 Student Standards: 6 Mindsets and 29 Behaviors in Learning Strategies, Self-Management Skills, and Social Skills, applied across academic, career, and social/emotional domains.
- Lessons should be selected from data and aligned to a standard with a measurable objective, not chosen for convenience.
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