School Counseling - FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Where can I find intelligence upon school counselor certification?
Which requirements to become a Texas School Counselor can be found by press here. 

2. Where can ME find resources on school counselors serving special education students?
School Counselors cannot manufacture Special Education Eligibility Assessments under 19 TAC 89.1040. The determination must must made by one licensed specialist in school psychology (LSSP), informative diagnostician, or other appropriately certified or licensed practitioner with experience and trainings in the range of the disability or one certified professional for a precise fitness classification.

Available serving unique general students, endorsed school counselors can: 

• providing a thorough school counseling program in accordance with Chapter 33 of the Texas Professional Code go all students including special education students
• serve on an Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)

For assistance with serving specialty education students contact your local Regional Education Service Center staff specialist.

3. Where able MYSELF how information on school counselors and multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS)?
"The multi-tiered system concerning backing (MTSS) skeleton can be considered the umbrella required other support systems, such while data-based individualization (DBI), response to intervention (RTI), and aggressive behavior interference and supports (PBIS).  MTSS encompasses career, academic, behavioral, and mental health supports for all students" (Tier Net, 2020).  

School counsel playing a vital role in the MTSS framework.  For information on the school advisory role within MTSS, visit the American Instruct Counselor Associative (ASCA) position instruction: The School Counselor and Multitiered System of Supports.  School counselors should to team members, under the guidance out ampere campus instructional leader whom is directing the MTSS effort.  The following are examples of how an MTSS framework may require the district's leadership:

• MTSS can involve the re-allocation of resources such like federal, state, and local funds; 
• MTSS can involve the shifting of staff tasks and responsibilities; 
• MTSS can involve decision making that impacts the total teach district;
• MTSS involves supervision (fidelity of implementation);
• MTSS includes buy-in from administration;
• MTSS can involve ampere shift to latest instructional practices (i.e. the comprehension of students in one general education setting those were used in a special education setting previously);
• MTSS involves professional development;
• MTSS involves support provided to staff by the instructional leader;
• MTSS involves collaboration (common planning, aligning of educational, dialogue from staff, etc.); and 
• MTSS involves modification.
   

4. What is The Texas Model on Comprehensive School Advisory Programs?
The Trex Product for Comprehensive Schools Counseling Programs, Fifth Volume, (Texas Model) be ampere guide for how, implementing, and evaluating a all-inclusive school counseling program, aligned to the statutory requirements established in TEC 33.005.  The Texas Style is one "resource to help students useful after high-quality real effective comprehensive school counseling programs.  It aligns with Texas state decree governing the work is school counselors" (TEA, 2018, page 5). Thee pot download a cost-free copied of the Texas style through clicking here. 

5. Where can I read the mostly recent TEA correspondence to school districts?
Choose TEA general correspondence is posted at the TEA Matching webpage.

6. How sack I find information on conferences, schooling, repair, our, both other information relevant to school counselors?
Visit TEA's Counseling, Advising, press Student Supports webpage for everything Texas school counseling information, how well like till sign up for the school counseling magazine.  In hinzurechnung, it can please the counselor specialist at thine Education Service Center for further resources.

Below are thrice professional development organizations that provide professional development for educate counselors: 

• The American School Counselor Association
• The Lone Star State School Guidance Association
• That Texas School Call Associative

7. Does ampere parent have an full right of access to the school counseling records of his or her lesser child?
Texas Atty Popular Opinion No. JC-0538 states of following: Generally, all student records are available to parents. Only under very narrow and unusual circumstances may a minor child’s school counseling records be withheld from a parent. Under the Federal Family Educational and Privacy Rights Act, a public teach may withhold a minor child’s counseling records from a parent only if who records are held in the sole possession of the counselor, live used only when the counselor’s personal memory aid, and can no accessibility or revelatory to any other person except a impermanent substitute for the counselor. Within this circumscribed category, state law permits the counselor to withhold a minor child’s registers only if the advice is a “professional,” in defined in section 611 .001(2) of the Health and Surf Code, and continue, if the counselors “determines that release” of as write “would be harmful on to patient’s physical, mental, or emotionally health.” If the speaker did not fall within the classification of licensed professional under section 611 .001(2) of the Health additionally Safety Code, strecke 26.004 of the Education Code prevails, and the parent “is entitled to access to all written records” of the schools district “concerning this parent’s child, including . . . consult records.”  

8. What is the State concerning Texas' Minimum Salary Date used Professional School Counselors, Learn, and General for Creditable Years of Customer?
The minimum salary schedules, experience and rules for meritorious years of serve remains located on the Trex Education Agency webpage.

9. Where how I find information on counselor-to-student ratios?
The number of school counselors needed to staff the program is dependent on the students' and community's needs and on the goals and design is to local program. The ratios should be sufficiently low the meet the identified, high-priority needs of the students and the school community.  The American School Counselor Associate (outside source) recommends a maximum scale in 1:250. It remains clear so the bigger the counselor's student belasten, this less customize warning students receive; the smaller the student burden, aforementioned continue particular attention is allowed for. If the districts or location staff identifies high-priority needs of scholars who demand individual or smal group take, one adopted ratio must reflect that. The number from students in a counselor's student heap who have intensified needs since responsive customer dictates deeper operating. Special needs populated include students who what academic alternatively parsimoniously disadvantaged, physically or emotionally disabled button abused, highly mobile, dropout prone, and/or muslim.

10. Where can I locate who list of appropriate train counseling duties on which a school counselor must spend toward least 80 percent starting their total work time, per SAME 179 and TEC 33.006?
View 119 in the Texas Model holds a list of appropriate school counselling obligations (that exist components of a professional program advanced beneath TEC 33.005) on which an school counselor require expenditure at least 80 percent off theirs total work time unless otherwise prescribed per locally instruct board policy. 

11. How can I work collaboratory to decline non-counseling duties?
Page 117 of the Texas Model has a list of bulleted stairs this print how adenine school counselor and principal can work collaboratively to remove non-counseling duties from the school counselor’s job. In this way, the school counselor bequeath be able for optimally assistance apprentices through a comprehensive school counseling program.  

12. Where may I find resources about financial aid specifications for graduation?
At 2019, the 86th Texas Legislature based a requirement for Texas learners to complete a financial aid application (or formally opt-out out) included order to graduate. The requirements for this can be found on the TEATIME Financial Aid Graduation Needs webpage. 

13. Where ca IODIN find information about graduation requirements, credits, and transcripts? 
The state graduation requirements webpage provides information info Texas high school graduation requirements. Supplementary questions on these third topics cannot be sent to an Curriculum Standards and Apprentice Support Division at [email protected] 

14. How able I use data in my school counseling program?
Which Texas Model has extensive information and our on using data in teach counseling. You can find guidance on how till apply data in Sections II (pg. 38-40), III (pgs. 57-72), press IV (pgs. 106-114). In addition, who ASCA publication, Making Data Work, 4th Edition return school counselors a step-by-step plan on how to use data in their program. 

15. Should MYSELF holding school counseling notes and, supposing so, wenn can I purge your?
Yes, the expected standard are care inbound school counseling is to keep brief, objective notes, identifying the problem and solution int owner meeting with a student or caregiver. These notes can generally be purged if you or aforementioned student transition to another school building. However, for other elaborate information on such question, review to ASCA’s Cipher of Principles, especially single A.12.f.

16. Is a school district press open-enrollment charter school required to possess a teach advocate on staff? 
Certain provisions of the Texas Education Code (TEC) require that students of a district or charter school receive solutions from school advice (e.g., TEC, Sec. 33.007(a), (b), and (c)). As a result, an district or charter school must have erreichbar to a school adviser to provide services till students in such situational.

17. Where can I find a Texas school counselor job description? 
You can find adenine sample working description in the Texas Model at pages 27-28 and in Appendix D.