NACAC Joins New Council to Support White House Initiatives on School Counseling
By Anne Kremer, President
DePaul University
Happy National School Counseling Week!
We are so excited that school counselors are getting the recognition they deserve! Below is a message from NACAC about some VERY exciting new developments at the White House recognizing the importance of school counselors in our nation’s schools and the access students have to counseling and advisement for postsecondary (career and education) preparation, access and success. Please take a minute to read the message below – this truly is a step in the right direction for our students, schools and communities.
We are so grateful for the hard work and dedication exhibited by our counselors in Illinois. While this celebration identifies just one week out of the year where our counselors are intentionally recognized, please know we appreciate daily the excellent work that you do.
NACAC Joins New Council to Support White House Initiatives on School Counseling
As National School Counseling Week is set to begin (Feb. 2-6, 2015), the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) today joined six other national education organizations to announce the formation of a collaborative council supporting the Obama Administration’s efforts to strengthen the school counseling profession through enhanced preparation in college and career readiness.
The groups organized following a meeting last fall hosted by San Diego State University (CA) in partnership with the White House’s College Opportunity Agenda and the First Lady’s Reach Higher Initiative. The seven pledged to work together to develop competencies and identify priorities for professionals who support students in the school-to-college transition.
The new council includes NACAC, the American School Counselor Association, the American Counseling Association, The College Board, the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs, the National College Access Network and the Southern Regional Education Board.
“Our seven organizations represent the education professionals who are dedicated to helping our nation’s students in their transition to college,” said Joyce E. Smith, CEO of NACAC. “Following the White House’s leadership and working in collaboration, we can ensure that those professionals have the knowledge and skills necessary to give students all the support they need to complete their education beyond high school.”
Following is the text of the council’s statement of purpose:
“The national organizations represented at the SDSU White House convening believe in the right of every student to have access to counseling and advisement for postsecondary (career and education) preparation, access and success. The organizations further acknowledge the diversity of professionals who serve students in this regard, including school counselors, advisors, and other professionals, each with different specialized training, skills and competencies.
However, the national organizations agree that there are common prerequisites for the effective delivery of counseling and advisement for postsecondary preparation, access and success, including:
- A commitment to collaboration among professionals in service to students;
- Cultural competence and the ability to work with all students, including students who are currently underserved and underrepresented.
- Proficiency in the use of data to assist in identifying, designing, implementing, and evaluating policies and practices related to counseling and advising students for postsecondary access and success.
- Training in both the theory and practice of advising students for postsecondary access and success.
As a direct outcome of the White House convening, the national organizations in attendance agree to commit to the formation of a collaborative council, effective immediately, to achieve the following short-term goals:
- Conduct a comprehensive multi-organizational, multi-institutional asset map of competencies, knowledge/skillset requirements, and resources for advising students for postsecondary access and success.
- Identify other concrete priorities for the council to address, including, but not limited to, advocacy, research and communication to policymakers and administrators on behalf of counseling and advising professionals.
