ILTS School Counselor (235) flashcards

31 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

ASCA National Model components

The four components are Define, Manage, Deliver, and Assess. Define sets student standards and professional competencies; Manage covers program focus, use-of-time calendars, and annual agreements; Deliver covers direct and indirect services; Assess covers program assessment and results reports.

ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors

A set of student standards organized into three domains: academic, career, and social/emotional. Mindsets are labeled M1 through M6, and Behaviors are grouped as learning strategies, self-management skills, and social skills.

80/20 use-of-time rule

ASCA recommends school counselors spend at least 80 percent of time in direct and indirect student services and no more than 20 percent in program planning, school support, and non-counseling duties. The split is a program design target, not a performance rating.

Tier 1, 2, 3 services

Tier 1 is core instruction for all students; Tier 2 is targeted intervention for students needing more support; Tier 3 is intensive, individualized intervention often coordinated with clinical or community providers. The tiers come from MTSS frameworks.

FERPA basics

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act governs education records. It gives parents, and eligible students at age 18 or in postsecondary school, rights to inspect, amend, and limit disclosure of records, with exceptions for legitimate educational interest and health or safety emergencies.

ANCRA mandated reporting

The Illinois Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act requires school personnel to report suspected child abuse or neglect to DCFS when there is reasonable cause to believe it occurred. Internal notification does not substitute for the DCFS report.

Comprehensive program themes

ASCA describes four program themes: leadership, advocacy, collaboration, and systemic change. These are process themes that describe how school counselors work, not separate categories of services delivered to students.

Annual agreement

A document between the school counselor and the building administrator that defines the counselor's role, program goals, and use of time. It is a management tool from the ASCA National Model's Manage component, not a counselor evaluation instrument.

Informed consent with minors

Counseling services for minor students generally require parent or guardian permission and developmentally appropriate student assent. Exceptions may apply for brief, crisis, or group screening activities depending on district policy and Illinois law.

Dual relationship standard

A dual relationship exists when a counselor holds a second role with a student, such as coach, teacher, or family business associate. The standard is to avoid or manage the relationship so objectivity is not impaired and the student is not exploited.

Suicide risk assessment steps

Ask direct screening questions, use a structured risk assessment, document findings, notify parents or guardians, create a safety plan, and refer for clinical care. A no-harm contract is not a substitute for these steps.

Subpoena versus court order

A subpoena is a request for records or testimony; a court order is a directive. Counselors should verify legal sufficiency, notify the parent or guardian, and consult district legal counsel before releasing records.

FERPA age-18 transfer

Under FERPA, rights transfer from parents to the student at age 18 or upon enrollment in a postsecondary institution. After transfer, parents need the student's consent to access education records.

Ethical decision-making sequence

Identify the problem, consult the ASCA Ethical Standards and state law, consult colleagues or supervisors, consider the student's developmental level and culture, choose and document a course of action, then evaluate the outcome.

Mandated reporting trigger

In Illinois, a report to DCFS is required when there is reasonable cause to suspect abuse or neglect, not proof. The reporter should document the report and the time it was made.

Super's life-span theory

Super proposed that career development unfolds across life stages: growth, exploration, establishment, maintenance, and decline. Self-concept is central, and people play multiple life roles that shape career decisions.

Holland RIASEC types

Holland's six types are Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional. Congruence between a person's type and the work environment's type predicts satisfaction; consistency and differentiation are additional dimensions.

SMART program goals

Goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. School counseling program goals should be tied to measurable student outcomes such as attendance, course completion, or discipline referrals.

Classroom lesson plan parts

A lesson plan typically includes a standard or competency, an objective, materials, a warm-up, an instructional activity, a practice or application step, and a closure or assessment. Each activity should map to a specific student standard.

Small-group counseling criteria

A Tier 2 service with a defined purpose, screening process, set number of sessions, and progress measurement. It is distinct from group therapy, which is a clinical service outside the school counselor's scope.

Behavioral consultation sequence

Define the problem behavior, collect baseline data, analyze antecedents and consequences, select an intervention, implement with fidelity, and monitor progress. The counselor consults with the teacher rather than taking over the classroom.

Disaggregated data use

Breaking data apart by grade, race/ethnicity, gender, disability status, or income to find gaps in achievement, attendance, or discipline. Counselors use disaggregated data to target interventions toward equity.

Pre/post survey design

A measurement approach using the same items before and after a lesson or intervention with a matched sample. Results estimate changes in student knowledge or attitudes and are reported in the annual results report.

Piaget and Erikson stages

Piaget's stages are sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational. Erikson's school-age stage is industry versus inferiority; adolescence is identity versus role confusion. Both inform developmental counseling.

Maslow hierarchy order

Needs are ordered as physiological, safety, belonging and love, esteem, and self-actualization. Lower needs generally must be met before higher needs are pursued, though the hierarchy is not strictly sequential in practice.

IDEA versus Section 504

IDEA provides special education and related services and requires an IEP. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act prohibits disability discrimination and requires accommodations in general education. Both can include counseling as a support.

MTSS and RTI structure

Multi-Tiered System of Supports and Response to Intervention use universal screening, progress monitoring, and increasingly intensive interventions across academic and behavioral domains. Tiers move from universal to targeted to intensive.

Early warning indicators

Chronic absence, course failure, credit deficiency, and discipline referrals predict dropout risk. Counselors monitor these indicators and target outreach to students and families before problems escalate.

ASCA recommended ratio

ASCA recommends a counselor-to-student ratio of 250 to 1. Many districts exceed it. The ratio describes program conditions and caseload, not an individual counselor's performance or effectiveness.

Counselor role boundaries

ASCA holds that school counselors provide direct and indirect student services and should avoid administrative or disciplinary duties such as building scheduling, lunch duty, or serving as the sole disciplinarian.

Minimum necessary disclosure

When confidentiality must be broken, the counselor informs the student in advance of the limits, discloses only the minimum information needed, and documents the disclosure and the rationale for it.