Praxis School Counselor key terms

A framework for school counseling programs that organizes work into define, manage, deliver, and assess phases, emphasizing student outcomes, equity, and data-informed practice.

Standards describing the attitudes, knowledge, and skills students need for academic, career, and social/emotional success; they guide curriculum, activities, and program goals.

Professional guidelines outlining school counselors' responsibilities to students, families, colleagues, and the profession, including confidentiality, informed consent, and appropriate use of technology.

The ethical and legal duty to keep student disclosures private, with clear limits when safety, abuse, or legal requirements demand sharing information with appropriate adults.

Legal protection that prevents a counselor from being forced to disclose certain counseling communications in court; its scope for school counselors varies by state law.

A federal law protecting the privacy of student education records and giving parents, and eligible students, rights to inspect, amend, and control disclosure of those records.

A federal special education law ensuring students with disabilities receive a free appropriate public education, procedural safeguards, and services in the least restrictive environment.

A federal civil rights law prohibiting disability discrimination in schools and requiring reasonable accommodations so students with disabilities can access programs and activities.

A schoolwide framework that uses universal supports plus increasingly intensive, data-based interventions to meet academic, behavioral, and social/emotional needs of all students.

Fair treatment that recognizes students' different circumstances and allocates resources and supports so all students can access opportunities and achieve success.

The ability to understand and respond effectively to students' cultural identities, values, and experiences, while examining personal biases and adapting counseling practices accordingly.

Policies, practices, or environmental conditions within schools or communities that disadvantage groups of students and limit their access to opportunities, supports, or fair treatment.

Actions a school counselor takes to promote student welfare and remove barriers, including advocating for individual students, for systemic changes, and for the profession.

An organized, data-informed program addressing academic, career, and social/emotional development for all students through curriculum, planning, responsive services, and system support.

Planned, sequential developmental lessons delivered to all students that teach ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors and address academic, career, and social/emotional competencies.

Activities helping students set goals and make academic, career, and postsecondary plans, such as advising, portfolio development, and course or transition planning.

Direct supports provided to students facing immediate needs or crises, including individual and group counseling, consultation, referrals, and crisis response.

Program management and schoolwide activities that support the counseling program and school, such as professional development, advisory councils, program evaluation, and collaboration with staff.

A document clarifying the school counselor's role, priorities, and use of time with administrators, aligning activities with program goals and protecting appropriate counseling duties.

A representative group of students, families, staff, and community members who advise on program goals, review data, and help improve the school counseling program.

A record of how a school counselor spends time, used to identify gaps between planned priorities and actual activities and to increase direct services to students.

A data-driven plan targeting a specific achievement, opportunity, or access gap, specifying goals, interventions, timelines, and ways to measure results.

A goal written to be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound, making it easier to plan interventions and evaluate progress.

Three data types used in program evaluation: process data describe activities and participation, perception data measure attitudes or beliefs, and outcome data show changes in achievement or behavior.

A systematic way to gather information about students' or stakeholders' concerns and priorities, used to plan services and target interventions.

Breaking aggregate data into subgroups such as grade, race, gender, or disability status to reveal disparities and identify students needing additional support.

The extent to which an assessment measures what it is intended to measure and supports the interpretations and decisions made from its scores.

The consistency of an assessment's scores across repeated administrations, raters, or items; it is necessary but not sufficient for validity.

An assessment that compares a student's score with the scores of a representative group, often reporting percentiles or standard scores.

An assessment that measures performance against a defined standard or set of skills rather than comparing students with one another.

A strengths-based counseling approach that helps students identify exceptions to problems, set small goals, and build on existing successes rather than analyzing deficits.

A structured counseling approach addressing how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors interact, helping students challenge unhelpful thinking and practice new skills.

A small-group intervention using guided interaction and structured activities to help students develop skills, share experiences, and support one another around common concerns.

Immediate, organized response to a student or school crisis that ensures safety, provides support, connects people to resources, and plans follow-up.

A structured process to identify warning signs, ask directly about suicidal thoughts and plans, estimate risk, ensure supervision, and connect the student with appropriate help.

The legal requirement that school counselors report suspected child abuse or neglect to designated authorities, informing families when safe and appropriate.

A collaborative process in which the counselor shares expertise with teachers, families, or administrators to address student concerns and improve interventions.

A step-by-step process for resolving ethical dilemmas that includes identifying the problem, reviewing codes and laws, considering stakeholders, consulting, choosing an action, and evaluating results.

Selecting interventions supported by research evidence and professional judgment, while monitoring student progress and adjusting when data show insufficient benefit.

A cycle in which counselors study a local problem, collect and analyze data, implement changes, and evaluate results to improve practice.