Professional School Counselor for 2025-26

POSITION: PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL COUNSELOR

QUALIFICATIONS:

1. Holds a Masters’ degree in School Counseling
2. Holds Kentucky Certification in School Counseling or School Social Work

REPORTS TO: Principal

PURPOSE: Utilizing leadership, advocacy, and collaboration, school counselors promote student success, provide preventive services, and respond to identified student needs by implementing a comprehensive school counseling program that addresses academic, career, and personal/social development for all students.

The major functions of the school counselor job description incorporate the Kentucky

Department of Education’s mission that every child will be proficient, prepared for success, and college/career ready.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF A COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL COUNSELING PROGRAM

• Discusses the comprehensive school counseling program with the school administrator.
• Develops and maintains a written plan for effective delivery of the school
• counseling program based on the ASCA Comprehensive School Counseling
• program needs assessments and current individual school data.
• Communicates the goals of the comprehensive school counseling program to
• education stakeholders (i.e., administrators, teachers, students, parents, and
• community/business leaders).
• Maintains current and appropriate resources for education stakeholders.
• Uses a majority of time providing direct services through the Guidance
• Curriculum, Individual Student Planning and Preventive and Responsive Services,
• and most remaining time in program management, system support, and
• accountability (National standards recommend 80% of time in Guidance
• Curriculum, Individual Student Planning and Preventive and Responsive Services
• and 20% of time in program management, system support, and accountability
• (American School Counselor Association, 2013).
• Uses data to develop comprehensive programs that meet student needs.

Source: North Carolina Professional Standards School Counseling Advisory Board.

Please see:

http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/docs/work4ncschools/employment/jobdescrip/counselorjob.pdf

1. DELIVERY OF A COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL

COUNSELING PROGRAM

Guidance Curriculum

• Provides leadership and collaborates with other educators in the school-wide integration of the State Guidance Curriculum Standard Course of Study.
• Implements developmentally appropriate and prevention-oriented group activities to meet student needs and school goals.
• Incorporates into their programs the life skills that students need to be successful in the twenty-first century.

Individual Student Planning

• Assists all students, individually or in groups, with developing academic, career and personal/social skills, goals, and plans.
• Accurately and appropriately interprets and utilizes student data.
• Collaborates with parents/guardians and educators to assist students with educational, career, and life planning.

 Preventive and Responsive Services

• Provides individual and group counseling to students with identified concerns and needs.
• Consults and collaborates effectively with parents/guardians, teachers, administrators, and other educational/community resources regarding students with identified concerns and needs.
• Implements an effective referral and follow-up process as needed.
• Accurately and appropriately uses assessment procedures for determining and structuring individual and group counseling services.

System Support

• Provides appropriate information to school personnel related to the comprehensive school counseling program.
• Assists teachers, parents/guardians, and other stakeholders in interpreting and understanding student data.

Source: North Carolina Professional Standards School Counseling Advisory Board. Please see:

http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/docs/work4ncschools/employment/jobdescrip/counselorjob.pdf

• Participates in professional development activities to improve knowledge and
• Uses available technology resources to enhance the school counseling program.
• Adheres to laws, policies, procedures, and ethical standards of the school
• counseling professional

 3. MAJOR FUNCTION: ACCOUNTABILITY

• Conducts a yearly program audit to review extent of program implementation and effectiveness.
• Collects and analyzes data to guide program direction and emphasis.
• Measures results of the comprehensive school counseling program activities and shares results as appropriate with relevant stakeholders.
• Monitor’s student academic performance, behavior, and attendance and facilitates appropriate interventions.
• Uses process, perceptions, and results data to develop data-based action plans to meet the needs of students and impact critical data elements.

187 Day Contract

Elem – 6 extended days

HS & MS - 18 extended days

Certified Salary Schedule