Mary Simmons, Director, School Counseling Services

Introduction

Tennessee School Counseling and Career Guidance Standards

Approved by the Tennessee State Board of Education

February 1, 2002

The Tennessee School Counseling and Career Guidance Standards are statements of what students should know and be able to do as a result of participating in a school counseling program. Since the purpose of such a program is to ensure that all students can achieve school success through academic, career and personal/social development experiences, these standards represent what a school counseling and career guidance program should contain and establish similar goals, expectations, support systems and experiences for every student.

The standards address the needs outlined in the educational reform agenda articulated in the State Board of Education’s MASTER PLAN FOR TENNESSEE SCHOOLS by advocating school counseling programs that promote school success through a focus on academic achievement, prevention and intervention, and social/emotional and career development. The organizational design of the standards reflects the nine standards in the National Standards for School Counseling Programs developed by the American School Counselor Association, which, in turn, are based on the three widely accepted and interrelated areas of student development: academic, career, and personal and social development.

The standards and expectations

• for academic development guide the school-counseling program to implement strategies and activities to support and maximize learning;
• for career development serve as a guide to provide the foundation for acquiring the attitudes, knowledge and skills that enable students to make a successful transition from school to the world of work and from job to job across the career life span;
• for personal/social development provide the foundation for personal and social growth, which contributes to academic and career success.

The standards were developed by a team of thirty-three Tennessee school counselors, teachers, administrators, parents, community members and state department personnel.