Utah Model

“There is strength in numbers! What a great opportunity to team up and align ourselves with The American School Counselors Association model – making us a stronger more effective profession.”
Lisa Hardy, Jordan School District

Utah Model for Comprehensive Counseling and
Guidance: K-12 Programs - PDF

OVERVIEW
The ASCA National Model for School Counseling states: Standardizing the practices of an entire profession is an enormous undertaking, but for school counseling, it is necessary. The profession has suffered from a lack of consistent identity, lack of basic philosophy and, consequently, a lack of legitimization. ASCA wishes to thank Judy Bowers and Trish Hatch, PhD., who took on the task of developing The ASCA National Model: A Framework for School Counseling Programs, which was above and beyond their responsibilities as ASCA Governing Board members. The work of developing The ASCA National Model is their gift to ASCA and to school counselors across the country. They researched history, collected and analyzed state documents, conducted conversations, synthesized material and wrote the program handbook. Their joint efforts have produced a document intended to guide a state, district or local school through the process of designing, developing, implementing, and evaluating a program committed to enhancing high achievement for every student.

• In December 2005, the Utah Comprehensive Counseling and Guidance Program (CCGP) received permission to adapt the ASCA National Model: a Framework for School Counseling Programs to a Utah specific version.

• In January to March 2006, USOE staff incorporated proposed changes into a working draft.

• In March and April 2006, drafts of the document were presented to the members of the CCGP Steering Committees for Elementary, Middle School/Junior High School, High School, and the Metro Area Counseling Leaders who were given two months to review the document and provide feedback.

• During summer 2006, revisions were made to the draft based on the recommendations of members of these committees.

• During fall 2006, each of these committees spent time in their quarterly or semi-monthly meetings discussing the draft chapter by chapter and providing additional insights and suggestions.

• In January to February 2007, members of the Metro Area Counseling Leaders Steering Committee sat together and went through the final document page by page.

• In June 2007 every elementary and secondary public school sent one person to an hour-long review of the draft document during our annual CCGP Summer Conference. Participants had opportunities for questions and comments and each school also received a copy of the ASCA National Model: A Framework for School Counseling Programs.

Following the recommendation of ASCA, the revised Utah Model for Comprehensive Counseling and Guidance: K-12 Programs is designed to serve every student in Utah even though we do not have school counselors in many of our elementary schools. In November 2008, the Utah State Board of Education passed a resolution in support or school counselors, supporting the expansion of comprehensive counseling and guidance programs to a K-12 model, urging that school counselors be relieved from test administration and coordination and other non-school counseling activities, and recommending counselor to student ratios not greater than 1:350.

DOWNLOADS

• Essentials of the New Model - PPT
• USBE Resolution Regarding the Comprehensive Counseling and Guidance Program - PDF
• Utah Model for Comprehensive Counseling and Guidance: K-12 Programs - PDF
• Utah Model for Comprehensive Counseling and Guidance: K-12 Programs Block - PDF
• Utah CCGP 2007-2008 Steering/Advisory Committee Membership List - PDF

Updated May 28, 2008