Diversity Position Statements 

Position Statements: American School Counselor Association (ASCA)www.schoolcounselor.org

 Position Statement: Character Education

 The Professional School Counselor and Character Education
(Adopted 1998)

American School Counselor Association (ASCA) Position
ASCA endorses and supports character education in the schools. The professional school counselor needs to take an active role in initiating, facilitating and promoting character education programs in the school curriculum.

The Rationale
Character education is the teaching of key social values, which enables students to become positive, self-directed adults and responsible members of society. These social values are held by our society as ethical standards that support our democratic way of life. As professional school counselors, we know students need to acquire certain character traits based on clearly understood, universal values. These include: honesty, integrity, trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. These values affirm basic human worth and dignity.

Today, the family faces many obstacles and burdens. Standards of right and wrong have declined. Our nation’s moral fiber is at risk. Each day our children make decisions about lying and cheating, using drugs or alcohol, becoming involved with guns and gangs.

We want our youth to acquire the knowledge, the self-esteem and the support they will need to survive in a changing society. Counselors can be part of the school team inviting family and community involvement to define the values that will guide the school’s character development values. The responsibility of teaching and instilling these values must now be shared by the school and the home.

The Professional School Counselor’s Role
For character education to be effective, all adults in the school community need to model the behavior of good character they want students to imitate. The daily operations of school have significant impact on what children will learn to value. The professional school counselor needs to lead, initiate, manage and support character education programs in the school. Counselors should encourage the following activities if not already in practice:

• Formulation or articulation of a school philosophy or mission statement

• Guidance in helping all students express clear academic and behavior goals

• A discipline policy that supports character goals

• Student participation in school activities

• Student participation in community service or school projects

• Programs to give students the opportunity to help other students

• Extracurricular activities to include the involvement of students, school staff, parents and community members

• Teaching of making decisions, resolving conflicts and solving problems

• Student involvement in development of school rules

• Inclusion of character values in multicultural discussions

• Student recognition programs focused on character values

The professional school counselor is in a position to be effective in designing, initiating and supporting a character education curriculum. Teachers, counselors and administrators need to work together to teach students to take responsibility for their actions and behavior. A positive self-esteem and effective decision-making skills are essential to this process.

Summary
Character education will assist students in becoming positive and self-directed in their lives and education and in striving toward future goals. The professional school counselor, as a part of the school community and as a highly resourceful person, takes an active role by working cooperatively with the teachers and administration in providing character education in the schools as an integral part of the school curriculum and activities.

Position Statement: Conflict Resolution

 

The Professional School Counselor And Comprehensive Conflict-Resolution Programs
(Adopted 2000)

American School Counselor Association (ASCA) Position

The professional school counselor recognizes the need for all students to have access to a conflict-resolution program that is part of a comprehensive developmental school counseling program. Such programs foster a positive campus climate and promote lifelong skills enabling individuals to resolve conflict in a positive manner. Comprehensive conflict-resolution programs combine peer mediation, the incorporation of conflict-resolution principles into the academic curriculum and the education of all members of the school community in applying methods for alleviating conflicts.

The Rationale
Violence-reduction and conflict-management programs are integral to a safe school environment. A comprehensive conflict-resolution program’s goal is to prevent violence and create an optimal learning environment free of discrimination resulting from differences in ethnicity, culture, socioeconomic status, gender, sexual orientation or religious beliefs. These programs properly implemented by professional school counselors serve to reduce violence, lower tension and lessen anxiety among students, thereby increasing the opportunity for improved academic performance, positive social adjustment and increased attendance. Implementing a comprehensive conflict-resolution program empowers and encourages students to take personal and collective responsibility for their conduct and the climate of their campus.

The Professional School Counselor’s Role
It is the professional school counselor’s role to provide leadership in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of school wide, comprehensive conflict-resolution programs utilizing both prevention and intervention strategies. The professional school counselor should ensure that the comprehensive conflict-resolution program includes prevention services, training, education in recognition of early warning signs, intervention services, crisis response and follow-up, community involvement, peer mediation programs and evaluation of program effectiveness.

Summary
A comprehensive conflict-resolution program promotes a safe school environment that permits optimal personal growth and learning. Through participation in a comprehensive conflict-resolution program, students learn skills that maximize their potential for reaching personal goals and success in school.

 Position Statement: Gender Equity

 The Professional School Counselor And Gender Equity
(Adopted 1983; revised 1993, 1999, 2002)

American School Counselor Association (ASCA) Position
ASCA members are committed to facilitating and promoting the fullest possible development of each individual by reducing barriers of race, gender, ethnicity, age or handicap and by providing equal opportunity and equal status for all genders. ASCA is committed to the use of inclusive language and positive modeling of gender equity.

The Rationale
Many internal and external obstacles exist in school and society inhibiting students from developing their full potential (e.g., gender-role stereotyping and socialization, tracking systems). To expand the range of options available to students, it is important that school counselors become acutely aware of ways in which communications affect opportunities on the basis of gender. Some of the ways in which barriers are maintained or broken down are through language, organizational structures, leader selection, and expectations of individual students and activities implementation.

This position statement focuses primarily on equal opportunity and status irrespective of gender and expands the range of opportunities available to students. Many federal and state laws have been passed protecting individuals from sex and race discrimination in education and work (e.g., the Equal Pay Act of 1963, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Vocational Amendments of 1976, the Women's Educational Equity Act of 1974, Affirmative Action and Executive Orders, and Title IX). These important legal mandates ensure equal treatment under the law but do not necessarily change ingrained attitudes and behaviors.

The Professional School Counselor's Role
The professional school counselor uses inclusive language and equitable expectations toward students. Professional school counselors are sensitive to those aspects of interpersonal communication and organization that provide working models of gender equity and equality. They may also promote gender equity through large and small group presentations. Professional school counselors must become vigilant as to the pervasive negative effects of stereotyping gender-role expectations. The professional school counselor becomes sensitive to ways in which interpersonal attitudes and behaviors can have negative effects on others and provides constructive feedback on negative and positive use of inclusive language and organizational structure. The professional school counselor emphasizes a person's competence and not his or her appearance. When planning activities, equal representation of genders in visible leadership positions as well as other role positions demonstrates gender equity.

Summary
ASCA is committed to equity. ASCA supports consciousness-raising among professional school counselors including modeling of inclusive language and equal opportunity for everyone in order to break through stereotypical behaviors and expectations.

 Position Statement: Multicultural Counseling

 The Professional School Counselor And Cross/Multicultural Counseling
(Adopted 1988; revised 1993, 1999)

American School Counselor Association (ASCA) Position
School counselors take action to ensure students of culturally diverse backgrounds have access to appropriate services and opportunities promoting the individual’s maximum development.

The Rationale
Cross/multicultural counseling is the facilitation of human development through the understanding and appreciation of cultural diversities. ASCA recognizes cultural diversities as important factors deserving increased awareness and understanding on the part of all school personnel, especially the school counselor. Counselors may use a variety of strategies not only to increase the sensitivity of students and parents to culturally diverse persons and enhance the total school and community environment but also to increase awareness of culturally diverse populations.

The Professional School Counselor’s Role
ASCA encourages school counselors to take action to ensure students of culturally diverse backgrounds have access to appropriate services and opportunities promoting maximum development. Professional school counselors use a variety of strategies to increase sensitivity of students and parents to cultural diversity and to enhance the total school and community climate, as well as to increase awareness of culturally diverse persons and populations. Counselors have the skills necessary to consult with school personnel to identify alienating factors in attitudes and policies impeding the learning process of culturally diverse students. School counselors need to continue to be aware of and strive to ensure that all students’ rights are respected. This allows them to maximize their potential in an environment supporting and encouraging the person’s growth and development. School counselors have the responsibility of ensuring all students’ specific needs are met.

Summary
Professional school counselors have the responsibility of ensuring all students’ special needs are met. Counselors have the skills necessary to consult with school personnel to identify alienating factors in attitudes and policies impeding the learning process and the skills necessary to foster increased awareness and understanding of cultural diversity existing in the school and community. ASCA encourages professional school counselors to use a variety of strategies, activities and resources personally, in school, through community outreach, with students, staff and parents, and within the school districts, to increase awareness and understanding of culturally diverse persons and populations and to enhance the total school and community environment and climate. School counselors need to continually be aware of and strive to ensure all students have the right to maximize their potential in an environment supporting and encouraging a person’s growth and development.

 Position Statement: Safe Schools

 The Professional School Counselor and the Promotion of Safe Schools
(Adopted 1994)

American School Counselor Association (ASCA) Position
ASCA believes students have a fundamental and immutable right to attend school without the fear or threat of violence, weapons or gangs.

The Rationale
Safe schools are essential to an effective learning environment and necessary for quality schools. There is a threat to this safety due to the rapid increase of violence, weapons or gangs in the schools. The need to promote and provide a safe school environment is recognized by students, parents, staff, administrators, other school personnel, legislators and the community at large.

The Professional School Counselor’s Role
It is the professional school counselor’s role to support programs and provide leadership emphasizing prevention and intervention related to violence, weapons and gangs. Programs for students must be designed to teach nonviolent alternatives to resolve differences. Inherent in these programs is an emphasis on the teaching of communication skills and an awareness of and an acceptance of diversity. The professional school counselor encourages and supports the shared responsibility of ensuring and providing a safe school environment and the development of policies to support a safe environment.

Summary
ASCA believes it is each student’s right to attend a safe school that provides opportunities for optimum learning in an environment that values and respects diversity and equity.

 Position Statement: Sexual Orientation

 The Professional School Counselor and Sexual Orientation of Youth
(Adopted 1995, Revised 2000)

American School Counselor Association (ASCA) Position
Professional school counselors are committed to facilitating and promoting the fullest possible development of each individual by reducing the barriers of misinformation, myth, ignorance, hatred and discrimination based on sexual orientation. Professional school counselors are in a field committed to human development and must be sensitive to the use of inclusive language and positive modeling. ASCA is committed to equal opportunity and respect for all individuals regardless of sexual orientation.

The Rationale
Identity is determined by a complex mix of nature and nurture. Developmental literature clearly states that sexual orientation is firmly established by age five and much research indicates such establishment occurs even earlier. Many internal and external obstacles exist in school and society that inhibit students from accurately understanding and positively accepting their sexual orientation. Professional school counselors need to become accurately informed and aware of the ways communication limits the opportunities and infringes upon the development of self-acceptance and healthy esteem. Harm is perpetrated against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth through language, stereotypes, myths, misinformation, threat of expulsion from social and institutional structures and other entities and from beliefs contrary to their identity. These youth begin to experience self-identification and the "coming out" process, both essentially cognitive activities, during adolescence. Such identification is not indicative of sexual activity.

The Professional School Counselor’s Role
The professional school counselor uses inclusive and non-presumptive language with equitable expectations toward individuals, being especially sensitive to those aspects of communication and social structures/institutions providing accurate working models of acceptance of identities and equality. Professional school counselors must be vigilant to the pervasive negative effects of stereotyping individuals into rigid gender roles and sexual identities.

The professional school counselor is sensitive to ways in which attitudes and behavior negatively affect the individual. School counselors are called to provide constructive feedback on the negative use of exclusive, presumptive language and inequitable expectations toward sexual-orientation minorities. The school counselor places emphasis on a person’s behavioral choices and not on his or her identity and uniqueness. Demonstrations of sexual-orientation-minority equity also include fair and accurate representation of sexual identities in visible leadership positions as well as other role-positions.

Summary
The professional school counselor is committed to the inclusion and affirmation of youths of all sexual orientation. The professional school counselor supports consciousness-raising among school counselors and increased modeling of inclusive language, advocacy and equal opportunity for participation for all. This is done to break through individual, social and institutional behaviors and expectations limiting the development of human potential in all populations.

 Position Statement: Special Needs Students

 The Professional School Counselor And The Special Needs Student
(Adopted 1999)

American School Counselor Association (ASCA) Position
Professional school counselors encourage and support the academic, social/emotional and career development of all students through counseling programs within the schools. They are committed to helping all students realize their full potential despite cognitive, emotional, medical, behavioral, physical or social disabilities.

Rationale
Professional school counselors have increasingly important roles in working with the special needs student. With the passage of Public Law 94-142 and the current Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and 504 legislation, schools are required to provide an equitable education for all students, including those with special needs. Components of IDEA such as due process, individual educational programs, behavior modification plans and least restrictive environment offer opportunities to use the professional school counselor’s skills to benefit special needs students. Students who were once served in isolated special education environments are now taught in regular classrooms or are mainstreamed for the maximum time appropriate. Professional school counselors work with special needs students both in special class settings and in the regular classroom. It is particularly important that the professional school counselor’s role in these procedures is clearly defined and understood by all concerned.

The Professional School Counselor’s Role
Interventions in which the professional school counselor participates may include but are not limited to: serving on the school’s multidisciplinary team to identify the special needs student; collaborating with other pupil support specialists in the delivery of services; providing social skills training in a classroom setting, in small groups or individually; leading group guidance activities to improve self-esteem through the comprehensive counseling and guidance program; providing group and individual counseling; advocating for special needs students in the school and in the community; assisting with the establishment and implementation of behavior modification plans; providing guidance and counseling for career planning and a smooth post-secondary transition from school to career; working with staff and parents to understand the special needs of these students; counseling parents and families; and making referrals to other appropriate specialists within the school system and in the community.

ASCA believes that it is not the professional school counselor’s responsibility to be the only source of information or administrative representative in a district in preparing individual education plans (IEPs) for students other than those portions relating to guidance and counseling. Further, school counselors should not make decisions regarding placement or retention or serve in any supervisory capacity in relation to the implementation of IDEA nor should they serve as a member of a multidisciplinary team reviewing placement referrals for those students not usually part of the counselor’s caseload. In addition, the school counselor should not be responsible for the coordination of the 504 planning team or supervision of the implementation of the 504 plan.

Summary
The professional school counselor takes an active role in providing guidance and counseling services for students with special needs. School counselors advocate for all students and services are provided to special needs students consistent with those provided to all students in the school counselor’s caseload.