Dr. Julie A. Cerrito, Program Director
570-941-4163
julie.cerrito@scranton.edu
The School Counseling program prepares students for entry into elementary and secondary school counseling positions. School Counselors provide professional services aimed at meeting the academic, career, personal, and social needs of students.
Mission Statement
The mission of the School Counseling Program at the University of Scranton is to prepare students to become professional school counselors in elementary, middle, or secondary schools. The program emphasizes professional school counselors working to improve educational practices that impact all students through the development and implementation of comprehensive results-based school counseling programs.
Guided by a team effort and a vision of educational equity, the School Counseling Program trains students to contextualize their counseling competencies by developing skills in leadership, advocacy, and collaboration, and to develop an appreciation of diversity in meeting the varied needs of school students. As a member of a team with other school personnel and helping professionals, school counselors assist students to achieve academic success, choose appropriate career paths, make effective decisions, and developing socially and emotionally.
School Counseling Program
Implicit within our mission statement is a commitment to assist students to develop a professional identity as a school counselor. To aid in that process, special curricular emphasis is placed on the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), the ASCA National Model for School Counseling Programs, and the Education Trust’s National Center for Transforming School Counseling (NCTSC), the Pennsylvania School Counselors Association (PSCA), the National Office for School Counselor Advocacy (NOSCA), and the National Consortium for School Counseling and Postsecondary Success (NCSCPS). These organizations and the National Model strongly adhere to the position that professionals in this field can best facilitate academic, career, and personal/social development among students by acting as leaders, advocates, collaborators, and visionaries for systemic change. Students in the University of Scranton’s school counseling program are encouraged to pay particular attention to access and equity issues that contribute to achievement and post-secondary enrollment gaps among student groups by developing responses that enhance the academic and college/career goals for all students. The four elements of the ASCA National Model (foundation, delivery system, program management, and accountability) are infused throughout the curriculum. Emphasis is also placed on the American School Counselor Association’s Code of Ethics.
The program faculty are advocates for counseling services that are appropriate and relevant for all students in schools, not just those with problems or in crisis, and they promote the use of developmental perspectives by school counselors. School counseling program faculty are National Trainers with the Education Trust National Center for Transforming School Counseling and are members of state level boards for counseling policy issues. The School Counseling Program prepares graduates to conceptualize and implement comprehensive school counseling programs around the eight goals that characterize developmental counseling. Therefore, the School Counseling Program prepares competent graduates who: understand school environments, understand self and others, understand students’ attitudes and behaviors, understand students’ decision-making and problem solving skills, exercise effective interpersonal and communication skills, understand students’ school success skills, understand students’ career awareness and educational planning, and understand community pride and involvement.
School Counseling Profession
According to the American School Counselor Association, the professional school counselor addresses the needs of students comprehensively through the implementation of a comprehensive, developmental, results-based school counseling program. Their work is differentiated by attention to age-specific developmental stages of student growth and the needs, tasks, and student interests related to those stages. School counselors are specialists in human behavior and relationships who provide assistance to students through four primary interventions: counseling (individual and group), large group guidance, consultation, and coordination.
The American School Counselor Association supports the development and implementation of developmental, sequential, and systemic comprehensive school counseling programs as an integral part of the overall educational program. Through comprehensive school counseling programs, school counselors work with school personnel, families, and community members to assist students in academic, career, personal, and social development.
As in the other areas of professional counseling, employment opportunities for school counselors are projected to grow comparable to other occupations through 2024 according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH). The OOH projects 22,500 school counseling employment opportunities through 2024. School Counseling is noted as having the largest number of projected employment opportunities of all specialty areas of professional counseling practice.
Curricula
The School Counseling Program is a 60-credit curriculum leading to the Master of Science degree. This curriculum prepares students for certification as a PreK-12 Elementary and Secondary School Counselor. A three-credit practicum and a three-credit internship experience are among the required courses. Additionally, a student must satisfactorily complete his or her Professional Counselor Portfolio. The School Counseling Program manual specifies four submission dates for a student’s portfolio during his or her program of study. The curriculum is divided into three separate content areas, School Counseling Core, Counseling Practice Sequence, and Foundations of Professional Counseling.
In addition to the portfolio, students must also register for and complete the counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE) near the completion of their program and prior to graduation. Specific details regarding this exam can be found in the School Counseling Program Manual.
Accreditation and Certification
The School Counseling Program is designed to meet the standards for certification as a PreK-12 Elementary and Secondary School Counselor as established by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE). Upon completion of a program, students meet the academic requirements to apply for the Education Specialist I Certificate as a PreK-12 Elementary and Secondary School Counselor. The programs are competency-based and designed to meet the Standards for Program Approval as outlined by PDE.
In addition to meeting the academic requirements for certification, PDE requires additional tests. Students should consult with their program mentor to ascertain the appropriate tests. Information on required tests is available in the student Program Manual. Non-United States citizens need to check with PDE concerning their eligibility for certification. All inquiries regarding certification by PDE and application for same should be directed to PDE at www.teaching.state.pa.us.
The School Counseling Program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs (CACREP), a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). This accreditation affords a number of advantages to program graduates. Graduates meet all academic requirements for certification as National Certified Counselors (NCCs) as well as the School Counseling Specialty Certification (National Certified School Counselor [NCSC]). Students may apply to the National Board for Certified Counselors to take the National Counselor Examination during their last semester of course work or within six months of degree completion. Students who pass the certification examination will be granted recognition as NCCs. All inquiries regarding NCC certification and application for same should be directed to:
National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc.
3-D Terrace Way
Greensboro, NC 27403
(336-547-0607)
www.nbcc.org
Certain individuals who already possess a relevant Master’s degree may wish to pursue a certification only option. Experience has shown that a Master’s degree in Education, Psychology, or Social Work and School Counseling are markedly different on several dimensions, including philosophical foundation, professional orientation, pedagogy, clinical emphasis, and areas or purpose of intervention. Thus, we view a relevant Master’s degree as addressing several program components of the School Counseling Program. In those cases, program applicants need to write a letter to the School Counseling Program Director articulating their intent, summarizing relevant work experience, and previous graduate coursework. The School Counseling Program Director prepares an initial review of the student’s credentials and proposes a recommended program of study to the School Counseling Certification Review Committee. An appropriate program of study to meet Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) requirements, including Chapter 49 standards, “Accommodations for Students with Special Needs and English Language Learners,” will be recommended to the applicant. If 24 or more graduate credits are needed, the applicant is encouraged to apply to the Master’s Degree program. Students completing the “certificate only” option must meet all competency requirements for PDE certification. The process for certificate only status is detailed in the School Counseling Program Manual.
Refer to General Information under the Department of Counseling and Human Services for policies and procedures applicable to all Department programs.
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