Education Board takes steps to update old school counseling program

Alabama State Board of Education Revises School Counseling Standards

For the first time in over two decades, the Alabama State Board of Education is updating its school counseling standards, which have changed a lot since the last approval. There have been attempts to modernize the plan before, but those efforts didn’t lead to a formal vote by the board.

“We don’t even have a solid plan anymore,” commented State Superintendent Eric McKee. “That’s how outdated it is.”

This spring, an investigative committee was created, consisting of over 100 school counselors, administrators, and education professionals. They began monthly meetings in April to evaluate the structure, goals, and vision for school counseling throughout the academic year.

McKee noted, “The profession transitioned from being called career guidance counselors quite a while ago. When we say school counselor, we’re referring to the educator who oversees the guidance program at the local level—not outside mental health providers or contract therapists.”

This distinction goes beyond mere wording. In recent years, misunderstandings about counselors’ roles have sparked discussions among parents and lawmakers.

“School counselors don’t provide therapy,” McKee explained. “That’s a medical service that requires parental consent. Counselors focus on academic and career guidance, helping students build essential skills for success, but they don’t deliver clinical services. Even if some counselors are certified as mental health counselors, they don’t carry out therapy in schools.”

Officials stressed that the new standards would also stop schools from assigning administrative duties to counselors—like managing registration and testing—arguing this would limit their ability to provide direct support to students.

McKee remarked, “We don’t want schools to use counselors in administrative roles. Just like librarians shouldn’t be treated as technology coaches instead of managing the library.”

He added, “We developed a rubric outlining what effective librarians and counselors should be doing daily. Sure, some districts might say it’s acceptable to make a counselor the registrar, but we’re not really on board with that. Yet, they do have hiring authority.”

The board also addressed the importance of incorporating family feedback into future evaluations of counselors.

“One of the key things we can do is let parents have a say,” said board member Stephanie Bell. “They are the first educators. Counselors play a vital role in shaping a child’s educational journey, so it’s crucial to involve parents in the discussion.”

While local school systems already conduct yearly evaluations of their counseling programs, the updated plan aims to standardize and measure this process more effectively across Alabama.