* School counselors numbered 99,395 down from 100,901 (a 1.5 proportionality decrease) in 2002-2003.



* Nationally, the ratio of counselors increased from 1 to 478 students to 1 to 488 students.

* Thirty-six states are at or below the domestic average. Hawaii, Louisiana, New Hampshire, Vermont and Wyoming had the minimal averages. Arizona, California, Minnesota and Utah had the maximal average.

* The American School Counselor Association recommends a 1-250 ratio of counselors to students.

* In May 2004, the median period earnings of educational, vocational, and edifice counselors was $45,570.

* School counselors have to be certified in every but two states. A master's degree is required in many instances.

So what do edifice counselors do? Well it varies from state to state, from district to district, and even from edifice to school. The broad edifice consultant has a distinctly different persona than that of the easy edifice counselor. However each consultant should be spending time guidance counseling, individual student planning, system support and the remainder of the time in a responsive persona as the situations demand. Yet sometimes schools misuse their counselors? services and training. Here are some inappropriate edifice consultant activities:

* Teaching classes for absent teachers

* Sending inappropriately-dressed students home

* Disciplining

* Registration and scheduling new students

* Signing tardy or absent excuse slips

* Coordinating achievement, cognitive, or aptitude tests

* Clerical work much as accumulation entry

On the other hand, if counselors can be engaged in the following activities, they will be fulfilling their employ descriptions correctly, and most likely meeting the needs of the students successfully.

* Counseling tardy or absent students

* Counseling students with disciplinary problems

* Counseling students on edifice dress codes

* Planning individual students? academic programs

* Interpreting students? records

* Providing small and super group counseling services, per the needs of the students

* Advocating for students at review boards

* Analyzing grades in relationship to action

* Collaborating with teachers and principals to identify issues, problems and needs

In summary counselors should be available to help the students with their problems, exponent for their needs and help them achieve their academic goals. With around 50 million students across the United States with diverse situations and problems, the need for edifice counselors is very real. School counselors work with other administrators and teachers to provide a safe learning environment. They set-up and run prevention and intervention programs, work to incorporate cooperation and leadership, and exponent for the student in various review situations. So patch they no longer just assistance out college applications, edifice counselors are a vital piece to the educational system and hopefully a port for students to discuss their problems and their dreams.