Test Design and 
Test Framework

Field 235: School Counselor

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The test design below describes general test information. The framework that follows is a detailed outline that explains the knowledge and skills that this test measures.

Test Design

Format	Computer-based test (CBT)
Number of Questions	100 multiple-choice questions
Time*	3 hours, 15 minutes
Passing Score	240

*Does not include 15-minute CBT tutorial

Test Framework

Subarea 1—Human Development and Learning

Objective 0001—Understand theories, principles, and processes of human growth and development.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of theories of personality development, child and adolescent development (e.g., cognitive, social, emotional, physical), and the range of individual growth and development.
• Demonstrate knowledge of theories of individual and family development, transitions across the life span, and developmental stages of children and adolescents as they relate to counseling approaches.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the characteristics and effects of the cultural and environmental contexts of the student and the student's family, including cultural and linguistic diversity, socioeconomic level, abuse/neglect, substance abuse, and exceptionality (e.g., disability, giftedness, at-risk status).
• Demonstrate knowledge of human behavior, including developmental crises, disability, addictive behavior and psychopathology; situational and environmental factors as they affect both normal and abnormal behavior; and the role and effects of medication on behaviors across the domains.
• Apply knowledge of how to analyze individual and group performance in order to plan and implement differentiated interventions that meet students' current needs in the cognitive, social, emotional, ethical, and physical domains, including the needs of students with exceptionalities.
• Apply knowledge of how to plan and implement developmentally appropriate activities, experiences, and interventions that are responsive to individual and group needs and facilitate optimal development and wellness across the life span.

Objective 0002—Understand learning theories, processes, and needs related to academic development in the school-age population.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of theories of learning; how students construct knowledge, acquire skills, and develop habits of mind; and how students' development in the physical, social, emotional, ethical, and cognitive domains affects learning.
• Demonstrate knowledge of national standards related to academic development; interventions that maximize learning; early signs and predictors of learning problems; and strategies for teaching study skills, enhancing test-taking skills, and motivating students to learn and achieve that take into consideration students' individual approaches to learning.
• Apply knowledge of strategies for helping students understand the relationship between academic performance and work, family life, and community; preparing students for the full range of postsecondary options and opportunities; and preventing students from dropping out of school.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the relationship of the school counseling program to the academic mission of the school and strategies for providing positive direction for academic programming and implementing academic support systems.
• Apply knowledge of concepts, principles, strategies, programs, and practices for closing achievement gaps, providing students across grade levels with academic assistance to overcome barriers to academic growth and achievement, and promoting academic success for all students.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the effects of various factors (e.g., performance levels, stereotyping, family, socioeconomic status, gender identity) on learning, including the effects of normal, delayed, and disordered patterns of communication and interaction.

Objective 0003—Understand theories, processes, and needs related to the personal/social development of the school-age population.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of concepts and strategies that lead to attitudes, knowledge, and interpersonal skills that help students understand and respect themselves and others.
• Demonstrate knowledge of national standards related to personal/social development; strategies for helping students acquire knowledge of their personal strengths, assets, personal values, beliefs, and attitudes; and ways to foster students' self-esteem, efficacy, and personal dignity so that they will develop positive attitudes toward themselves as unique and worthy individuals.
• Apply knowledge of strategies for helping students make decisions, understand the consequences of decisions and choices, set goals, and develop resiliency; ways to help students address issues of stress and anxiety and develop coping strategies for various situations (e.g., peer pressure, social media issues, life events, developmental and environmental problems); and how to assist students in understanding the emotional and physical dangers of abuses (e.g., substance, sexual, physical).
• Demonstrate knowledge of skills necessary for developing effective communication; skills that promote cooperation, understanding, and interest in others; and methods for helping students appreciate differences between people and demonstrate tolerance.
• Apply knowledge of methods for helping students identify and express their feelings as well as understand and apply the need for self-control and management of anger.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the processes of conflict resolution and anger management; ways to assist students in maintaining healthy family relationships, including teaching the dynamics of family interaction; and strategies for helping students get along with peers, parents/guardians, and authority figures.
• Demonstrate knowledge of programs that promote school safety and violence prevention; ways to help students understand the relationship between rules, laws, safety, and the protection of individual rights; and strategies for supporting students in setting healthy personal boundaries and understanding and asserting their rights of privacy.

Objective 0004—Understand career theories, college and career readiness, the world of work, and related life processes.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of career development theories, decision-making models applicable to grade levels, the phases of career development (e.g., awareness, exploration, orientation, preparation), and strategies for college and career readiness.
• Demonstrate knowledge of national standards related to career development; college and career counseling processes, techniques, resources, and tools; and how to plan, organize, implement, administer, and evaluate an integrated career development program across grade levels that meets the needs of a diverse student population.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the world of work, labor market information, job trends, and education-to-career principles; and strategies for helping students develop skills in locating, evaluating, and interpreting career information, including guiding students in the use of career resources and technologies (e.g., visual and printed media, computer-based career systems, Internet-based career search tools).
• Demonstrate knowledge of the interrelationships between work, family, and other life roles and factors, including the multicultural issues in career development.
• Apply knowledge of principles and practices related to educational planning, placement, transitions, and follow-up, including administration and interpretation of various career-related assessments (e.g., interest inventories, aptitude batteries, personality inventories).
• Apply knowledge of strategies for enhancing students' self-awareness (e.g., individual appraisal, appropriate college and career information, course selection alternatives, college and career exploration activities) and assisting students in identifying and understanding their abilities, interests, problem-solving abilities, aptitudes, and goal-setting and transition strategies.
• Demonstrate knowledge of how to provide career development consultation and resources to teachers for infusing career development activities into the curriculum as well as how to develop programs that involve parents/guardians in their children's career development.
• Demonstrate knowledge of strategies for collaborating with community business and industry representatives to promote work-based learning opportunities and support, and ways to assist students with work-based opportunities such as job shadowing and internships.

 

Subarea 2—Assessment, Instruction, and Services

Objective 0005—Understand assessment principles, practices, and tools relevant to the school counseling program.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of the purposes and meaning of assessment historically, sociologically, and educationally; and the basic concepts of standardized and nonstandardized assessments and assessment techniques.
• Demonstrate knowledge of how to select appropriate tests, methods, and materials for gathering information and performing assessments.
• Demonstrate knowledge of statistical concepts (e.g., scales of measurement, measures of central tendency, indices or variability, shapes and types of distribution, correlation), including reliability, various types of validity, and the relationship between reliability and validity.
• Apply knowledge of appropriate assessment strategies that can be used to evaluate a student's academic, personal/social, and career development; and how to use assessment information to identify students' strengths and needs.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the implications of various factors (e.g., age, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, language, disability, culture, socioeconomic status, spirituality/belief system) for assessment and evaluation; how to assess barriers that impede students' academic, personal/social, and career development; and how to analyze and interpret assessment information accurately and in a way that produces valid inferences regarding the needs of individual students.
• Apply knowledge of social and cultural factors related to the assessment and evaluation of individuals, groups, and special populations as well as ethical strategies for selecting, administering, and interpreting various types of assessments and techniques in counseling that give appropriate consideration to diversity.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the appropriate use of technology in the process of assessment and evaluation.

Objective 0006—Understand instructional planning and delivery and the developmental school counseling curriculum.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of basic principles of classroom management and strategies for focusing students' attention and engagement.
• Apply knowledge of strategies for presenting lessons and programs that address the needs of a diverse student population.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the counseling curriculum as a component of the developmental approach as well as the application of curriculum design, lesson plan development, and differentiated instruction in teaching counseling-related material.
• Apply knowledge of how to develop, organize, and implement the counseling curriculum around the personal/social, academic, and career domains and their goals.
• Apply knowledge of how to adapt, adjust, and diversify instructional methodologies in response to students' varied needs, abilities, and intelligences.
• Demonstrate knowledge of strategies for promoting positive mental health and assisting students in acquiring and using life skills.
• Demonstrate knowledge of how to coordinate, plan, and deliver the school counseling program in a collaborative format with teachers, administrators, and other stakeholders.

Objective 0007—Understand principles, processes, and strategies for individual counseling and individual educational planning.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of responsive services and individual counseling and planning as components of a developmental approach; theories and models of counseling; the process of effective counseling and wellness programs; and how to utilize appropriate counseling techniques for individual students in given situations.
• Apply knowledge of strategies for assisting students in clarifying problems, considering causes, and identifying alternative solutions and possible consequences in order to take appropriate action and for helping students cope with environmental and developmental problems.
• Apply knowledge of essential interviewing and counseling skills and strategies for supporting students who express difficulties dealing with personal/social, educational, or career planning concerns and/or normal developmental tasks; and how to provide activities that meet the immediate needs of students that may be identified by students, parents/guardians, teachers, or other referrals.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the specialized needs and resources available for students with disabilities, students who are gifted and talented, and students who are at risk or who have dropped out of school as well as how and when to make referrals to appropriate professionals when necessary.
• Demonstrate knowledge of individual educational planning as a component of the developmental school counseling program and how to provide individual advisement to students to enhance their academic and personal/social development.
• Apply knowledge of strategies for facilitating students' development and evaluation of short- and long-term goals to address identified development issues.
• Demonstrate knowledge of methods for helping students monitor and direct their own learning and personal/social and career development, including applications of technology in student planning (e.g., electronic portfolios, Internet-based activities).

Objective 0008—Understand principles, processes, and strategies for group counseling in the educational setting.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of group dynamics, including group process components, developmental stage theories, group members' roles and behaviors, and therapeutic factors of group work.
• Demonstrate knowledge of group leadership or facilitation styles and approaches, including characteristics of various types of group leaders and leadership styles.
• Demonstrate knowledge of theories of group counseling, including commonalities, distinguishing characteristics, and pertinent research and literature; and the application of group counseling theories in the educational setting.
• Apply knowledge of group counseling methods, including counselor orientations, behaviors, sensitivity, and self-awareness; appropriate group selection criteria, procedures, and strategies; and techniques for evaluating the effectiveness of group counseling.
• Apply knowledge of methods for delivering counseling-related content at the classroom level to promote the academic, personal/social, and career development of students.
• Demonstrate knowledge of various peer programming interventions (e.g., peer mediation, peer mentoring, peer tutoring) and how to coordinate them.
• Demonstrate knowledge of various approaches used for other types of group work (e.g., task groups, focus groups, prevention groups, support groups, psychoeducational groups, therapy groups, developmental groups) that will infuse the counseling curriculum.

Objective 0009—Understand crisis prevention and intervention for students, families, and communities.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of theories and models of individual, cultural, family, and community resilience as well as understanding of wellness and prevention as desired counseling goals.
• Demonstrate knowledge of what defines a crisis, the appropriate process responses, and a variety of intervention strategies to meet the needs of the individual, group, or school community.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the potential impact of crises, emergencies, and disasters on students, educators, and schools; the operation of the school emergency management plan; and the school counselor's potential roles and responsibilities during crises, disasters, and other trauma-causing events.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the theory and techniques needed to implement a school-wide crisis intervention plan and intervention skills needed for crisis intervention.
• Apply knowledge of how to provide leadership to the school and community in a crisis and involve appropriate school and community professionals as well as the family in a crisis situation.
• Apply knowledge of how to design and implement prevention and intervention plans related to the effects of various factors (e.g., atypical growth and development, health and wellness, language, ability level, sociocultural issues, resiliency factors) on student learning and development as well as how to organize and present prevention programming for students, staff, parents/guardians, and community members as appropriate.
• Demonstrate knowledge of theories and/or etiology of various mental health issues, including strategies for prevention, intervention, and treatment; and the signs and symptoms of mental health issues in children and adolescents as well as the signs and symptoms related to living in a home or community where these issues exist.
• Apply knowledge of procedures for assessing and managing suicide risk, including appropriate and ethical intervention with students who are suicidal or homicidal.

Objective 0010—Understand consultation and collaboration within the school and community.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of systems theories, models, and processes of consultation in educational settings.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the role of the school counselor as consultant and the counselor's role, function, and relationship to other student service providers.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the ways in which student development, well-being, and learning are enhanced by family-school-community collaboration; strategies for empowering families to act on behalf of their children; and methods for facilitating families' assumption of responsibility for problem solving.
• Apply knowledge of effective collaboration and consultation practices with parents/guardians, student services staff, other educators, and community agencies and organizations regarding strategies for helping students achieve academic, personal/social, and career potential.
• Apply knowledge of strategies for promoting, developing, and enhancing effective teamwork within the school and the community as well as how to build effective working teams of school staff, parents/guardians, and community members to promote the academic/educational, personal/social, and career/vocational development of students.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the multidimensional approach to consultation in academic/educational, personal/social, career/vocational, and other developmental areas.
• Apply knowledge of how to participate in multidisciplinary team meetings; locate resources in the community that can be used to improve students' achievement and success; and make appropriate referrals to outside agencies and other student service providers within the school system to secure assistance for students.

 

Subarea 3—The School Counseling Program

Objective 0011—Understand issues related to diversity and change, including the implications of individual and cultural differences for the school counseling program.

For example:

• Recognize multicultural and pluralistic trends, including characteristics and concerns within and among diverse groups nationally and internationally as well as cultural, ethical, economic, legal, and political issues surrounding diversity, equity, and excellence in terms of student learning.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the ways in which diverse characteristics (e.g., race, culture, ethnicity, gender, sexual identity, physical and mental characteristics) may affect personality formation, vocational choice, and manifestation of strengths and difficulties in academic, career, and personal/social development.
• Demonstrate knowledge of sociocultural competencies related to diversity, equity, and opportunity; theories of multicultural counseling, identity development, and social justice; and the implication of how the school counselor's social and cultural background and experiences influence the school counselor's attitudes, values, and biases about psychological processes.
• Demonstrate knowledge of strategies for learning about diverse groups in the school community; understanding the impact of harassment and bullying on students' personal/social, emotional, and academic development; and acknowledging students' diversity and special needs to incorporate an approach to social and cultural diversity that is equitable for all students.
• Demonstrate knowledge of attitudes, beliefs, understandings, and acculturative experiences, including specific experiential learning activities, designed to foster students' understanding of self and others as well as the counselor's role in developing cultural awareness and promoting social justice and other culturally supported behaviors that promote optimal wellness and growth of the human spirit, mind, or body.
• Recognize multicultural issues in school counseling; when and how to use nontraditional strategies in academic and career counseling; and methods for promoting a gender-equitable and culturally sensitive approach in working with students, families, staff, and the community.
• Demonstrate knowledge of strategies for teaching how oppression, racism, discrimination, intolerance, homophobia, heterosexism, and stereotyping may affect students personally and in their work, including methods for intervening when students use inappropriate language or behaviors relating to issues of social and cultural diversity, and the school counselor's role in eliminating biases, prejudices, and processes of intentional and unintentional oppression and discrimination.

Objective 0012—Understand the development, management, and organization of the school counseling program, including the application of data-based decision making.

For example:

• Recognize the comprehensive developmental school counseling concept and the need for comprehensive school counseling programs based on the needs of students and the school in promoting an effective learning community.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the process of planning, implementing, monitoring, and reporting outcomes of a comprehensive school counseling program.
• Demonstrate knowledge of how to use data (i.e., process, perception, and outcome) from multiple sources (e.g., needs assessments, surveys, interviews, focus groups, student performance data) and available resources (e.g., funding, staff) to guide decisions and enhance student outcomes.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the importance of goals and objectives in the school counseling program and strategies for implementing and evaluating specific strategies designed to meet program goals and objectives.
• Demonstrate knowledge of strategies for designing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating transition programs, including school-to-work, postsecondary planning, and college admissions counseling.
• Identify student achievement competencies and strategies for implementing activities and processes to assist students in achieving these competencies.
• Demonstrate knowledge of planning and management tasks that support activities of the school counseling program, including how to prepare a counseling calendar that reflects appropriate time commitments and priorities within a comprehensive developmental school counseling program.

Objective 0013—Understand research methods and program evaluation related to the school counseling program.

For example:

• Identify various research methods and designs (e.g., qualitative, quantitative, single-case designs, action research, outcome-based research) and their application in given counseling situations.
• Demonstrate knowledge of program evaluation models for school counseling programs and basic strategies for evaluating counseling outcomes in school counseling (e.g., behavioral observation, program evaluation).
• Recognize appropriate statistical methods and technologies for analyzing data for the school counseling program.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the importance of research in the practice of school counseling; how to critically evaluate and apply relevant research findings to the practice of school counseling; how to conduct research and program evaluation within ethical and legal parameters; and how to interpret and report the results of research and program evaluation using ethical and culturally relevant strategies.
• Demonstrate knowledge of how to develop measurable outcomes for school counseling programs, activities, interventions, and experiences as well as the use of formal and informal assessment and evaluation to design and modify school counseling programs.
• Demonstrate knowledge of current methods and technologies for using ongoing data collection and analysis to inform decision making and accountability in the school counseling program.

 

Subarea 4—The Professional School Counselor

Objective 0014—Understand history, philosophy, issues, and trends in school counseling.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of history, philosophy, and current trends and issues in school counseling.
• Recognize current trends and issues; strategies for applying the trends and issues in the school; and methods for incorporating current trends into the school counseling program.
• Identify models of school counseling programs (e.g., American School Counselor Association [ASCAA S C A] National Model, Change Agent for Equity [CAFE]).
• Recognize the unique characteristics of the school environment; the curriculum from prekindergarten through grade 12; and elements of the community, institutions, and environment that can impede or enhance students' academic success and overall development.
• Demonstrate knowledge of technology and computer applications in school counseling and how to use technology directly with students.

Objective 0015—Understand educational systems and organizations and techniques for providing systems support.

For example:

• Recognize the school counselor's role as a change agent and participant on various committees (e.g., school improvement committees, advisory boards, curriculum committees).
• Demonstrate knowledge of systems support as a component of the developmental school counseling program and the school counselor's role as a change agent in the educational setting.
• Demonstrate knowledge of how to develop and implement activities to orient school staff and the community to the counseling program through regular efforts to enhance and maintain staff and community relations.
• Demonstrate knowledge of how to provide activities that establish, maintain, and enhance the school counseling program as well as other educational programs in the school, including how to plan and present school counseling–related programs for use with parents/guardians and teachers (e.g., parent/guardian education programs, counseling-related materials).
• Recognize ways in which educational policies, programs, and practices can be developed, adapted, and modified to be culturally congruent with the needs of students and their families.

Objective 0016—Understand the professional orientation and identity of the school counselor, including legal and ethical standards and best practices in school counseling.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge and application of ethical and legal standards and considerations in the practice of school counseling (e.g., American Counseling Association [ACA] and American School Counselor Association [ASCAA S C A] codes of ethics, Illinois and federal laws, district and school policy).
• Demonstrate knowledge of the roles, functions, settings, and professional identity of the school counselor in relation to other professional and support personnel in the school as well as the school counselor's role in student assistance programs, school leadership, curriculum, and advisory meetings.
• Identify strategies for articulating, modeling, and advocating for an appropriate school counselor identity and program.
• Demonstrate knowledge of advocacy in addressing institutional and social barriers that impede access, equity, and success for all students; promoting learning and academic experiences necessary to the academic, personal/social, and career development of students; and supporting school policies, programs, and services that contribute to a positive school climate that is equitable and responsive to diverse student populations.
• Demonstrate knowledge of preparation standards, professional credentialing, and professional organizations relevant to the practice of school counseling.
• Identify qualities, principles, skills, and styles of effective leadership and strategies of leadership designed to enhance the learning environment of schools.
• Identify self-care strategies appropriate to the school counselor role, limitations of the counselor's ability and training in given situations, and available referral resources.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the importance of and strategies for engaging in continuous professional development and lifelong learning.

 

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