This document outlines standards and guidelines for student development established by the American School Counselor Association. It discusses four main standards: Standard A focuses on developing skills for effective learning, career decision making, and understanding oneself. Standard B emphasizes completing high school with preparation for post-secondary options and making wise decisions to achieve goals. Standard C addresses understanding the relationship between academics, work, and home/community life as well as safety skills. The document also provides guidance for teachers and counselors on helping students set SMART goals to improve performance and motivation.

1. American School Counselor Association (2004). ASCA National
Standards for Students. Alexandria, VA: Author

2. Prepare today’s students to become tomorrow’s adults.

3. Standard A:
Students will acquire the attitudes, knowledge and skills that contribute to
effective learning in school and across the life span.
Standard B:
Students will complete school with the academic preparation essential to
choose from a wide range of substantial post-secondary options, including
college.
Standard C:
Students will understand the relationship of academics to the world of work
and to life at home and in the community.
American School Counselor Association (2004). ASCA National
Standards for Students. Alexandria, VA: Author

4. Standard A:
Students will acquire the skills to investigate the world of work in
relation to knowledge of self and to make informed career
decisions.
Standard B:
Students will complete school with the academic preparation
essential to choose from a wide range of substantial post-secondary
options, including college.
Standard C:
Students will understand the relationship of academics to the world
of work and to life at home and in the community.
American School Counselor Association (2004). ASCA National
Standards for Students. Alexandria, VA: Author

5. Standard A:
Students will acquire the knowledge, attitudes and
interpersonal skills to help them understand and respect self
and others.
Standard B:
Students will make decisions, set goals and take necessary
action to achieve goals.
Standard C:
Students will understand safety and survival skills.
American School Counselor Association (2004). ASCA National
Standards for Students. Alexandria, VA: Author

6. Personal-Social Development
Standard B
Students will make decisions, set goals and take
appropriate action to achieve goals.

7. How can school counselors and teachers work
together to prepare our students in:
*establishing appropriate goals?
*achieving set goals?
*making wise decisions?

8. Research Shows…
•Students perform better when taking an increased
responsibility for their work
•Students who are skilled at self-regulation set
mastery goals over performance goals
Mastery goal: I will use my grandmother’s recipe to make my favorite
fettucine alfredo
Performance goal: I will make something delicious
•Attaining these goals becomes motivation for
students to continue to challenge themselves
Cooper, J.E., Horn, S., Strahan, D.B. (2005) If only they would do their homework: promoting self-regulation in high school english classes” University of
North Carolina Press.

9. PECIFIC
EASURABLE
TTAINABLE
ELEVANT
IME FRAME

10. “I want to get good grades” specific
“I want to increase my cumulative GPA to 92
and graduate with honors”

11. “I want to do better in math” -NO
“I want to get at least an 85 on all
math exams this year” -YES

12. • An goal should be challenging but realistic
“I want to graduate HS on time with honors”

13. (un)ATTAINABLE
“I want to complete HS in 2 years and receive a
full scholarship to the Ivy League university of
my choice”

14. “I want to be in the NFL”
Is this goal consistent with other
goals in the student’s short-term
and long-term plans?
“I want to make the HS
football team”

15. “I want to buy a car”
• Goals should have a time frame that give the student a target
deadline
“I want to save enough money to purchase a car by
this time next year”

16. Who Can Participate In Goal-Setting?
Target Population: All 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th grade students
Implemented By: Teachers
and school counselors can
collaborate to implement an
annual goal-setting workshop
each September

17. • SMART goal workshop presented by teachers
in classroom.
• SMART goals worksheets to be distributed and
completed in class
• Worksheets will be collected and routed to
the school counseling department
• School counselors will meet with each student
to review worksheet with him/her

18. • School counselors can meet with students
quarterly to review their progress in
achieving their goals or to revise goals as
needed
• In addition to quarterly meetings, school
counselors can meet with students as
needed
• Faculty input welcome and encouraged