Summer Insights and Big Moves for School Counseling
I hope your July brought you much-needed time to step back, recharge, and enjoy the slower pace of summer! Whether you’ve been taking well-deserved time to rest with loved ones, connecting with peers at the ASCA National Conference, or taking advantage of summer professional development, this season is such a vital time for reflection and renewal.
While school buildings may be quiet right now, July is often when some of our most meaningful behind-the-scenes networking and planning happen. At ISCAR, we spent this month laying the groundwork for the upcoming school year by building intentional, collaborative partnerships across the educational ecosystem. Over the past few weeks, we had great conversations with the counseling educators at the University of Maryland and chatted with the leadership team at the California Association of School Counselors (CASC). These conversations reinforced a fundamental truth: elevating the school counseling profession requires strong, active bridges between counselor preparation programs, state advocacy bodies, and practitioners on the ground.
🤝 Let’s Collaborate!
We believe the strongest resources and research stem from collective action. As you prepare for the new school year, whether you are a counselor educator looking to bridge research with policy, a district leader working to reframe comprehensive programming, or a practicing counselor with insights to share, we want to hear from you.
If you are interested in partnering with ISCAR on research initiatives, co-developing actionable practitioner resources, or participating in an interview, please reach out! Let’s explore how we can work together to advance the field.
Sarah Whipp, Ed.D.
Executive Director, ISCAR
July Highlights from ISCAR
In case you missed them, here are the three articles published on our blog this month
Research Spotlight: 6 Studies for Counselors & Educators
To help bridge the gap between empirical research and day-to-day practice, here are six peer-reviewed studies published in recent years that offer valuable insights for practitioners, district leaders, and counselor educators:
Staffing Schools to Support the Classroom: Examining Student-to-School-Counselor Ratios and Academic Student Outcomes in Texas
Why Read It: Analyzing over 15,000 district observations revealed that maintaining lower student-to-counselor ratios directly reduces dropout rates and boosts postsecondary enrollment.
The Use of Implementation Strategies in School Counseling: A Deductive Qualitative Analysis
Why Read It: Provides clear guidance for counselor educators teaching program implementation and for supervisors evaluating program delivery using implementation science (IS).
School Counselor Professional Identity in Relation to Post-master’s Supervision
Why Read It: Demonstrates why school districts need to invest in reflective clinical supervision rather than relying solely on administrative evaluations.
School Counselors Engaging All Students: Universal Design for Learning in Classroom Lesson Planning
Why Read It: Outlines practical strategies for embedding UDL frameworks into Tier 1 counseling lessons to increase accessibility for neurodiverse learners
A Rural Ecological School Counseling Framework
Why Read It: Presents a tailored, ecologically grounded framework that builds on the cultural strengths and close-knit networks of rural communities.
The Effects of the Ready for Success Classroom Program on Third-Grade Students’ Social/ Emotional Skills and Competence
Why Read It: Shows statistically significant growth in student self-regulation, executive functioning, and social skills following small-group skill-building sessions.
In the News: Perspectives on the School Counselor Role
Here are notable national news features shedding light on the state of the profession:
School counselors ID “Critical shortfalls” in Student Mental Health Crisis
eSchool News
March 2026
Highlighting a survey of over 500 K–12 counselors, this report details how 96% of counselors are calling for expanded Tier 2 preventative programming—and explores the systemic burnout resulting from continuous crisis response.
School Counselors’ Jobs Are Misunderstood.
Why It Matters
Education Week
April 2026
Drawing from national workforce data, this article breaks down why policymakers and school leaders often misallocate school counselor time. Featuring national award-winning counselors, it underscores how excessive caseloads and non-counseling duties undermine student mental health support.
Growing Support, One School Counselor at a Time
UNM News
July 2026
The University of New Mexico College of Education & Human Sciences, in partnership with Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) and the Albuquerque Teachers Federation (ATF), has launched New Mexico’s first School Counselor Residency Program. The initiative places graduate-level counselors-in-training into local public schools for a full academic year of paid, immersive clinical experience and 1-on-1 mentorship alongside veteran school counselors.
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