Preparation Manual

Section 3: Overview and Exam Framework
School Counselor (152)

Exam Overview

Table outlining the exam format, number of questions, time, and passing score.

Exam Name	School Counselor
Exam Code	152
Time	5 hours
Number of Questions	100 selected-response questions
Format	Computer-administered test (CAT)

The TExES School Counselor (152) exam is designed to assess whether an examinee has the requisite knowledge and skills that an entry-level educator in this field in Texas public schools must possess. The 100 selected-response questions are based on the School Counselor exam framework. Questions on this exam range from grades EC–12. The exam may contain questions that do not count toward the score. Your final scaled score will be based only on scored questions.

The Standards

Domains and Competencies

Table outlining test content subject weighting by domain.

Domain	Domain Title	Approx. Percentage of Exam	Standards Assessed
I	Understanding Students	30%	School Counselor I–V
II	Planning and Implementing the Developmental Guidance and Counseling Program	40%	School Counselor I–V
III	Collaboration, Consultation and Professionalism	30%	School Counselor I–VI

The content covered by this exam is organized into broad areas of content called domains. Each domain covers one or more of the educator standards for this field. Within each domain, the content is further defined by a set of competencies. Each competency is composed of two major parts:

• The competency statement, which broadly defines what an entry-level educator in this field in Texas public schools should know and be able to do.
• The descriptive statements, which describe in greater detail the knowledge and skills eligible for testing.

Domain I—Understanding Students

Competency 001—(Human Development): The school counselor understands processes of human development and applies this knowledge to provide a developmental guidance program, including counseling services, that meets the needs of all students.

The beginning school counselor:

1. Demonstrates knowledge of developmental progressions in the social, emotional, physical, motor, language and cognitive domains in children and adolescents.
2. Demonstrates knowledge of developmental issues of particular importance, including atypical differences, at different stages of human development (e.g., early childhood, middle childhood, adolescence).
3. Recognizes the interrelatedness of developmental domains and ways in which this interrelatedness may affect students’ behaviors (e.g., how affective characteristics may affect academic performance).
4. Understands the range of human developmental variation (e.g., typical and atypical behaviors) and knows how to provide appropriate, effective guidance and counseling services that are responsive to students’ developmental characteristics and differences.
5. Understands students’ developmental characteristics and needs in relation to educational and career awareness, planning and decision making.

Competency 002—(Student Diversity): The school counselor understands human diversity and applies this knowledge to ensure that the developmental guidance and counseling program is responsive to all students.

The beginning school counselor:

1. Demonstrates an understanding of ways to create and maintain a positive school environment in which diversity is acknowledged and respected.
2. Knows and applies strategies for positive, effective communication with all students and their families.
3. Understands student differences (e.g., in relation to culture, economics, gender, ethnicity, learning style) and knows how to provide a developmental guidance and counseling program that meets the needs of all students.
4. Understands characteristics and needs of students who are members of special populations (e.g., gifted and talented, homeless, migrant, special education).
5. Demonstrates knowledge of how to facilitate the learning and achievement of all students, including special populations, by promoting a cooperative, inclusive and purposeful learning environment.
6. Demonstrates an understanding of how to promote awareness of and responsiveness to learning differences and other types of diversity in the learning community.
7. Advocates for a school environment in which diversity is acknowledged and respected.

Competency 003—(Factors Affecting Students): The school counselor understands factors that may affect students’ development and school achievement and applies this knowledge to promote students’ ability to achieve their potential.

The beginning school counselor:

1. Understands environmental, social and cultural factors that may affect students’ development and learning and recognizes the relevance of these factors for school counseling.
2. Knows how factors in the school (e.g., peer relationships, teacher-student interactions, school climate) may affect students’ ability to succeed in school and collaborates with school personnel to promote a school environment in which all students may achieve success.
3. Demonstrates knowledge of factors in the home and community that may affect students’ school performance (e.g., feelings of safety and security, level of family support, impact of critical incidents) and recognizes the effects such factors may have on students’ achievement.
4. Understands how societal factors and trends (e.g., media influences on students, changing demographic and economic conditions, technological developments) may affect what students need from a developmental guidance and counseling program.
5. Understands how to promote students’ ability to cope with negative factors and build on positive factors and influences in their lives.

 

Domain II—Planning and Implementing the Developmental Guidance and Counseling Program

Competency 004—(Program Management): The school counselor understands how to plan, implement and evaluate a developmental guidance program, including counseling services, that promotes all students’ success.

The beginning school counselor:

1. Demonstrates knowledge of the components of a developmental guidance and counseling program.
2. Knows how to assess the needs of students in a school and plan a developmental guidance and counseling program that is proactive and reflects student needs.
3. Demonstrates knowledge of procedures for implementing a developmental guidance and counseling program, evaluating the program’s effectiveness and modifying the program as necessary to meet the needs of all students.
4. Knows how to implement strategies for effective internal and external communication.
5. Understands the roles and responsibilities of the school counselor, counseling staff and other professionals in the school with regard to the guidance and counseling program.
6. Knows how to serve as a consultant and/or coordinator to help students achieve success in school and outside of school.
7. Knows how to implement effective referral procedures to facilitate the use of special programs and services.
8. Knows how to organize personnel, resources and activities to meet defined needs and objectives.
9. Knows how to apply research-based practice to improve the school guidance and counseling program.

Competency 005—(Developmental Guidance Program): The school counselor knows how to provide a comprehensive developmental guidance program that promotes all students’ personal growth and development.

The beginning school counselor:

1. Knows how to help students develop age-appropriate knowledge and skills in the areas of self-confidence, motivation to achieve, decision making and problem solving, interpersonal effectiveness, communication, cross-cultural effectiveness and responsible behavior.
2. Applies knowledge of procedures for developing a guidance curriculum (e.g., establishing learning goals and objectives, indicators of competence, expected results and evaluative criteria).
3. Knows how to design, implement and evaluate developmentally appropriate guidance instruction for students at different grade levels.
4. Knows how to work collaboratively with the school community to promote the integration of the guidance and academic curriculum.
5. Demonstrates an understanding of theories, models, principles and practices of career development.
6. Demonstrates knowledge of appropriate resources, including technological tools, to promote students’ development of skills and knowledge in the developmental guidance curriculum.
7. Knows how to facilitate students’ ability to achieve their potential by helping them set and attain challenging educational, career and personal/social goals.
8. Demonstrates knowledge of how to teach small and large groups by actively engaging students in the learning process.

Competency 006—(Counseling): The school counselor understands how to provide effective counseling services to individuals and small groups.

The beginning school counselor:

1. Applies knowledge of counseling and consultation theories, principles and practices in a school community.
2. Understands the scope of the school counselor’s job and recognizes when and how to make referrals to professionals outside the school.
3. Demonstrates knowledge of the roles and responsibilities of the counselor in various counseling situations.
4. Knows how to provide effective counseling to individuals and small groups using appropriate counseling theories and techniques.
5. Demonstrates an understanding of group dynamics and productive group interactions in various counseling situations.
6. Knows how to use counseling-related research techniques and practices to address student needs.
7. Applies knowledge of how to coordinate resources for students within the school and the community.
8. Understands the use of prevention approaches (e.g., respect for self and others, motivation, decision making, conflict resolution) and intervention strategies (e.g., substance abuse, critical incidents, anger management) to address student concerns.

Competency 007—(Assessment): The school counselor understands principles of assessment and is able to use assessment results to identify students’ strengths and needs, monitor progress and engage in planning to promote school success.

The beginning school counselor:

1. Demonstrates knowledge of assessment principles and procedures, including the appropriate use of tests and test results.
2. Understands the characteristics, uses, advantages and limitations of various types of informal and formal assessments.
3. Applies knowledge of assessment-related issues (e.g., validity, reliability, bias, confidentiality, ethics).
4. Knows how to interpret assessment results and to use information from varied sources to assess accurately students’ strengths and needs.
5. Understands principles of testing and measurement that underlie group standardized testing programs.
6. Knows how to collaborate in the planning and evaluation of a group standardized testing program.
7. Uses assessment results and interprets information to work collaboratively with other professionals to plan for instruction and student development.
8. Knows how to communicate assessment results to school personnel, students and students’ families.

 

Domain III—Collaboration, Consultation and Professionalism

Competency 008—(Collaboration with Families): The school counselor knows how to communicate effectively with families and establish collaborative relationships that enhance work with students.

The beginning school counselor:

1. Applies strategies for using oral, written, electronic and nonverbal means of communication to interact effectively with families in various contexts.
2. Knows how to establish partnerships of trust and mutual respect between homes and the school community.
3. Demonstrates knowledge of procedures for working with parents/guardians to enhance the counselor’s interaction with students and to facilitate student learning.
4. Knows how to use effective communication with families to support responsive interventions.
5. Applies knowledge of strategies for promoting the involvement of parents/guardians in their children’s education.
6. Works effectively as a team member with families and other professionals to promote positive change for students.
7. Knows how to provide support for families, including use of effective referral procedures.

Competency 009—(Collaboration with Others in the School and Community): The school counselor understands how to work collaboratively with other professionals and with community members to promote positive change and to facilitate student learning.

The beginning school counselor:

1. Demonstrates an understanding of roles and responsibilities of the counselor in various contexts involving consultation and collaboration with other professionals.
2. Applies procedures for collaborating with others in the school and community to implement a developmental guidance program, including a guidance curriculum, that promotes students’ development in all domains (e.g., academic, career, personal/social) and helps students achieve in school and outside of school.
3. Demonstrates knowledge of procedures for consulting with teachers, administrators and others to provide professional expertise and enhance their work with students.
4. Knows how to work and communicate effectively with teachers, administrators and other professionals to promote positive change for individuals, groups and the school community.
5. Knows how to develop and maintain positive working relationships with businesses and other community resources to address student needs and facilitate learning.
6. Applies procedures for coordinating resources for students within the school and community.

Competency 010—(Professionalism): The school counselor understands and complies with ethical, legal and professional standards relevant to the profession.

The beginning school counselor:

1. Demonstrates an understanding of legal and ethical standards, guidelines, practices and issues relevant to the role of the school counselor (e.g., confidentiality, special populations, professional records, relationships with students and others, use of appropriate interventions).
2. Knows how to apply legal and ethical standards in various situations involving students and others.
3. Knows how to be an effective advocate for a developmental guidance and counseling program that is responsive to all students.
4. Uses reflection, self-assessment, interactions with colleagues and continuing education to promote personal professional development.
5. Knows how to use research, technology and other resources to facilitate continual professional growth and improve the school guidance and counseling program.
6. Demonstrates awareness of the value of membership in appropriate, professional counseling organizations.

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