Outline of the state of Iowa
State
Iowa
Required

Category
School Counseling Secondary Grade Levels—9-12

Category
School Counseling Secondary Grade Levels—9-12

State law requires the provision of school counseling or guidance services in secondary grade levels (9-12).

Iowa Administrative Code 281-12.2 Definitions.

"School counseling program" means an articulated sequential kindergarten through grade 12 program that is comprehensive in scope, preventive in design, developmental in nature, driven by data, and integral to the school district's curricula and instructional program. The program is implemented by at least one school counselor, appropriately licensed by the board of educational examiners, who works collaboratively with the district's administration and instructional staff. The program Standard are described in subrule 12.3(11). The program's delivery system components shall include the following:

  1. School guidance curriculum;

  2. Support of the overall school curriculum;

  3. Individual student planning;

  4. Responsive services; and

  5. System support.

Policy Type
Regulation

Iowa Administrative Code 281-12.3 Administration.

The following Standard shall apply to the administration of accredited schools and school districts.

  • 12.3(11) Standard for school counseling programs. The board of directors of each school district shall establish a K-12 comprehensive school counseling program, driven by student data and based on Standard in academic, career, personal, and social areas, which supports the student achievement goals of the total school curriculum and to which all students have equitable access.

  • a. A qualified school counselor, licensed by the board of educational examiners, who works collaboratively with students, teachers, support staff and administrators shall direct the program and provide services and instruction in support of the curricular goals of each attendance center. The school counselor shall be the member of the attendance center instructional team with special expertise in identifying resources and technologies to support teaching and learning. The school counselor and classroom teachers shall collaborate to develop, teach, and evaluate attendance center curricular goals with emphasis on the following:

  • (1) Sequentially presented curriculum, programs, and responsive services that address growth and development of all students; and

  • (2) Attainment of student competencies in academic, career, personal, and social areas.

  • b. The program shall be regularly reviewed and revised and shall be designed to provide all of the following:

  • (1) Curriculum that is embedded throughout the district's overall curriculum and systemically delivered by the school counselor in collaboration with instructional staff through classroom and group activities and that consists of structured lessons to help students achieve desired competencies and to provide all students with the knowledge and skills appropriate for their developmental levels;

  • (2) Individual student planning through ongoing systemic activities designed to help students establish educational and career goals to develop future plans;

  • (3) Responsive services through intervention and curriculum that meet students' immediate and future needs as occasioned by events and conditions in students' lives and that may require any of the following: individual or group counseling; consultation with parents, teachers, and other educators; referrals to other school support services or community resources; peer helping; and information; and

  • (4) Systemic support through management activities that establish, maintain, and enhance the total school counseling program, including professional development, consultation, collaboration, program management, and operations.

Policy Type
Regulation

Iowa Code 256.11 Educational Standard.

The state board shall adopt rules under chapter 17A and a procedure for accrediting all public and nonpublic schools in Iowa offering instruction at any or all levels from the prekindergarten level through grade twelve. The rules of the state board shall require that a multicultural, gender fair approach is used by schools and school districts. The educational program shall be taught from a multicultural, gender fair approach. Global perspectives shall be incorporated into all levels of the educational program. The rules adopted by the state board pursuant to section 256.17, Code Supplement 1987, to establish new Standard shall satisfy the requirements of this section to adopt rules to implement the educational program contained in this section. The educational program shall be as follows:

  • 9A. Beginning July 1, 2007, each school district shall have a qualified guidance counselor who shall be licensed by the board of educational examiners under chapter 272. Each school district shall work toward the goal of having one qualified guidance counselor for every three hundred fifty students enrolled in the school district. The state board shall establish in rule a definition of and Standard for an articulated sequential kindergarten through grade twelve guidance and counseling program.
Policy Type
Statute