Section 4: Sample Selected-Response Questions
School Counselor (252)
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This section presents some sample exam questions for you to review as part of your preparation for the exam. To demonstrate how each competency may be assessed, sample questions are accompanied by the competency that they measure. While studying, you may wish to read the competency before and after you consider each sample question. Please note that the competency statements do not appear on the actual exam.
For each sample exam question, there is a correct answer and a rationale for each answer option. The sample questions are included to illustrate the formats and types of questions you will see on the exam; however, your performance on the sample questions should not be viewed as a predictor of your performance on the actual exam.
Selected-Response Questions with Rationales
Each sample exam question here includes the correct answer and a rationale for each answer option.
Domain I—Knowledge of Learners
Competency 001—(Human Development and Learning): Understand theories and processes of human development and learning as well as factors that influence development and learning.
1. A middle school has identified a significant number of students who are at risk for academic failure and dropping out of school. In addition to academic supports for the students, the school counselor should advocate for programs that focus on which of the following goals?
- enhancing the development of the students' skills in the area of interpersonal communication
- providing opportunities for the students to mentor students at the elementary school level
- increasing the number of community-based enrichment experiences for the students
- helping the students develop a sense of connectedness and belonging within the school
2. A middle school includes a significant number of students who are recent refugees from political unrest and violence in their home countries. The school counselors can meet the needs of these students most effectively by taking which of the following steps?
- designing activities to facilitate the students' acculturation to their new communities
- conducting research on the social systems in the students' various home countries
- scheduling individual counseling sessions with the students and adult family members
- obtaining a migration narrative of students' lives before, during, and after leaving their home countries
Competency 002—(Diversity and Cultural Competence): Understand diversity issues and cultural competencies related to school counseling and environments that promote respect and affirmation for all students.
3. The demographics of a high school's population have changed over the past three years. In response to this trend, the school's achievement gap has widened. Which of the following schoolwide practices would best help the school counselor reverse this trend?
- ensuring equitable access for students to advanced learning opportunities through ongoing student readiness identification
- adopting a prescribed curriculum for students with pre-differentiated lessons and instructional sequences
- emphasizing homogeneous grouping practices to target skill needs related to grade-level standards
- incorporating social and emotional learning content into academic programs across grade levels
4. A middle school counselor works with teachers to implement community conferencing in their classrooms. Community conferences involve the participation of each person affected by an inappropriate or hurtful behavior and allow all stakeholders to contribute to the conflict resolution process. The counselor's efforts in this area are most likely to contribute to which of the following schoolwide outcomes?
- helping reduce disciplinary referrals by engaging students in righting wrongs and repairing harm done
- adopting consistent strategies for de-escalating highly charged conflict situations
- promoting students' ability to function effectively in educational and workplace settings
- refocusing staff and students' attention on learning and academic achievement
Domain II—The Comprehensive School Counseling Program
Competency 003—(Guidance): Understand instructional practices and strategies for facilitating students' educational, career, personal, and social growth and development as articulated in The Texas Model for Comprehensive School Counseling Programs.
5. An elementary school counselor works with teachers to provide explicit instruction and reinforcement of social skills such as cooperation, self-regulation, and social communication. The counselor and teachers can best promote students' ability to apply these skills effectively by taking which of the following steps?
- focusing on one skill until students demonstrate mastery in varied contexts
- implementing peer evaluation of students' use of the targeted skills
- identifying ways to embed the targeted skills into daily classroom activities
- introducing skills through guidance lessons before implementing in the classroom
6. Use the information below to answer the question that follows.
Middle School Curriculum Survey
(Percentage of students rating each topic as very important)
TopicGrade 6Grade 7Grade 8 Managing multiple deadlines 77 65 62 Study skills 75 58 55 Time-management skills 79 63 66 Organizational strategies 80 70 68 Attendance 60 52 48 Bully prevention 56 53 50 Friendship skills 52 48 46 Conflict resolution 49 47 43 Substance abuse 37 39 45 Career exploration 35 48 69
A middle school counselor reviews the results of a student survey to guide guidance curriculum planning. Based on these data, the counselor should plan to incorporate instruction across grade levels to build skills in which of the following areas?
- relationship formation
- stress management
- interpersonal communication
- executive functioning
Competency 004—(Responsive Services): Understand techniques for designing supports and interventions to address the needs, concerns, and challenges affecting students' continued educational, career, personal, and social development.
7. In response to an increase in the number of students demonstrating social and emotional challenges, an elementary school implements a schoolwide program to promote students' skills in these domains. The school counselor and teachers gather baseline data and then work together to identify student activities to help students develop targeted social and emotional skills. Near the end of the first year of implementation, the counselor would like to evaluate the effectiveness of the program in achieving its goals. The counselor can most effectively accomplish this task by including which of the following data-collection tools in the evaluation process?
- documentation of teachers' use of the program's activities in their classes
- assessments of students' academic performance across school settings
- records of disciplinary actions in classrooms and other school environments
- checklists of students' mindsets and behaviors with regard to the targeted skills
8. A fourth-grade student is referred to the school counselor due to weekly behavioral referrals. The student has had altercations with classmates on the playground and states, "I want to be friends with classmates, but I don't know how to get their attention without making them mad." The counselor asks the student to imagine that a magic wand waves over the student and the actions that make classmates angry would be gone. The counselor then asks what would be the first change the classmates would observe. The counselor's technique is most clearly aligned with which of the following counseling approaches?
- reality therapy
- rational emotive behavior therapy
- systems therapy
- solution-focused brief therapy
Competency 005—(Individual Planning): Understand techniques and strategies for guiding students in planning, monitoring, and managing their individual educational, career, personal, and social development.
9. High school counselors encourage students to consult the College Navigator Web site when applying for postsecondary programs. The counselors' advisement is appropriate because this resource enables students to:
- locate loans, scholarships, and grants to finance the cost of various programs.
- submit documents required by multiple programs through a single clearinghouse.
- compare similar programs in terms of cost, resources, and measures of quality.
- contact representatives of different programs directly for questions and support.
10. A school counselor is working on individual planning with a student who has expressed a strong interest in earning a health science certificate offered at the high school. The counselor and the student work together to complete a four-year plan that includes graduation requirements as well as the required coursework to obtain the desired certification. The counselor's approach is likely to be most effective in helping the student build which of the following skills?
- understanding how to develop academic potential
- enhancing the ability to manage responsibility
- connecting educational goals and academic achievement
- establishing long-term goals for career development
Competency 006—(Systems Support): Understand procedures, processes, and strategies for providing systems support.
11. A school counselor is a member of the school improvement committee focused on school safety. The counselor wants to integrate guidance and classroom lessons on strategies related to conflict resolution, personal safety, and problem solving as part of the plan, but the committee is hesitant about giving up instructional time for these lessons. Which of the following statements provides the best rationale for integrating the lessons?
- Students' school attendance will increase as a result of the integrated lessons.
- Many parents/guardians are not teaching these strategies in the home.
- Discipline referrals will decrease as a result of the integrated lessons.
- More students will have the opportunity to learn and apply these strategies.
12. An elementary school has identified the need for a schoolwide antiviolence program based on a significant increase in discipline referrals for fighting. The school counselor will be involved in this effort. During the initial planning phase of the program, the counselor should take which of the following steps?
- meeting with classroom teachers to gather ideas about the potential root causes of students' use of violence
- consulting with colleagues in other schools about the methods that they have employed to address students' use of violence
- reviewing current research in violence prevention to identify strategies that have proven effective with similar student populations
- seeking guidance from local law enforcement agencies on techniques for preventing violence between students
Competency 007—(Program Management): Understand the foundational components of and procedures for developing, implementing, and evaluating the comprehensive school counseling program.
13. Use the school district's mission statement below to answer the question that follows.
Our purpose, in partnership with families and the community, is to provide a safe and equitable educational environment that supports all students in developing essential academic skills, practicing lifelong learning and complex thinking, and becoming contributing citizens locally and globally.
Which of the following mission statements for a school counseling program most closely aligns with the school district's mission statement?
- The purpose of the school counseling program is to create an inclusive learning environment that helps students reach high levels of achievement and academic competence.
- The purpose of the school counseling program is to improve academic outcomes across all grade levels, enhance well-being for students and staff, and promote continuous learning for the school community.
- The purpose of the school counseling program is to respond to students' needs in the academic, college and career, and personal and social domains at time and point of need.
- The purpose of the school counseling program is to provide equitable access to curricula and services that support and empower all students to achieve their full academic and developmental potential.
14. A school counselor is meeting with the principal to discuss reassigning noncounseling duties to other staff as appropriate. The counselor can best make the case for the reassignment of duties by using which of the following approaches?
- offering to make a presentation at a staff meeting on the distinction between noncounseling and counseling duties
- identifying counseling activities that would replace the noncounseling duties and the expected benefits for students
- providing weekly and monthly counseling calendars showing the amount of time spent on noncounseling duties
- sharing state and national standards for school counseling along with descriptions of what constitutes noncounseling duties
15. Use the information below to answer the question that follows.
Program AssessmentTable 1 ConditionsProgram Assessment Table 2 Resources
ConditionsYesNoSomewhat Professionally certified school counselor checkmark blank blank Access to the program by all students, teachers, and families checkmark blank blank Parents/guardians as full educational partners blank blank checkmark Administrative commitment and support blank blank checkmark Positive work environment checkmark blank blank
ResourcesYesNoSomewhat Time and opportunity for designing and evaluating the program blank checkmark blank Adequate budget checkmark blank blank Adequate materials, supplies, and equipment blank blank checkmark Sufficient and appropriate facilities checkmark blank blank
A new school counselor recently completed an informal assessment of the current programmatic conditions and resources for the school counseling program. Based on the data provided, the counselor should make which of the following issues the program's first priority?
- informing members of the school community about the school counseling program's goals and objectives
- reallocating funding for ancillary materials to support the school counseling program's guidance curriculum and instruction
- improving communication with students' families about available school counseling resources and support
- establishing an understanding with the school principal regarding the integral role of the school counseling program
Domain III—The Professional School Counselor
Competency 008—(Communication, Consultation, and Collaboration): Understand practices and strategies for effective communication, consultation, and collaboration within the school and community.
16. A teacher consults the school counselor about a student whose behavior is causing the teacher to lose patience. The teacher asks the counselor for ideas about how to help the student, explaining that the student is very active and is causing problems by disrupting quiet work times in the classroom. Which of the following responses by the counselor best illustrates the appropriate consultant role?
- "Maybe you can stop the behavior by turning the student's desk away from peers' desks."
- "Yes, I can sympathize with that. I used to have students who behaved like that when I was a teacher."
- "Have you contacted the student's parents? They can often make sure that their child behaves at school."
- "You seem really bothered by this student's actions. Can you give me a specific example of this behavior?"
17. A school counselor can best ensure that the developmental school counseling program is responsive to the needs of all students by taking which of the following actions?
- encouraging the principal to meet with teachers to discuss current ineffective instructional practices
- providing regular classroom instruction to students on explicit test-taking strategies to use on assessments
- arranging for school specialist staff to participate with teachers in instructional planning meetings
- providing professional development on strategies for promoting school success for diverse groups of students
18. When coordinating out-of-school referrals for students, school counselors have which of the following obligations?
- providing the referral agency or individual with an informal diagnosis of the student's key issues and needs
- making formal introductions of the student, the student's parents/guardians, and parties who will be providing outside services
- assembling data related to the student's functioning and the interventions that have been implemented to date
- conducting an exit interview with the student and the student's parents/guardians for the referral agency or individual
Competency 009—(Professional Practice): Understand the roles, responsibilities, and orientation of the professional school counselor and legal and ethical standards of practice in school counseling.
19. A high school counselor who is analyzing enrollment data for advanced courses offered by the school notes that students who are members of minority populations are significantly underrepresented in these courses. The counselor can best advocate for educational equity for these students by taking which of the following initial approaches?
- conducting focus groups with students who are members of minority populations to identify reasons for their disinterest in selecting advanced courses
- presenting the data at a faculty meeting and providing suggestions for expanding the criteria for admission to advanced courses
- surveying members of the faculty to understand their perceptions of students from minority populations with regard to advanced courses
- providing the data to school administrators and developing outreach strategies targeting specific students for enrollment in advanced courses
20. An emerging issue of importance in the field of school counseling is developing ways to enhance services in which of the following areas?
- supporting school administrators in formulating school improvement plans
- evaluating the effectiveness of various instructional strategies in classrooms
- promoting the ethical use of information and technologies within the educational environment
- providing preventive and responsive programs that address mental health needs
21. An exemplary comprehensive school counseling program is most appropriately described in which of the following ways?
- developmental, systematic, and sequential in nature
- process oriented in the provision of services
- defined, organized, and implemented independently
- reactive in addressing challenges as they arise
Clustered Questions
Use the information below to answer the four questions that follow.
A high school counselor's use-of-time tracking table for the first six months of the school year is shown below as well as a summary of a midyear evaluation of the counselor by the school principal.
School Counselor Use of Time
(Percentage of time)School Counselor Evaluation Summary
MonthGuidance CurriculumIndividual PlanningResponsive ServicesSupport SystemNon-Counseling Duties September 30 25 20 7 18 October 26 24 30 9 11 November 22 25 33 10 10 December 23 20 29 13 15 January 26 20 31 10 13 February 30 19 29 10 12 Average 26 22 29 8.2 13
DomainRating Program Management 2 Guidance 2 Counseling 3 Consultation 5 Coordination 4 Student Assessment 5 Advocacy 2 Leadership 2 Professional Behavior 4 Professional Standards 5 Key:
5 = Clearly outstanding
4 = Exceeds standard
3 = Meets standard
2 = Below expectation
1 = Unsatisfactory
Competency 007—(Program Management): Understand the foundational components of and procedures for developing, implementing, and evaluating the comprehensive school counseling program.
22. Analysis of the data provided suggests that the school counselor can bring the school counseling program into better alignment with recommendations for program balance in The Texas Model for Comprehensive School Counseling Programs by taking which of the following actions?
- providing additional support to school administrators in the area of student assessment
- increasing collaborative activities with instructional staff on defining classroom guidance topics and needs
- dedicating a larger number of weekly slots for teacher and parent/guardian consultation
- reevaluating the time spent on non-counseling duties to identify tasks that could be performed by other available school staff
23. These data suggest that the school counselor should primarily focus on which of the following goals for improving the services offered by the school counseling program?
- implementing small-group counseling sessions in response to student needs
- increasing emphasis on the individual planning component of the program
- taking a more active role in the creation of the school's mission and vision
- meeting regularly with the principal to discuss ongoing school needs
Competency 009—(Professional Practice): Understand the roles, responsibilities, and orientation of the professional school counselor and legal and ethical standards of practice in school counseling.
24. Which of the following professional development topics would best support the school counselor in addressing identified areas of need?
- Giving Students a Voice—Advocacy Strategies for School Counselors
- New Applications for Counseling Theory in Public Schools
- Integrating Service Learning and School Counseling Programs
- Emerging Roles for School Counselors in the School Organization
25. The school counselor has identified two professional development workshops to address areas of need revealed by the data. Which of the following additional strategies would best help the counselor improve professional practice in the second half of the school year?
- making video recordings of counseling sessions with individual students given appropriate permissions
- subscribing to one or more peer-reviewed journals on school counseling techniques and practices
- engaging in ongoing reflection and self-assessment of performance in relation to school counseling standards
- surveying teachers and other school staff periodically to determine levels of satisfaction
Additional Selected-Response Questions
This section includes additional sample selected-response questions for you to review in preparation for the exam. The correct answer is provided for each question below.
Domain I—Knowledge of Learners
Competency 001—(Human Development and Learning): Understand theories and processes of human development and learning as well as factors that influence development and learning.
26. A four-year-old student is attending prekindergarten for the first time. During the first two weeks of school, the student cries to go home upon arrival at school. The student also throws or stomps on blocks. Which of the following responses by the school counselor to the student's parent/guardian would be most helpful?
- expressing concern that the student may be too young and should perhaps wait until the following year for school
- suggesting that the student see an outside therapist to address issues related to separation anxiety
- providing reassurance that the student's behaviors are age appropriate and will likely diminish over time
- recommending several alternate educational settings that might be more suitable for the student
27. A school counselor is working with a student who has above-average intelligence but consistently underachieves and feels discouraged. The counselor can work most effectively with this student to improve learning outcomes by engaging the student in which of the following tasks first?
- developing concrete plans for the future
- articulating needs and wants clearly
- improving communication with peers
- identifying personal strengths and abilities
Competency 002—(Diversity and Cultural Competence): Understand diversity issues and cultural competencies related to school counseling and environments that promote respect and affirmation for all students.
28. A high school counselor is concerned that a very competent senior is not pursuing college. The English teacher reports that the student refuses to write a college admissions essay for a class assignment. In a meeting with the counselor, the student explains that it is necessary for the student to work since the father has been deported and the family needs immediate income. The student states that there is no point in planning for college. The counselor can best help the student by:
- advising the student to join a peer support group and checking in with the student on a regular basis.
- explaining that this mindset toward college is likely to have a significant negative effect on the student's long-term success.
- putting the student in contact with an immigration lawyer who can provide assistance to the family.
- discussing how going to college could benefit the family in the long run and facilitating access to needed resources.
29. A school counselor can most effectively promote appreciation among school staff for students' diverse characteristics by consistently communicating which of the following concepts?
- Teachers are in the best position to uncover students' talents and abilities.
- Each student has unique strengths and assets that they bring to the educational process.
- Every student is capable of the highest level of academic achievement.
- Educators have an obligation to take whatever steps needed to ensure student success.
Domain II—The Comprehensive School Counseling Program
Competency 003—(Guidance): Understand instructional practices and strategies for facilitating students' educational, career, personal, and social growth and development as articulated in The Texas Model for Comprehensive School Counseling Programs.
30. A student is working to achieve behavioral goals. Which of the following approaches to providing feedback is likely to be most effective in promoting the student's continued progress?
- acknowledging specific positive actions the student has taken related to targeted behaviors
- sending the student occasional notes recognizing an overall improvement in behavior
- commenting on general behavior traits, such as persistence, that the student has demonstrated
- inviting the student to a lunch to discuss ongoing challenges and successes in improving behavior
31. According to The Texas Model for Comprehensive School Counseling Programs, which of the following competency indicators in the area of postsecondary and career readiness would be most appropriate to introduce at the primary level?
- Define the steps in the goal-setting process related to college and careers.
- Identify personal skills, interests, and abilities that may affect career choice.
- Evaluate the importance of setting realistic career goals and striving toward them.
- Distinguish between short-, intermediate-, and long-term career goals.
32. A school counselor is presenting a guidance lesson on wellness to a class of seventh-grade students who are gifted and talented. The students describe their average days as beginning early with school, transitioning to school-related extracurricular activities, participating in volunteering or language/music lessons, and finally having dinner and studying before bedtime. Which of the following student learning objectives would most appropriately address wellness for these students?
- Evaluate current ability to manage multiple responsibilities.
- Identify personal limits and boundaries necessary for effective self-care.
- Evaluate the benefits derived from self-care practices.
- Identify methods for controlling internal and external factors that create stress.
33. Which of the following scenarios best illustrates effective integration of guidance and academic curricula for elementary school students?
- The school counselor and classroom teacher co-teach a lesson on classroom rules and behavior expectations.
- Students who are studying a current event survey others about their opinions of the event and present the information to the class.
- The school counselor leads a guidance lesson on cooperation to help prepare students for an upcoming small-group project in social studies.
- Students use a variety of art materials to create individual vision boards that include at least one learning goal.
Competency 004—(Responsive Services): Understand techniques for designing supports and interventions to address the needs, concerns, and challenges affecting students' continued educational, career, personal, and social development.
34. Which of the following scenarios best illustrates an elementary school counselor providing responsive services at the remedial level?
- A school counselor meets with a student who has begun having temper outbursts in the classroom to determine what may be causing the behavior.
- A school counselor works with a student whose grades have recently declined to develop a study plan.
- A school counselor contacts Child Protective Services to report suspicions of physical abuse and neglect.
- A school counselor presents lessons on making friends to primary students at the beginning of the school year.
35. A school counselor is working with a sixth-grade student who becomes easily aggravated and verbally and physically aggressive when things do not go the student's way. The counselor and the student are working on a plan to develop the student's interpersonal effectiveness across settings. An effective plan for this purpose should focus on which of the following goals?
- assisting the student in identifying strategies to apply when interacting with others in the school
- working with the student and family to locate an outside behavioral therapist
- asking the student to reflect on personal values and beliefs
- helping the student develop awareness of how to generalize behaviors to different settings
Competency 005—(Individual Planning): Understand techniques and strategies for guiding students in planning, monitoring, and managing their individual educational, career, personal, and social development.
36. A high school junior expresses interest in a career in architectural engineering or computer programming. The student's grade point average is 3.2, with As in drafting, mathematics, and science and mostly Cs in English, history, and Spanish. Which of the following suggestions by the school counselor would best help the student in determining which of the following career paths would be most suitable?
- conducting research on postsecondary options in the selected careers
- participating in a job-shadowing program
- taking a personality assessment and career interest inventory
- completing a generic college application
37. Not long after course selections have been made, a student comes to the school counselor requesting to drop one elective and add a construction course in its place. Which of the following questions would be most important for the counselor to consider before placing the student in the construction course?
- Does the course match the student's interests and desired endorsement?
- What is the number of requests for the course schoolwide?
- Are there peers already taking the course with whom the student is familiar?
- Is the course taught by an engaging and flexible teacher?
38. A high school student meets with the school counselor to select courses for the upcoming school year. The student plans to attend college to become a biologist after graduation. The student has excelled in all of the science courses taken at the high school while maintaining a B average in other courses. Given this information, which of the following actions by the counselor would best support the student?
- working with the student and nearby colleges to arrange dual enrollment in science courses
- registering the student for the next administration of college entrance exams
- helping the student research summer enrichment programs in the sciences offered by colleges in the area
- exploring options with the student for early graduation and college entrance
Competency 006—(Systems Support): Understand procedures, processes, and strategies for providing systems support.
39. In which of the following situations is a school counselor most clearly providing systems support?
- To address a teacher's concerns about negative interactions between students, a school counselor provides a guidance lesson on effective communication.
- Following a serious flooding event in the community, a school counselor provides small-group counseling to students who are having trouble coping.
- As part of the postsecondary planning process, a school counselor instructs high school students in the use of various online career exploration tools.
- A school counselor participates as a member of the school's data-analysis team to identify achievement gaps and develop plans for addressing the gaps.
40. A school counselor has designed a program of professional growth activities for staff on strategies for creating caring and supportive learning communities. The counselor can most effectively promote use of the strategies presented by including which of the following elements in the program?
- research supporting the strategies highlighted during the training
- techniques that teachers can apply immediately in their classrooms
- instructions for creating materials needed to implement the strategies
- lists of resources on related topics that teachers can investigate as needed
41. A school counselor will be leading a new collaboration with a team of teachers, parents/guardians, and community members to support students' academic success. The counselor can best promote effective teamwork among group members by taking which of the following actions?
- rotating responsibility for facilitating discussions among group members
- helping the group select one team member to be a final authority when decision making has reached a stalemate
- requesting that team members submit topics to be included on the meeting agenda
- working with team members to establish group norms for communication and interaction that enable each member to provide input
Competency 007—(Program Management): Understand the foundational components of and procedures for developing, implementing, and evaluating the comprehensive school counseling program.
42. Use the excerpt below from a needs assessment survey for elementary school teachers to answer the question that follows.
Needs Assessment Survey
Please indicate how important it is to address the following topics with students.
TopicVerySomewhatNot at All 1. Getting along with others 78% 12% 10% 2. Teasing and bullying 70% 15% 15% 3. Dealing with change 38% 34% 28% 4. Stress 30% 25% 45% 5. Inattention 25% 35% 40% 6. Not accepting people's differences 68% 15% 17% 7. Understanding personal abilities 32% 20% 48%
Based on the survey, the data most clearly suggest that the school counseling program should make which of the following overarching goals for students a priority?
- developing positive social skills
- understanding self
- learning effective coping strategies
- self-regulating behavior
43. Within the context of The Texas Model for Comprehensive School Counseling Programs, the primary purpose of the responsive services component of a school counseling program is to:
- guide students as they manage their individual educational, career, personal, and social development.
- intervene on behalf of students whose immediate concerns or circumstances put them at risk.
- use differentiated instructional approaches and lessons to teach students transferrable skills.
- coordinate resources and activities on campus and in the community that indirectly benefit students.
44. Use the information below to answer the question that follows.
Percentage of Time on Program Delivery Some cells are shaded Light Gray for Recommended Time or Dark Gray for Actual Time
PercentGuidance
CurriculumResponsive
ServicesIndividual
PlanningSystem
SupportNon-
Counseling100 blank blank blank blank blank blank blank blank blank blank 90 blank blank blank blank blank blank blank blank blank blank 80 blank blank blank blank blank blank blank blank blank blank 70 blank blank blank blank blank blank blank blank blank blank 60 blank blank blank Actual Time (Dark Gray) blank blank blank blank blank blank 50 blank blank blank Actual Time (Dark Gray) blank blank blank blank blank blank 40 Recommended Time (Light Gray) blank blank Actual Time (Dark Gray) blank blank blank blank blank blank 30 Recommended Time (Light Gray) blank Recommended Time (Light Gray) Actual Time (Dark Gray) blank blank blank blank blank blank 20 Recommended Time (Light Gray) blank Recommended Time (Light Gray) Actual Time (Dark Gray) blank blank Recommended Time (Light Gray) blank blank blank 10 Recommended Time (Light Gray) Actual Time (Dark Gray) Recommended Time (Light Gray) Actual Time (Dark Gray) Recommended Time (Light Gray) Actual Time (Dark Gray) Recommended Time (Light Gray) Actual Time (Dark Gray) blank Actual Time (Dark Gray) Recommended Time
(Light Gray)
Actual Time
(Dark Gray)
An elementary school counselor recently gathered data related to time spent in the four service delivery components for the previous school year. Based on these data, a decrease in the amount of time dedicated to responsive services would be appropriately redirected toward which of the following components of the comprehensive school counseling program?
- Guidance Curriculum
- Individual Planning
- System Support
- Noncounseling
Domain III—The Professional School Counselor
Competency 008—(Communication, Consultation, and Collaboration): Understand practices and strategies for effective communication, consultation, and collaboration within the school and community.
45. At the beginning of each school year, a school counselor works with the school principal to arrange brief presentations to teachers, families, and community partners about the school counseling program. In tailoring these presentations for each stakeholder audience, the counselor should emphasize which of the following approaches?
- distributing handouts that outline how to access counseling services at the school and district levels
- reassuring stakeholders of the school counselor's expertise in providing effective counseling services
- using an open format that allows individual stakeholders to pose questions about needed counseling services
- describing the integral role of various counseling services in helping students achieve school success
46. An elementary school counselor who has been working with a student on self-regulation in the classroom setting wants to bring the student's parents/guardians into the process. Which of the following approaches by the counselor would best facilitate the parents'/guardians' involvement?
- arranging for the parents/guardians to observe how the strategies are being implemented in the classroom
- sharing with the parents/guardians specific strategies that are being used at school that are applicable to the home environment
- asking the parents/guardians to provide feedback on any changes in the student's behavior outside of school
- holding a meeting with the parents/guardians to discuss the relationship between the student's behavior and school success
Competency 009—(Professional Practice): Understand the roles, responsibilities, and orientation of the professional school counselor and legal and ethical standards of practice in school counseling.
47. According to The Texas Model for Comprehensive School Counseling Programs, a school counselor's activities within the Program Management Domain should primarily focus on which of the following goals?
- promoting understanding and application of professional rules, policies, regulations, and guidelines in programs
- providing proactive guidance to assist students in developing and applying skills for optimal growth during the school years and beyond
- using professional expertise to help stakeholders understand individual behavior and human relationships
- organizing resources and activities in response to identified needs and priorities to support the total educational program
48. A middle school counselor regularly participates in grade-level planning teams. In this context, it would be most important for the counselor to take the lead in which of the following areas?
- providing resources related to current topics being discussed to facilitate the team's decision making
- negotiating a positive resolution of conflicts that arise between members of the team
- helping the team identify strategies for integrating guidance-related learning goals into the academic curriculum
- maintaining written notes of discussions as documentation of the team's processes and decisions
Clustered Questions
Use the information below to answer the two questions that follow.
A middle school counselor is determining topics to include as part of the guidance curriculum. The counselor surveyed students about the relevance of several potential topics. The survey results for sixth-grade students are shown below.
Student Survey Results
(144 students responding)
4 3 2 1 1. Substance Abuse 30 38 44 32 2. Dealing with Stress 92 23 10 19 3. Study Skills 67 45 32 0 4. Making Friends 71 28 31 14 5. Career Decisions 24 85 20 15 6. Social Media 26 33 42 43 7. Understanding Myself 18 48 57 21 8. Getting Along with Parents/Guardians 43 29 34 38 4 = Very Important
3 = Somewhat Important
2 = Not Very Important
1 = Not Important
Competency 003—(Guidance): Understand instructional practices and strategies for facilitating students' educational, career, personal, and social growth and development as articulated in The Texas Model for Comprehensive School Counseling Programs.
49. The survey data suggest that sixth-grade students would benefit most from guidance lessons that focus on which of the following broad topics?
- adjusting to the middle school environment
- developing communication skills
- choosing appropriate middle school courses
- being safe in an online environment
Competency 007—(Program Management): Understand the foundational components of and procedures for developing, implementing, and evaluating the comprehensive school counseling program.
50. The school counselor is considering implementation of a grade-level program to address students' primary areas of need. Which of the following grade-level programs is most justified by these data?
- a drug education program to help students develop and practice strategies for resisting pressure to use drugs or alcohol
- a character education program to promote students' ability to make sound personal decisions
- an advisory program to help students form connections and develop strategies for managing academic responsibilities
- an after-school guest speaker program to introduce students to resources in the community