National Office for School Counselor Advocacy (NOSCA)

Promote the value of school counselors as leaders in school reform, student achievement and college readiness.

About this Project

NOSCA believes counselors are uniquely positioned as the school professionals best able to guide all students toward college readiness, marshaling forces from across the school, district and community. We work to institutionalize school counseling practice that advances equitable educational access and rigorous academic preparation necessary for college readiness for all students.

Visit the NOSCA website

Our Progress

What We've Accomplished

Established multiple advisory groups that serve as focus groups for school counselor issues

Lessons learned from research into the Inspiration Award Schools were presented in Inspiration & Innovation.

A Closer Look at the Principal-Counselor Relationship provided results of a survey of school counselors and principals on aspects of their working relationships.

In collaboration with NASSP and ASCA, Finding a Way profiled highly effective principal-counselor teams from across the country and resulted in a valuable toolkit.

Training programs for K-12 schools to build capacity of school counselor leaders and help practicing school counselors contribute to major district-wide goals for student achievement.

Training programs for K-12 school systems to transform district-wide school counseling programs and practices, and to establish a framework for accountability with measurable outcomes.

Established the Eight Components of College and Career Readiness Counseling and a strategic planning tool for school counselors.

What We're Working On

Ongoing professional development workshops and activities, presentations and advocacy throughout the United States

An initiative to help urban school districts plan their counseling programs effectively, use data to drive decision making, and set metrics for determining success

Research on what constitutes a college-going culture, including examples of exemplary practices

An annual national survey of school counselors explores their perspectives about their roles, responsibilities, professional relationships, current practices and priorities for the future.