SECTION 2: Manage

Use of Time

Time management becomes a critical issue in implementing a comprehensive school counseling Service. Ideally, 80% of the school counselor’s time is devoted to the delivery of direct (in-person interactions) and indirect services (services provided on behalf of students) with students, based on the three-tier model of delivery. The additional 20% is focused on Service planning and school support activities. Additional information is provided in the Delivery section. 

Appropriate vs Inappropriate School Counselor Duties 

Time Studies: As school counselors begin implementing and assessing their comprehensive school counseling Service they need a good understanding of how their time is spent. School counselors record how they spend their time during the school day to assess how their time is spent for a designated period of time at various times of the school year. The results are analyzed and shared with the administrators to help begin the process of using time differently. 

It is important to assess how school counselors are using their time in relation to student needs and intended outcomes. When it is determined that services are more suited to other student support staff (e.g. school psychologists) or community based professionals or when tasks could be done by non-school counseling staff (e.g., scheduling, test monitoring, bus duty) alternatives are explored. For example, some Vermont schools use retired school counselors or paraprofessionals to assist with test organization and test monitoring. Paraprofessionals and other school staff assist with bus duty and lunch duty. Other schools partner with community-based counseling agencies to provide clinical counseling services in the school building.