Counseling & Career GuidanceLearning Support :

Comprehensive counseling programs in schools provide general guidance for students at all grade levels and career guidance for middle and high school students. This page summarizes the components of an effective school counseling program and provides education and licensing information for school counselors as well as information on how counselors can help students navigate the process of career development. New links have been added at left that point to resources related to school safety, English language learners and the American School Counselor Association’s national model framework.

School Counseling Programs. A comprehensive school counseling program includes four components: curriculum, individual student planning, responsive services and system support. These components are designed to ensure that every student receives the program’s benefits. Licensed school counselors implement these programs in collaboration with teachers, administrators, parents, students and the community. Counselors monitor student progress, gather data, seek program improvement and share best practices. Licensure requirements are available for download below.

Order EXPLORE and/or PLAN Tests!
The Educational Planning and Assessment System (EPAS) is a group of tests developed by ACT to assess student preparation for postsecondary education. Minnesota will pay for the standard test reports when public school districts give the EXPLORE to eighth-graders and/or PLAN to tenth-graders in 2008-09. Districts: To order one or both tests, visit the EPAS section of our Website under Assessment and Testing.

EPAS Results Counselor Workshop
The Minnesota Department of Education is pleased to invite middle school and high school counselors to participate in a free two-day workshop focused upon using EPAS results to increase student success at 6 locations in December 2008. Participants must bring 2007-08 or 2008-09 ACT EXPLORE and/or ACT PLAN test results to review. The workshop will teach participants a process for utilizing the EPAS data to bring back to their districts and provide strategies to help students. This training is funded by the federal College Access Challenge Grant program and administered by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education and the Minnesota Department of Education.

The College Board is offering two online CLEP workshops: CLEP for Minnesota Counselors and Principals shows counselors and principals how to help students earn college credit by taking CLEP exams, and includes preparation methods, expanding access to students, and testing locations. CLEP for Minnesota High School Teachers will provide teachers with content and exam development information and will show alignment with Minnesota high school classroom practice and subject matter. Both sessions will include an overview of the Get Ready, Get Credit legislation and procedures. * Register for workshops.

Information on opportunities for students to earn college credit while in high school, including Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP), is available on the Postsecondary-College Prep page. See link at left.

Career Development is a significant component of a comprehensive school counseling program. The Minnesota Career Information System (MCIS) can help students learn about themselves as they participate in career development activities. Middle and High School students can benefit greatly from using this system as part of an education and career planning guide. A packet on career development, available for download below, outlines the four steps of career planning and includes links and resources to help students navigate this rewarding process.

Contact:  Michelle Kamenov - 651-582-8434 or Al Hauge - 651-582-8409

* Links to third-party sites are provided as a service to Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) Website visitors. See our disclaimer regarding these sites in our copyright information linked at the bottom of this page. Links will open in a new browser window.