America's critical shortage of school counselors
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The American West and Midwest lead the U.S. with the highest student-to-school counselor ratios, an Axios review of federal data has found.
- Schools in these regions also have some of the highest rates of racial resegregation in states over the last 30 years.
Why it matters: Experts say the disparity of school counselor access disproportionately hurts students of color seeking mental health help or advice in applying to college in a post-affirmative action world.
The big picture: The growing shortage of school counselors is also hitting schools amid a rise in social media bullying and school shootings.
State of play: An Axios review the American School Counselor Association's (ASCA) analysis of federal data found that Arizona, a state with a large Latino and Native American population, had the worst student-to-school counselor ratio in the nation — 667-to-1 during the 2022-2023 school year.
- That's more than double the ASCA-suggested ratio of 250.
- Michigan had the second-highest ratio (598), followed by Minnesota (544), Indiana (519) and Illinois (501).
- The national average was 385.
The intrigue: Vermont (177) and New Hampshire (199) had the nation's lowest rates. The student population there is smaller than in other states and predominantly white.
- Colorado had a ratio of 261, which has dropped from nearly 300 in 2019 thanks to a grant program to hire more school counselors in low-income areas.
Stunning stat: Nationally, there are an estimated 8 million students without access to a school counselor, according to The Education Trust.
- Of those students, 1.7 million attend a school with police but no school counselor on campus, demonstrating a focus on policing over mental health or college preparedness.
Zoom in: School counselors are certified educators who help students navigate behavioral challenges, boost achievement, plan out class schedules, set goals, and explore career and college options.
- They serve as liaisons between students and mental health professionals, state child protective service agencies and university recruiters.
- School counselors are typically the first to know a child is facing abuse, struggling with hunger or contemplating suicide.
What they're saying: "Having fewer school counselors prohibits students from being identified or being seen," Eric Sparks, ASCA deputy executive director, tells Axios.
- A higher ratio of students to school counselors is especially evident in racially segregated schools and those with a higher percentage of incoming students, Sparks said.
- "Unfortunately, when it gets too high, it increases the likelihood that a student is going to fall through the cracks."
Zoom out: Based on states that report elementary and middle school counselors and secondary school counselors separately (37 states), the ASCA calculated average ratios of 737-to-1 for pre-K-8 school counselors and 232-to-1 for high schools.
- The U.S. Bureau of Indian Education, which oversees schools on Native American reservations that receive federal support, had a ratio of 179.
Between the lines: Not only is there a shortage of school counselors, but various studies show a lack of Latino and Black school counselors in many districts.
- For example, only 11% of school counselors nationally are Latino compared to 28% of students in K-12 public schools, according to The Education Trust.
What we're watching: The ASCA recommends that states pass legislation or introduce policies that offer alternative licensing options and pay incentives to attract more school counselors.
