Please review the Indiana School Counseling Competencies below. These competencies will be addressed by the school counseling curriculum, which is implemented through 12 guidance lessons in each grade level. An email will be sent after each lesson to inform families of the competencies addressed in each lesson. 

Red:  K-2  Blue:  3-5  Green:  K-5

I. Academic Development

Overview: Academic development competencies guide school counseling programs to implement strategies and activities to maximize student learning through high quality work, commitment, and academic success to be prepared for all post-secondary options.

Competency 1: Students acquire the attitudes, knowledge and skills necessary for effective learning.

Student Indicators   K-5 The student:

1. articulates the value of academic skills;
2. develops a personalized plan for academic success;
3. demonstrates how time-use impacts student learning;
4. explains how mistakes are opportunities for continued learning;
5. identifies helpers and seeks help when needed;
6. works independently and within a group;
7. identifies and applies learning styles;
8. makes responsible behavior choices that will impact learning;
9. identifies educational opportunities that exist outside the classroom;
10. accepts challenges as essential to the learning process;
11. demonstrates self-confidence and perseverance in achieving high-quality results and outcomes.

Competency 2: Students complete school with academic foundation skills essential to be prepared to succeed in a range of post-secondary options.

Student Indicators

K-5 The student:

1. explains the connection between academic success, postsecondary and career options, and ongoing skill improvement;
2. explains the importance of earning a high school diploma;
3. identifies postsecondary options and preparation for such options.

Competency 3: Students understand ​the relationship of their educational experience to the world of work and responsible citizenship.

Student Indicators

K-5 The student:

1. identifies common expectations between school and workplace behaviors;
2. identifies how academic performance at school impacts future career opportunities.

                             II. Career Development                        

Overview: Career development competencies guide school counseling programs to help students 1) understand the connection between school and the world of work and 2) plan for and make a successful transition from school to postsecondary education and/or the world of work and from job to job across the life span.

Competency 1: Students will acquire the skills to investigate the world of work in relation to knowledge of self and to make informed career decisions.

Student Indicators

K-5 The student:

1. identifies various careers and work environments;
2. completes a career interest assessment to identify career interests;
3. lists careers that relate to their hobbies and/or leisure activities of interest;
4. identifies factors, including personal preferences, needs, and life goals to consider when selecting a job (e.g. income, working conditions, employment outlook);
5. discusses the availability of careers in their areas of interest.

Competency 2: Students will employ strategies to achieve future career goals with success and satisfaction.

Student Indicators

K-5 The student:

1. discusses how attendance, punctuality, and doing one’s best transfer to the workforce and are important factors throughout a lifetime;
2. describes personal habits of persistence, resilience, and effort as applied to future success;
3. accesses and utilizes resources to research an occupation;
4. identifies criteria that employers consider when hiring new employees.

Competency 3: Students will understand the relationship between personal qualities, education, training and the world of work.

Student Indicators

K-5 The student:

1. discusses how careers change over time and the resulting need for learning new skills throughout one’s lifetime.

III. Social/Emotional Development

Overview: Social/Emotional Development (SEL) competencies involve the processes through which students acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, establish and maintain positive relationships and make responsible decisions (Durlak, Weissberg, Dymnicki, Taylor, & Schellinger, 2011).

Competency 1: Students will acquire and further develop the knowledge, attitude and interpersonal skills to help them understand and respect self and others. [1]

Student Indicators

K-5 The student:

1. identifies emotions within varying contexts;
2. describes an array of feelings;
3. describes empathy;
4. describes diversity in people in our world;
5. identifies difference in perspective;
6. identifies respectful behavior toward self and others.
7. Describes ways in which students can support those who are bullied or experiencing personal challenges, including reporting mechanisms.

Competency 2: Students develop personal management and collaborative skills needed to become successful learners, responsible citizens, and productive workers. [2]

Student Indicators

K-5 The student:

1. displays peer helping skills;
2. identifies problem solving skills and can use words to discuss possible solutions;
3. identifies situations that cause anger and strategies to channel such anger in socially responsible choices;
4. identifies situations that cause stress and strategies to reduce stress;
5. describes consequences for actions;
6. identifies qualities of a good listener;
7. identifies actions to meet goals.

Competency 3: Students will understand personal safety skills.[3]

Student Indicators

K-5 The student:

1. identifies resources when help is needed;
2. demonstrates positive interpersonal skills;
3. describes conflict management strategies;
4. utilizes stress management strategies to regulate emotions;
5. identifies self-advocacy skills.
6. describes appropriate ways to address personal safety issues (e.g.: safe touches, digital citizenship, and safety in the community and at home)

Self-Awareness: identifying and recognizing emotions, accurate self-perception, recognizing strengths, needs and values, self-efficacy.

Social Awareness: perspective taking, empathy, difference recognition, respect for others

Responsible Decision-Making: problem identification and situation analysis, problem solving, evaluation and reflection, personal, social and ethical responsibility.

Self-Management: impulse control and stress management, self-motivation and discipline, goal setting and organizational skills.

Relationship Skills: communication, social engagement, and relationship building, working cooperatively, negotiation, refusal and conflict management, help seeking.