Ethical rights: the basic normative rules about what is allowed or due to people according to a legal system, social convention, or ethical theory. Confidentiality: The ethical duty of trustees to responsibly protect a student`s private communications shared as part of counselling. The top 10 goals of Michigan`s Education Strategic Plan include elements related to the work for which trustees are trained. Comprehensive school counselling programs aligned with the national ASCA model are critical to student achievement. It is also critical to student achievement that properly prepared, certified and supported school counsellors are hired to manage these programs. As educational leaders, school counselors participate in continuing professional development in the areas of college and career preparation and mental health, personal and social issues, technology, and educational initiatives so that they can provide professional development and support for school-wide improvement initiatives and plans. Privileged communication: a conversation that takes place in a protected relationship, such as that between a lawyer and a client, a husband and wife, a priest and penitent, a doctor and a patient, and in some states a school counselor and a student. Peer Support: Programs that improve the effectiveness of the school counselling program while increasing reach and educating students about services. Duty to report: the legal obligation to report to the authorities. State-by-State Regulations Reporting Child Abuse: Does your state require school counselors to report suspected cases of child abuse? Romantic relationships with students are a serious violation of the ethical standards of school counselors, whether or not they are illegal under state law and/or the student`s age.

Consent: to show consent when a student is unable to give informed consent to boards or other services provided by the trustee. An increasingly diverse U.S. population equals an increasingly diverse student population. A trustee`s code of ethics should include the needs of culturally diverse students. This means that trustees must be aware of their own biases and cultural values so as not to impose them on their students. They should develop an understanding of how social and economic inequalities as well as gender, cultural and racial biases affect students and their families. School trustees face ethical and legal challenges on a daily basis. Whether you`re new to the field or have been practicing for years, legal and ethical challenges can always keep you running in a loop. From confidentiality issues to record keeping, due diligence to sexual harassment, a school trustee`s legal and ethical issues can pop up from every corner.

ASCA offers a range of resources and services to help members overcome these legal and ethical challenges as fully as possible. ASCA`s Ethical Standards for School Counselors, which are also available in Spanish, form the foundation of ASCA`s ethics program. ASCA also has ethical standards for the Faculty of Education for School Counselors. The association also publishes books and journal articles on legal and ethical issues and treats them on the ASCA stage for members only. Each issue of ASCA School Counselor magazine includes an article written by the Chair of the ASCA Ethics Committee on a legal or ethical topic. WebinarsWatch a variety of webinars on legal and ethical issues in the school board. Frequently Asked QuestionsDo you have a legal or ethical question or challenge? Take a look at our frequently asked questions. If you can`t find an answer, post your question in the ASCA Scene Online community and get tips and suggestions from other school counselors or envoyez-ethics@schoolcounselor.org an email. Emancipated minor: a minor legally removed from the control of his or her parents or guardians, and the parents or guardians are exempt from any liability to the child.

The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) is a professional organization that supports school counselors, school board students/trainees, school board program leaders/supervisors, and school board educators. School counselors have unique qualifications and skills to meet the academic, professional, and social/emotional development needs of K-12 students. These standards are the ethical responsibility of all school guidance professionals. School trustees are advocates, leaders, staff, and trustees who bring about systemic change by providing equitable access to education and success by linking their school board programs to the district`s mission and improvement plans.