Program EvaluationWhen an individual begins a new job, he or she is provided with a job description of his or her new position. The job description outlines their duties and responsibilities. It is critical that the new employee reads and understands the expectations as they begin their new job. It's no different for a school counselor. The position comes with a description of expectations and responsibilities that should be met each school year. Fortunately, for the professional school counselor, there are agencies that provide these expectations and responsibilities to the districts that hire them. There are school counselor competencies outlined by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA, 2012) and state standards provided by the state of the school district (state of Texas for the purposes of this summary) (Texas Counseling Association, 2004). Ethical and positional standards must be maintained (ASCA, 2012). The ASCA National Model and the Texas Counseling Program Guide provide a job description for professional school counselors, as well as performance ratings/evaluations (ASCA, 2012) (Texas Counseling Association, 2004). Several school districts use them as guides when developing their own performance assessments or use those provided directly from the website. Every professional school counselor must be aware of the skills expected of him or her while serving as a school counselor (ASCA, 2012) (Texas Counseling Association, 2004). As professional school counselors plan, develop, and implement their comprehensive guidance and counseling program, they are also preparing program evaluations (Gysbers & Henderson, 2006). How does a teacher...... middle of paper ......lor use these tools to evaluate not only personal strengths and areas for improvement, but also those areas of the programs they implement in their schools . Works Cited ASCA. (2012). The ASCA national model: A framework for school counseling programs (third ed.). Alexandria, VA: American School Counselor Association. Gysbers, N. C., & Henderson, P. (2006). Developing and managing the school guidance and counseling program (4th ed.). Alexandria, Virginia: American Counseling Association.Texas Counseling Association. (2004). A comprehensive developmental guidance and counseling program model for Texas public schools: A guide for Pre-K-12th grade program development. Austin, Texas. Retrieved from https://courses.letu.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-2687557-dt-content-rid-3559846_4/institution/SGPS_Curriculum/Course%20Materials/MEDU5593/OL-7-1.0/Texas%20Counseling%20Program%20Guide. pdf