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Calculating Ratios: When figuring your student-counselor ratio, think about only that portion of your time that you actually spend performing the tasks of a school counselor. For example, if your time logs show that you spend half of your time doing non-program activities (master scheduling, book rental, attendance record keeping, figuring GPAs, printing report cards, etc), then you are only working as a counselor for 1/2 of your day. Thus, rather than a 400:1 ratio, you really have a 400:1/2 ratio which is equivalent to a 800:1 ratio.
Links Related to Indiana Administrative Code, Article 4-1 Explanation of Student to Counselor Ratios Chart Depiction of Article 4-1
Advocating for Counseling Positions Advocating for Counseling Positions - ISCA Newsletter Article
Advocating for Smaller Student to Counselor Ratios: Two methods exist for reducing the student to counselor ratio. METHOD ONE: When counselors do fewer non-program tasks, they are able to spend more time with students and parents. This has the same effect as adding additional counseling positions. For example, the average Indiana school counselor spends approximately 25% of his/her time performing non-program tasks and 75% of his/her time performing tasks related to school counseling. 1,831 Indiana counselors spending 75% of their time performing school counseling tasks is the equivalent of 1,374 full time counselors. 1,374 counselors for 996,133 Indian students calculates to a 724:1 ratio. If the same 1,831 counselors were able to spend 100% of their time performing school counseling tasks, it would be the equivalent of adding 457 new counselors and would give a ratio of 544:1. At the local level, a counselor with 544 students who spends 25% of his/her time performing non-program tasks has a ratio of 0.75:500 = 725:1. If the same counselor were to spend 100% of his/her time performing program tasks, his/her ratio would decrease to 500:1. For more information about counselor time-use, go to the Advocacy Page of this website. METHOD TWO: Hire additional school counselors. Go to the Funding Page of this website for school counseling funding information. TIPS FOR ADVOCATING: Many counselors have successfully used the recommended ratios as a tool when advocating for smaller students to counselor ratios. First, they cite the numerous rules and regulations that require schools to provide guidance and counseling for students (see below). Second, they point out that the Indiana State Board of Education recommends the following ratios as appropriate for schools to be able to implement the rules and recommendations.
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