“There's a misconception that all [school counselors] do is pick classes and make sure that everybody's on track for graduation and for A through G eligibility… people forget that we're actually also trained mental health professionals as well,” Tiffany Liew, a Berkeley High School (BHS) counselor, said.
From the moment students start classes at BHS, their counselors are there to provide them with socio-emotional and academic counseling. For older students, they also offer college and career counseling, and when it’s time for college applications they write their students letters of recommendation. Any student hoping for accommodations, or just more support, would have to speak to their counselor to set things in motion. Counselors work to ensure that the students they advise are doing well in school and in shape to be ready for graduation.
According to Liew, the average counselor at BHS has a caseload of 450 to 500 students, although hers is closer to 520 students. There are only 11 general counselors at BHS, and due to the sheer size of their caseloads, they’re being stretched too thin. They are vital to the academic success and mental well-being of the students they advise, but a large workload makes it difficult to form close relationships with all the students they’re responsible for. Without smaller and more manageable caseloads, counselors have more difficulty implementing one-on-one counseling with the students who they work with.
The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommends a student-to-counselor ratio of 250:1, which is significantly below both the national average (376:1) and that of BHS. This recommendation is meant to optimize the support given to students by increasing the time counselors have to devote to each student. The more time they spend with their counselors the better, as according to a study published by the National Library of Medicine (NLM), a student who attends more counseling sessions will have a greater improvement in academic performance than a student who attends fewer. The study found that 93 percent of participants found counseling sessions helpful, and over 50 percent showed a clear improvement in their academic performance. However, the magnitude of BHS counselors’ caseloads makes it difficult for this to happen.
“Because we have such a high caseload, it's not really possible for us to reach out to every single student on a consistent basis and build the kind of relationships with students that we wish that we could,” Liew said.
Additionally, the ASCA has found that the relationship between counselors, students, and school administrators is vital to improving student attendance. People who have better attendance and spend more time in school are less likely to develop symptoms of depression or anxiety, and if they do it will be less severe, according to a 2022 study published by the NLM. In a time where 20.1 percent of teenagers aged 12-17 have experienced at least one major depressive episode, it is vital that schools improve the support systems they have in place. Counseling is incredibly important because it allows students to speak to supportive adults, and allows them to feel that someone is looking out for them.
“The most valuable resource that I can offer to students is promising [them] that I will accept them where they're at, see them in their wholeness with what they have and what they don't have, and reassure them that they always have a place where they can… be themselves and to be supported,” Liew said.
This is one of the most important support systems available to students, but if counselors are responsible for 450 to 500 students it becomes more difficult to implement one-on-one counseling with each student. Without adequate access to this crucial resource, school becomes more difficult and students suffer. A smaller student-to-counselor ratio would benefit everyone, leading to an increase in attendance, academic success, and mental well-being.