REASONABLE RATIOS: PA’S PATH TO ADDRESSING STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS

Posted by PA Schools Work on April 25, 2023

PA Schools Work is a non-partisan coalition of organizations from across Pennsylvania representing teachers and other educators; urban, suburban, and rural communities; and parents and community members working together to advocate for PA public schools, their students, and the communities they serve. Click here for more information about the PA Schools Work campaign.

Talking Points Memo: REASONABLE RATIOS: PA’S PATH TO ADDRESSING STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS, SCHOOL COUNSELORS ARE KEY TO ADDRESSING STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH

A generation of students is facing unprecedented mental health challenges that are uniquely difficult to navigate. Students have suffered significant learning losses of half a year or greater as one in five students reports seriously considering suicide, according to a new report from the Pennsylvania School Counselors Association (PSCA).

Meanwhile, school counselors are stretched too thin, saddled with ever-increasing caseloads and significant work isolation. The average counselor-to-student ratio in Pennsylvania is 1:343, well above the 1:250 ratio recommended by the ASCA. Further, half of PA public school districts have a ratio of 1:350 or higher, and 1 in every 10 school districts has a ratio over 1:500. To make matters worse, there are fewer school counselors in our schools than there were in 2010—even as class sizes have increased.

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