How to Become a Delaware School Counselor

Where are you on your quest to become a Delaware School Counselor?

• I’m a High School Graduate…
• I have already earned a college degree…
• I’m a teacher in Delaware and wish to become a school counselor…
• I’m a certified counselor from another state…

Explore the information below and learn how you can become a school counselor in Delaware. Some of the information below may be subject to change. In order to make sure you have the most current information, please feel free to contact your school counseling education program advisor or contact the Delaware Department of Education licensing department at (302) 735-4120.

I’m a High School Graduate…

As a high school graduate, you will have many opportunities to test the waters of a career in education without having to commit fully to the occupation. Being at the beginning of your career path may seem daunting to some, but the fact that you are doing research about a future career is going to put you leagues above most individuals in the same position as you.

By the time you are ready to step into a school counseling position, you will be absolutely certain this is the right career for you. The following are recommended steps to take in order to learn if a career in education feels right to you and to gain valuable experience that will look good on your resume.

Step One:

Gather information from schools offering associate degree programs or bachelor degree programs in psychology, counseling or any type of program you are currently interested in. It is not imperative you enroll in a counseling program at this point. The only necessity is that you begin earning your associate’s degree or bachelor’s degree.

Step Two:

A great way to find out if you are interested in a social service type of career, like school counseling, is to find volunteering organizations who work with children or young adults. The following are links to organizations who can place you in volunteering positions across the state of Delaware:

• Delaware Mentoring Council
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Delaware
  • Mentoring can be a highly rewarding opportunity as well as educational. A great place to learn if you are cut-out for a career in counseling.
• List of Delaware Schools and Districts
  • Use this link to find schools near you as well as each school’s contact information. Contact these schools to find out if there are any volunteer programs you may participate in.

Remember, you are a long way off from earning the Master’s degree in school counseling that you need to become a counselor in Delaware, but you have a bounty of opportunity to learn more about careers in education. So, enjoy acquiring your education and testing the waters of various careers available in the field of education, psychology or whatever suits your interests.

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I have already earned a college degree…

The following are the steps necessary for earning your school counseling certification in Delaware:

Step One:

Fulfill educational requirements through one of the following avenues:

• • Earn a Master’s degree in School Counseling
  • Or find school counseling programs in Delaware here.

Step Two:

To become a school counselor in Delaware, you will need to fulfill an experience requirement in one of three ways. The following are your options:

• Complete 3 years of professional experience in an elementary or secondary school
• Complete 3 years of experience that is deemed appropriate by the Delaware Department of Education
• Complete a supervised school counseling internship of one full school year that is part of your graduate degree program in school counseling

Step Three:

You will need to pass the Praxis I Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST) requirements for the school counseling certification. Visit www.ets.org for more information on testing requirements for your desired licensure in Delaware.

Step Four:

You will need to request official transcripts from all post-secondary education you have received be sent to the Delaware Department of Education (copies will not be accepted).

Step Five:

Follow the instructions for completing an application online on the following Delaware Department of Education Webpage. The application procedure for educator certification in Delaware is not automated. Therefore, you will need to create a username and password to enter their system.

If you have further questions, you will need to contact your school counseling graduate program advisor or contact the Delaware Department of Education at (302) 735-4120.

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I’m a teacher in Delaware and wish to become a school counselor…

If you are already a teacher in Delaware, the certification process may be significantly easier than if you had never been employed as an educator in the state.

If you have successfully completed three full years of teaching, you should not have to complete the supervised school counseling internship which will save you an entire year.

In addition, you are also probably familiar with the Delaware automated certification process. You most likely have already completed a background check as well. What you will need to do is complete a graduate program in school counseling that is approved by the Delaware Department of Education.

The following are links to information request forms for schools who offer Master’s degree programs in School Counseling:

• Or find more school counseling programs in Delaware here.

In order to make sure you are taking care of all prerequisites for Delaware School Counseling Certification, you should contact a Delaware Department of Education certification representative at the following number: (302) 735-4120

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I’m a certified counselor from another state…

If you hold a full and current school counseling certification from another state, reciprocity agreements will allow you to be given a Delaware school counseling certification without having to meet testing requirements in the state.

However, you will still need to complete the same application procedure as all other certification applicants.

You can find more information about Delaware’s reciprocity procedures on the following webpage.

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