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• By Terrence Wilson, J.D. • IDRA Newsletter • November-December 2025 •

College degrees open new doors for students in their lives and in their careers. School counselors play a pivotal role in helping students navigate the structural and cultural systems and barriers that shape college and career access. This role is especially critical for students from historically underrepresented backgrounds, who often lack access to the support and networks that make higher education attainable.

But often, counselors are overwhelmed, short-staffed and pulled into duties that take them away from students. Counselors across the country are stretched thin by limited resources, insufficient training and systemic inequities that make it harder to provide equitable, high-quality college and career guidance.

For example, a recent IDRA study reveals that students, parents and educators are already seeing the effects of restrictive laws and the end of race-conscious admissions. These include barriers in finding helpful college information, funding opportunities, key student services, and staff personnel to help them access and succeed in college (Latham Sikes, 2025).

School counselors need time, tools and resources to focus on what matters most: helping students access and succeed in college.

Effective, culturally-sustaining school counseling cannot depend solely on individual educators. Particularly in the face of laws and school board actions that harm students, state leaders must take proactive steps to ensure every counselor is equipped, trained and empowered to advocate for equity and expand access to postsecondary opportunities.

Designed to Face Challenges that Hinder College Counseling for High School Students

IDRA released our newest model policy package on culturally-sustaining school counseling to help schools and state leaders equip school counselors to enhance college and career guidance schoolwide.

The package provides adaptable policy language for states, school districts and schools to adopt research-based strategies for improving school counseling programs and reducing gaps in college access and enrollment.

The package also provides guiding principles and a robust set of resources for implementation and advocacy to support culturally-sustaining school counseling practices so that every student, regardless of race, income or background, has a fair chance to achieve their college and career goals.

The package is available free on the IDRA SEEN Model Policy Shop website.

For more information, contact Terrence Wilson, J.D., at terrence.wilson@idra.org. More resources and tools are on IDRA’s SEEN website at https://idraseen.org.

Resources

Latham Sikes, C. (March 2025). A Community-Based Study on the Impact of Texas’ SB 17 on Marginalized College-Going Students: Preliminary Findings – Roundtable Report. IDRA.

Terrence Wilson, J.D., is IDRA’s regional policy and community engagement director (terrence.wilson@idra.org).

FAQs

What is the culturally-sustaining school counseling model policy?

It is an IDRA model policy package that provides guidance for states and schools to strengthen college and career counseling schoolwide.

Why is this model policy needed?

School counselors are often overextended and lack the time, resources and training needed to support college access effectively.

Who can use this policy package?

State leaders, school districts, schools and advocates can adapt the policy language to their local context.

What challenges does the policy address?

The policy responds to staffing shortages, restrictive laws and systemic barriers that limit college guidance for students.

Where can the policy be accessed?

The policy package is available for free on the IDRA SEEN Model Policy Shop website.

[© 2025, IDRA. This article originally appeared in the November-December edition of the IDRA Newsletter. Permission to reproduce this article is granted provided the article is reprinted in its entirety and proper credit is given to IDRA and the author.]