ASCA Lesson Plan Template for School Counselors

Plan a classroom or small-group counseling lesson with ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors standards and a built-in plan for evaluation data.

Lesson plan format

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Lesson title

Topic

Grade(s)

Date

Length (minutes)

ASCA Student Standards (Mindsets & Behaviors)

The mindset or behavior standard(s) the lesson targets.

Learning objective(s)

Measurable objectives aligned with the standards.

Materials and resources

Everything you need to prepare: texts, slides, manipulatives, handouts, tech.

Introduction

Hook and the purpose of the lesson.

Activity

The main activity, step by step, with timings.

Step 1 minutesStep 1 activity
Step 2 minutesStep 2 activity
Step 3 minutesStep 3 activity

Conclusion

Summarize and connect to real life.

Plan for evaluation

Participation data plan

How many students will take part and how you will count them.

Mindsets & behaviors data plan

Pre/post items that measure attitudes, knowledge or skills from the standard.

Outcome data plan

Attendance, discipline or achievement data you expect to change.

Follow-up

Next steps for students who need more support.

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What is an ASCA lesson plan?

An ASCA lesson plan is the format school counselors use for classroom and small-group lessons in a comprehensive school counseling program. It links each lesson to the ASCA Student Standards: Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success and includes a plan for evaluation using participation data, Mindsets & Behaviors data and outcome data.

The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) publishes the ASCA National Model, which includes a lesson plan template and guidance on measuring results. Many districts and graduate programs use it.

Sections in this template

Standards: the Mindsets & Behaviors standard(s), for example a Behavior: Self-Management Skills (B-SMS) standard.
Learning objectives: measurable and aligned to the standard.
Introduction, activity and conclusion: the lesson itself, with timings.
Participation data plan: how many students, and which classes or groups.
Mindsets & behaviors data plan: pre/post-assessment items measuring attitudes, knowledge or skills from the standard.
Outcome data plan: attendance, discipline or achievement data you expect to change.
Follow-up: what happens for students who need more support.

Tips

Write pre/post questions before the lesson. Four or five short items are enough.
Choose outcome data you can actually get, such as referrals, attendance or a grade-level benchmark.
Keep individual student data in your school's secure systems, not in your lesson plan.

Worked example: ASCA school counselor lesson plan

Here is a complete example made with the maker above. Use it as a model, or load it into the form and change it to suit your class.

ASCA school counselor lesson plan

Calm-down strategies for big feelings

Topic	Social-emotional learning	Grade(s)	4
Date		Length	40 minutes

ASCA Student Standards (Mindsets & Behaviors)

Behavior: Self-Management Skills (B-SMS) — demonstrate effective coping skills when faced with a problem.

Learning objective(s)

Students will name three calm-down strategies and choose one to use when they feel frustrated, as shown on the post-assessment.

Materials and resources

Feelings thermometer poster, calm-down strategy cards, pre/post-assessment (4 questions), breathing star printouts

Introduction (5 min)

Feelings thermometer: students show with a thumb where they would be if they lost a game at recess.

Activity

Time	Activity
10 min	Read a short story about a character who gets frustrated; identify body clues.
10 min	Practice three strategies together: star breathing, counting backwards from 10, positive self-talk.
8 min	Partners act out a scenario card and choose a strategy.

Conclusion (7 min)

Students write the strategy they will try this week on a sticky note for the class "calm toolbox".

Plan for evaluation

Participation data plan

All fourth-grade classes (about 75 students), recorded by class.

Mindsets & behaviors data plan

Pre/post question: "Name three things you can do to calm down." Target: 80% name at least three on the post-assessment.

Outcome data plan

Track office referrals for conflicts at recess over the next six weeks.

Follow-up

Small-group sessions for students who could not name a strategy on the post-assessment; share strategies with teachers to reinforce in class.

Planned time: 40 minutes of 40

Frequently asked questions

What are ASCA Mindsets and Behaviors?

The ASCA Student Standards: Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success describe the attitudes, knowledge and skills students need for academic, career and social/emotional development. Counselors align lessons to specific standards.

What data goes in an ASCA lesson plan?

Participation data (how many students took part), Mindsets & Behaviors data (usually pre/post-assessment results) and outcome data (achievement, attendance or discipline).

Is this the official ASCA template?

No. It's an independent template with the same sections, so you can draft and print plans quickly. Use ASCA's own forms if your program requires them.

Can I use this for small-group counseling?

Yes. Set the participation data plan to the group and add session-by-session plans with the same format, then view them together in Week view.

Other lesson plan models

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