College degrees open new doors for students in their lives and in their careers. School counselors need more support to focus on what matters most: helping students access and succeed in college. Too often, they are overwhelmed, short-staffed and pulled into duties that take them away from students. Counselors need time, tools and resources to offer meaningful, culturally-sustaining guidance.
IDRA’s Culturally-Sustaining School Counseling Model Policy provides a template for policy language for states, school districts and schools to adopt research-based school counseling policies and practices that promote college access and completion for students from diverse backgrounds.
This package also includes resources and an advocacy guide to help families and communities advocate for changes in local school board and state-level policies to support effective school counseling in schools.
This brief describes college enrollment trends, the role of school counselors in expanding college and career access, legal and policy frameworks, and policy solutions for the four key challenges school counselors face today. (This brief is also available in the model policy full package.)
This advocacy guide is designed to help students and the adults who support them advocate for changes in local school board policies to strengthen culturally-sustaining school counseling in schools. (This guide is also available in the model policy full package.)
IDRA Culturally Responsive Instruction and Leadership – Online Technical Assistance Toolkit provides educators tools for embracing what, for many, is a new vision for engaging with families and community members. The toolkit includes a literature review, culturally responsive practices framework, webinar videos, articles, podcasts and other resources.
Community-Based College Access – Online Technical Assistance Toolkit, by IDRA. Informed by focus groups and roundtable conversations with students, families and school counselors, the new toolkits help counselors and students navigate recent policy changes limiting diversity, equity and inclusion affecting college admissions. The materials include steps for setting up a college ambassador program, video demo with tips for searching for college information, growth mindset activities, family college knowledge guide, college fair prep tips, YouTube Shorts playlists by students and more. The materials are available online for free and in Spanish.
Staying on Course When Schools Steer Clear: A Community-Based Study on the Impacts of Texas’ Diversity Policy Change on High School Students and Tools to Expand their College Pathways, research report, by Chloe Latham Sikes, Ph.D., July 2026
Beyond the Bans – How Legal and Policy Changes Limiting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Practices Compromise Student Opportunity, research brief, by Chloe Latham Sikes, Ph.D., and Adiba Chowdhury, May 2026
A Community-Based Study on the Impact of Texas’ SB 17 on Marginalized College-Going Students – IDRA report by Chloe Latham-Sikes, Ph.D.
School Counselors on College Advising Constraints: A Ready Texas Study – IDRA report by Hector Bojorquez
School Counselors Express Concerns about College and Career Advising in Texas – IDRA Newsletter article by Hector Bojorquez
Beyond the College T-shirt Days – Transition Counseling to Ensure College Success – IDRA Newsletter article by Aurelio M. Montemayor, M.Ed.
What Students Need their School Counselors to Hear – IDRA Classnotes Podcast Episode 45
IDRA Study Participants Report Concerns About Support, Safety and Access Following Recent Diversity Policy Changes A new IDRA study finds that recent federal and state
