School Counselor of the Year Awards Program

The School Counselor of the Year Awards Program honors the best of the best—one school counselor from every level (elementary, middle, and high school).

Eligibility for Consideration

• The nominee must be an active Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) school counselor with at least three years experience in MCPS. At least one year must be at the level he or she is currently working.
• An MCPS administrator, staff member, parent/caregiver, student, or community partner may nominate the school counselor.
• Nominees must demonstrate evidence of strong leadership and outstanding implementation of the MCPS Counseling Standards involving the academic, career, personal/interpersonal, and healthy development of all students. Preferably, evidence should have been demonstrated within the last three years.

Six Criteria for Nomination

Nominees must be counselors who:

• understand the individual needs of students, encourage their talents, and foster their self-esteem through a comprehensive counseling program;
• demonstrate outstanding leadership;
• foster collaborative relationships with colleagues, students and their families, and the community to promote student achievement;
• instill in students a desire to learn and achieve while advocating for equity;
• utilize data to evaluate program effectiveness and school counseling programming needs; and
• use technology to enhance student learning.

2024 School Counselor of the Year Nomination Information (SCOY)