The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) and the American Counseling Association (ACA) provides code of ethics for counselors to follow. In testing and assessment it is significant that counselors follow the codes of ethics to prevent misuse of test, releasing client information without permission and utilizing the test effectively. In section A.9. evaluation, assessment, and interpretation in the ASCA ethical standards for school counselors discuss confidently issues as well as assessment results and interpretation. A few of the points mentioned in this section are:
“b. Consider confidentiality issues when utilizing evaluative or assessment instruments and electronically based programs.
c. Consider the developmental age, language skills and level of competence of the student taking the assessments before assessments are given.
g. Assess the effectiveness of their program in having an impact on students’ academic, career and personal/social development through accountability measures especially examining efforts to close achievement, opportunity and attainment gaps” (ASCA, p 3).
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Counselors must make sure that the students information remain confidential if their file or test results remain on a computer based system. Counselors must also take in effect the age, language and level of competence before administering a test to a student. A high school assessment should not be given to an elementary student. There is times when an assessment for an older age group can be given to a student of an younger age only if their level of competence is higher. Testing and assessment are given to students to not only help them on a personal/ social level but also to help the school determine where their students stand academic wise. The counselors and administrators can use the results to implement programs to better the areas that need improvement in the school and also attain achievement