Sioux Falls school earns national school counseling recognition

The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) has designated Jefferson High School’s (Sioux Falls) counseling program as a Recognized ASCA Model Program (RAMP). The national program recognizes schools in the United States that have implemented comprehensive school counseling programs that use data to inform program development and implementation to help students achieve success.

“It’s about having a counseling program that is responsive to student needs, and wanting to change the outcome using data on behavior, attendance, and achievement,” said Vickie Donohoe, a school counselor at Jefferson. “The ASCA model has counselors focus on mindsets and behaviors. One of the mindsets we focused on was overcoming barriers for learning. In our small groups and classrooms, we have helped students identify their barriers for learning, and then we taught them how to overcome those barriers.”

“It is wonderful to see the hard work and dedication of school counselors at Jefferson High School be recognized through earning this national award,” said Andrea Effling, a school counseling and support administrator at the South Dakota Department of Education. “School counselors play an important role in helping students achieve success so that they may learn, thrive, and grow.”

Jefferson High School is the only school from South Dakota to earn the RAMP recognition in 2025, only two other schools in the state have ever received the recognition.