Book excerpt: This text explains in a clear, concise manner how school counselors can effectively intervene systemically and personally on behalf of students, and how systemic, data-driven school counseling programs are effectively implemented through important leadership, advocacy, accountability, and diversity initiatives. School counselors in training get invaluable advice for preparing to enter their careers as a professional school counselors, and experienced professional school counselors and counselor supervisors get new perspectives and detailed descriptions for program development. Important foundational issues in developmental classroom guidance, individual and group counseling, consultation, collaboration and parental involvement, career and educational planning, and ethics and the law are introduced in easy to understand language, and illustrated with examples, case studies, and vignettes.