National Certification: Evidence of a Professional School Counselor‪?‬

National certification and the professionalism of school counselors are becoming more salient, particularly as a result of the No Child Left Behind Act. Archival data were used to examine the relationship between preparation at programs accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) and national certification for school counselors. Significantly more individuals who obtained the National Certified Counselor credential were graduates of CACREP-accredited programs while the majority of school counselors who obtained the National Certified School Counselor credential were graduates of non-accredited programs. Implications for school counselors are examined. **********