A grounded theory methodology was used to analyze articles and book chapters describing the development and practice of school-based counseling in 25 different countries in order to identify the factors that affect development and practice. An 11-factor analytic framework was developed. Factors include: Cultural Factors, National Needs, Larger Societal Movements, Models of School Counseling, Laws and Educational Policy, Characteristics of the Public Education System, The Counseling Profession, Research and Evaluation, Related Professions, Community Organizations or NGO Coalitions, and Local Stakeholder Perceptions. The utility of this analytic framework in promoting understanding of the development and practice of school-based counseling in individual countries and in facilitating comparative analyses across countries is illustrated.