An Analysis of Texas High School Counselors’ Roles: Actual and Preferred Counseling Activities

Abstract

The purpose of our investigation was to explore the differences between the actual and preferred activities of high school counselors in Texas using the School Counselor Activity Rating Scale [SCARS] (Scarborough, 2002). Evident in the results was that the majority of high school counselors participating in our study have between 10–20 years of experience, work in suburban areas, and are Caucasian. Further, counselors reported that they actually engage in less counseling, consultation, curriculum, and coordination activities than they would prefer. Additionally, counselors with more than 10–20 years of experience reported more counseling activities than those with less, and Hispanic counselors prefer to do more counseling than Caucasian counselors. Implications for research and training programs are noted.