Middle School Counselors Research Articles

Family Engagement: A Collaborative, Systemic Approach for Middle School Counselors

Early adolescence is a period of intrapersonal and interpersonal transformation; thus, middle school counselors need to provide services that appropriately match their students’ and families’ devel...

Fostering Academic Development and Learning: Implications and Recommendations for Middle School Counselors

Within the systemic framework of comprehensive school counseling programs, this article explores middle school counselors’ vital role in collaborating with other educators to promote the academic d...

Caught in the Middle: A Counselor's Call to Action

As a middle school counselor for 20 years, my experiences have varied considerably. During this time, counselors have been called upon to address a host of problems including substance abuse, teen pregnancy, school violence, and equity in academic achievement. Counselors also have become more critical to schools as the challenges and demands faced by students intensify. My days are demanding, stressful, chaotic, and frustrating; however, I try to remain flexible and to keep my sense of humor. I never have had downtime and no day is ever the same. Before 1990, school counselors in Kentucky were required to write an annual plan reflecting activities that supported social-emotional and career development in the middle school. Each summer the plan was evaluated through a self-study. After the enactment of the Kentucky Educational Reform Act in 1990, school counselors were no longer mandated and were left out of the rhetoric of education reform. I continued providing individual and small group counseling, classroom guidance, appraisal, coordination, and consultation, but I found I was required to assume more technology-related duties in the areas of scheduling and grade reporting. I realized that was not integral to the school's instructional focus and random acts of guidance proliferated in the post-reform era. As high-stakes testing became paramount to school success, I was challenged to structure my activities to more closely support academic achievement and became a liaison to the entire school community. The American School Counselor Association's (ASCA) National Standards (Campbell & Dahir, 1997) were introduced and I saw them as a structure to provide legitimacy and consistency in middle school counseling. The Transforming School Counseling Initiative (House & Martin, 1998) and the ASCA National Model[R] (2003) now provide me with tools to transform my current program to a comprehensive, developmental, student achievement-focused school counseling program that incorporates advocacy and the use of data to effect systemic change. I continue to advocate for educational equity, access, and academic success for all students and strive to create opportunities for all students to nurture their dreams and aspirations. In addition, I align all of my counseling program components with the Kentucky Core Content and Kentucky's Standards and Indicators for School Improvement (Kentucky Department of Education, 2000). Part of my program management activities involves the development of an annual action plan based on students' needs to ensure focused direction and accountability. These experiences have supported my work as a consultant in my district and state, and at the national level, and have provided the opportunity to be involved in the transformation of school counseling. I currently lead a task force to write a Kentucky Guide to the National Model and serve as an adjunct professor at Western Kentucky University. These professional activities create a synergistic effect on my programmatic approach to school counseling and facilitating middle school students' development and learning. …

Ethnic Identity Development in Early Adolescence: Implications and Recommendations for Middle School Counselors

The influence of ethnic identity development on adolescents' achievement, self-concept, and behaviors has been reviewed extensively in the literature. However, the role that school counselors play in enhancing middle school students' ethnic identity development has received little attention. This article reviews the definition of ethnic identity and J. S. Phinney's (1992) model of adolescent ethnic identity development. J. E. Helms' (1994) model of racial identity interaction theory is used as a basis for understanding how ethnic identity development may influence student-to-student and student-to-teacher interactions in middle schools. And finally, recommendations for middle school counselors are presented.

Using Service Learning to Achieve Middle School Comprehensive Guidance Program Goals

Service-learning classes taught by professional middle school counselors and teachers can help middle school students meet comprehensive guidance program goals related to academic/learning development, life/career development, personal/social development, and multicultural/ global citizenship. An example is provided of a service-learning class where middle school students received comprehensive guidance curriculum instruction and then taught a similar curriculum to elementary school students. Results from a phenomenological evaluation describe yielded five major themes pertinent to middle school student development and demonstrate comprehensive guidance program goal achievement: personal awareness, social skills, learning skills, career interests and character education. The themes were personal awareness, social skills, learning skills, career interests, and character education.

The Unique Nature of Middle School Counseling

While all levels of school counseling share similarities, the development of early adolescents and the ecology of the middle school require a distinctive role for middle school counselors. This art...

When Theory Collides with Practice: One Day in the Life of a Middle School Counselor

Viktor Frankl (1984) stated, of the main features of human existence is the capacity to rise above such conditions, to grow beyond them. Man is capable of changing the world for the better if possible and of changing himself for the better if necessary (p. 133). Effective counselors do this daily, rising above conditions, seizing opportunities to change the world of the youth with whom they work, and, in so doing, changing themselves. One counselor records her day as it happened, illustrating the roles and personal qualities that often are overlooked by counselor educators and researchers but are common to many school counselors. The names have been changed to protect confidentiality. COUNSELOR'S LOG 5:45 a.m. The alarm rings, returns my mind to consciousness, and triggers a quick review of the upcoming day. It is Friday, the beginning of the end of a hectic week. Sort and distribute the progress report scan sheets, collect them, return them for processing. Shred month-old schedule change forms. Prepare for fearful students, those who fear 48 hours with abusive siblings, friends, or parents. Fridays, usually eventful ends to event-filled weeks. 6:50 a.m. Traffic--the daily frustration. Creeping up the freeway, my mind previews the day ahead. There is my appraisal at 10:30, the grief group at 1:00, Erin's family upheaval, final preparations for Monday's parent meeting, and the fire marshal's visit. 7:25 a.m. Turning into the parking lot, see them--the random pods of teenagers, shuffling from foot to foot, trying to stay warm amid gusty, cold winds. The cool ones bravely stand in shorts. Playful girls antagonize nearby boys as teachers labor in, bent over with heavy satchels. 7:32 a.m. Open the blinds, boot up the computer, push the voice-mail button, watch parents unloading students, and listen, You have six messages. First message.... The voice mail adds the following to my day: Mrs. Monroe wants extra help for her daughter, an elementary school counselor speaks hurriedly about fifth graders overcome with worry at the thought of publicly showering after P.E. next year, Mr. Sanchez needs help completing his daughter's SAT application, the boys' grandmother requests a return call, the principal reminds me of my appraisal, and a teacher needs another outstanding citizen certificate. Hey, mornin', Counselor. need to talk with you about the 504 meeting last night, the assistant principal greets me, and Friday officially begins. 7:35 a.m. Checking e-mail, find eight new items since last evening. Luckily, not all of them require replies, just time--time to sort the immediate from the heads up, and calendar items from professional resources; time to reflect, time to answer. 7:45 a.m. Turn on the lights, clear a spot on the desk to sign off on an official inquiry from the county court regarding a custody case. Greet the secretaries as they make their way to their phones, emails, and waiting students, parents, and faculty. 7:50 a.m. The bell rings; step into the hall and welcome eager faces. The students greet me with-- Hey, Miss, it's cold out there. I want a schedule change; too late? My stepmom had her baby last night. Look, remembered my homework. Cold air ushers in students as they scurry past and share a smile, a bit of their life, and a blast of the adolescent energy that so treasure. 7:55 a.m. The moment is interrupted and am directed to a new student, a slight, teary-eyed boy who hesitantly enters my office. He sinks into the chair closest to the door and, in a barely audible voice, unravels a story about a family in transition. We build his schedule, secure books and a locker, and end today's time together as we tour the building and its community. 8:10 a.m. High importance seems a curious term for e-mail entering the counselor's computer. …

When Theory Collides with Practice: One Day in the Life of a Middle School Counselor

Viktor Frankl (1984) stated, “One of the main features of human existence is the capacity to rise above such conditions, to grow beyond them. Man is capable of changing the world for the better if possible and of changing himself for the better if necessary” (p. 133). Effective counselors do this daily, rising above conditions, seizing opportunities to change the world of the youth with whom they work, and, in so doing, changing themselves. One counselor records her day as it happened, illus-trating the roles and personal qualities that often are overlooked by counselor educators and researchers but are common to many school counselors. The names have been changed to protect confidentiality.

Cross-Gender Interactions in Middle School Counselor-Student Working Alliances: Challenges and Recommendations

Middle school counselors are involved in cross-gender interactions with students daily. In order to explore middle school counselors’ experiences in cross-gender student-counselor working alliances, interviews were conducted with 22 practicing middle school counselors. Selections from the resulting conversations reveal that female and male middle school counselors describe their same-gender counselor-student relationships as less challenging and perceive more challenges in their cross-gender relationships in school counseling. Recommendations are offered for cross-gender relationship building for middle school counselors working with students.

Family Engagement: A Collaborative, Systemic Approach for Middle School Counselors

Early adolescence is a period of intrapersonal and interpersonal transformation; thus, middle school counselors need to provide services that appropriately match their students’ and families’ developmental needs. A collaborative, systemic approach is one way that counselors can work with other school-based professionals to support parental/caregiver involvement. In this article, the authors discuss family disengagement in the middle school years and the middle school counselor as a collaborator of systemic change.

Engaging Students in Classroom Guidance: Management Strategies for Middle School Counselors

Classroom guidance for all students is an important element of the program delivery system for middle school counselors. Effective classroom management is essential to implementing classroom guidance and may be challenging at times. This article presents strategies and management techniques to facilitate middle school counselors’ planning and implementation of classroom guidance to meet the unique needs of middle school students.

Developmental Assets and the Middle School Counselor

Search Institute has identified 40 Developmental Assets™ that are building blocks of healthy development and success for children and adolescents. Young people's experience of most of these developmental assets declines over the middle school years. In this article, research is described showing the prevalence and impact of developmental assets among middle school students, and the power of the assets is connected to the developmental characteristics of young adolescents. The middle school counselor's role is described and suggestions given both for building assets in individual students and for helping to shape a positive school climate that promotes developmental well-being through the school community.

Education-Career Planning and Middle School Counselors

In this article, the authors emphasize a comprehensive and developmental view of education-career planning, with special emphasis on middle schools. Research findings that underscore the need for effective education-career planning are presented, followed by the variables and data that are salient for planning. The article includes a framework for education-career planning systems in middle schools.

The Unique Nature of Middle School Counseling

While all levels of school counseling share similarities, the development of early adolescents and the ecology of the middle school require a distinctive role for middle school counselors. This article explores the implications of development and the middle school philosophy on the application of middle school counselor practice and the application of the ASCA National Model®.

Early Adolescents’ Development across the Middle School Years: Implications for School Counselors

This article discusses development during the early adolescent years with a focus on recent research on the biological, cognitive, self-identity, and motivational changes that occur during this time period and the implications of this research for middle school counselors. Peer influences on early adolescents also are discussed, with the issue of school bullying receiving special attention. Studies are presented about how positive relations between teachers and students, and counselors and students, can ease the transition. Research is presented showing the positive effects of counseling programs designed to ease students’ transition into middle school, along with suggestions for restructuring the roles of middle school counselors in order to be responsive to the developmental needs of early adolescents.

Middle Schooling Counseling: Touching the Souls of Adolescents

During my first year as a middle school counselor, I learned quickly that feelings, friendships, acceptance, popularity, sexuality, and self-awareness were important to adolescents. From my perspective, these are all related to experiences. The soul (mind, emotions, and will) is very fragile during this developmental stage. To make my school counseling program valuable and relevant to students, I realized the need to connect with their souls, and a strong part of their lives was music. I have always enjoyed music and believe it is a universal communication tool. Music can affect feelings, attitudes, and behaviors. I began listening to the same music that my students did, and I decided to center my classroom guidance and groups around the lyrics of the songs they enjoyed. I recorded and played rap, alternative, rock, country, rhythm and blues, and pop songs. I used their music to introduce my classroom guidance lessons and to serve as a foundation for the life skills I taught. The students were exposed to a variety of musical styles, and they learned to listen to the meaning of the words. This led to great discussions about academic success, family values, accepting differences, making good choices, helping others, establishing quality relationships, and making career choices. In middle school, counselors' responsibilities include conducting classroom guidance, facilitating small groups, and counseling individuals. Another critical responsibility is helping students to resolve crises. Adolescents are notorious for their drama and illogical thinking. Adolescents are experiencing physical and emotional change and upheaval, and they often act without thinking about the consequences of their actions. I have become a strong advocate for rational emotive behavior therapy. I began my school counseling career at the elementary level, and after coming to middle school, I realized that this level offered the best opportunities to practice real counseling. Developmentally, adolescents are cognitively able to understand and analyze behaviors of themselves and others. Another important factor that encourages and supports real counseling is that counseling in the middle school is not viewed punitively or for crazy adolescents. Each year when I go into classes to introduce myself and explain my counseling program, I tell the students that I believe my job is to be a friend to them. They see me as their advocate, not adversary. One example of advocacy was when a teacher asked me to come into his class and help a student. The student refused to talk to him, although she was sitting at her desk weeping. I walked to her desk and quietly asked her to come with me. She shook her head; so I gently touched her elbow and said Come on, and she did. I mostly listened to her current problem and gave her some encouragement. She came to see me on her own a couple of times in the next month, and eventually she revealed that there was physical abuse in the home. …

Fostering Academic Development and Learning: Implications and Recommendations for Middle School Counselors

Within the systemic framework of comprehensive school counseling programs, this article explores middle school counselors’ vital role in collaborating with other educators to promote the academic development of early adolescents. Research pertinent to contemporary middle school counseling in this developmental domain is summarized, especially as it may relate to program activities and interventions. Implications and recommendations for best practice are included.

Using Service Learning to Achieve Middle School Comprehensive Guidance Program Goals

Service-learning classes taught by professional middle school counselors and teachers can help middle school students meet comprehensive guidance program goals related to academic/learning development, life/career development, personal/social development, and multicultural/global citizenship. An example is provided of a service-learning class where middle school students received comprehensive guidance curriculum instruction and then taught a similar curriculum to elementary school students. Results from a phenomenological evaluation describe yielded five major themes pertinent to middle school student development and demonstrate comprehensive guidance program goal achievement: personal awareness, social skills, learning skills, career interests and character education. The themes were personal awareness, social skills, learning skills, career interests, and character education.

Ethnic Identity Development in Early Adolescence: Implications and Recommendations for Middle School Counselors

The influence of ethnic identity development on adolescents’ achievement, self-concept, and behaviors has been reviewed extensively in the literature. However, the role that school counselors play in enhancing middle school students’ ethnic identity development has received little attention. This article reviews the definition of ethnic identity and J. S. Phinney's (1992) model of adolescent ethnic identity development. J. E. Helms’ (1994) model of racial identity interaction theory is used as a basis for understanding how ethnic identity development may influence student-to-student and student-to-teacher interactions in middle schools. And finally, recommendations for middle school counselors are presented.

Foreword: Developmentally Responsive Middle School Counseling

Foreword: Developmentally Responsive Middle School Counseling