School Counselor Advocacy Research Articles

Enhancing Social Capital: The Role of the School Counselor–Principal Alliance in School Counselor Advocacy Activities for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning or Queer Students

This study examined how demographic variables and the school counselor–principal alliance influenced school counselors’ advocacy for LGBTQ students as measured by the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Active Advocacy Scale-Revised (LGBAAS-R). We surveyed 169 practicing school counselors with at least one year of experience in their current building and working with their current principal. Results indicate that the participant’s sexual orientation, engagement with professional development, presence of a Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA), the state in which they work, perception of a welcoming environment, years worked with the principal, and perception of a collaborative relationship with the principal were significant predictors of advocacy activity. Through advocacy, school counselors can build social capital in LGBTQ students, yet school counselors’ own identity and relationships with principals can influence their ability to engage in advocacy. Note: LGBTQ is intended to represent the diverse range of identities of gender and sexual orientation of individuals.

School counselor advocacy for gender minority students.

One-thousand-one-hundred-and-ninety-one school counselors completed an online survey regarding advocacy for and with gender minority students comprising transgender and intersex students (school counselor gender minority advocacy competence). School counselors completed a battery of three competency-based assessments to assess their levels of gender identity counselor competence, intersex counselor competence, and school counselor gender minority advocacy competence. They also completed a demographic form so that competency levels could be examined with demographic variables. Attitudes, school level placement, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity counselor competence, and intersex counselor competence were significantly related to advocacy for and with gender minority students. These findings have implications for the application of identity behavior theory to examine the experiences and behaviors of minoritized individuals and those who advocate for them. These advocates include school counselors and other helping professionals who work with gender minority students.

School Counselor Preparation to Support Inclusivity, Equity and Access for Students of Color With Disabilities

The effective implementation of comprehensive school counseling services to all students is premised on the ASCA National Model framework themes of leadership, advocacy, collaboration, and systemic change. The school counselor’s role is to support the academic, career and social-emotional development of all students. From a school counselor advocacy and social justice perspective, school counselors engage in practices that will support all students and create opportunities for equal access and success through their leadership and service as collaborators, consultants and change agents. School counselor leadership results in positive changes within the school community. Using the ASCA Model Framework themes, school counselors can integrate these themes to support inclusivity, equity and access for students of color with disabilities, to the general education curriculum. In order to better prepare school counselor trainees to provide culturally appropriate support and services for students of color with disabilities, school counselor education programs must be more intentional in providing graduate-level course work that introduces trainees to best practices in their work with students with disabilities. First, this writer will discuss the ethical imperative for school counselor educators to be intentional in integrating special education curriculum in preparation programs and how school counselor education programs can use the ASCA Model framework themes in preparing school counselor trainees to engage in best practices to encourage, support, and ensure that students of color with disabilities have access and inclusion in the general education settings. Secondly, this writer will also discuss the incorporation of interactive related ASCA theme activities as preparation for school counselor trainees, in a special topics course as well as during practicum and internship and future professional school counselor opportunities.

College and Career Readiness Group Interventions for Early High School Students

ABSTRACT College and Career Readiness (CCR) programming during early high school years assists students with planning for effective post-school transitions. Group interventions that address CCR for early high school students permit school counselors, career counselors, career specialists, or teachers to engage with a large number of students at one time and facilitate peer-to-peer learning. In this article, CCR group interventions that are supported by research and address the National Office for School Counselor Advocacy’s (NOSCA) eight components of College and Career Readiness Counseling are presented, along with strategies to evaluate the efficacy of CCR interventions.

The school to prison pipeline: quantitative evidence to guide school counselor advocacy

ABSTRACT The school to prison pipeline begins with disciplinary incidents which result in suspensions, expulsions, and referrals to law enforcement. We analyzed 230,988 disciplinary infractions from one year in public K-12 schools in Virginia. We found evidence that Black male and female students are overrepresented in initial infractions and overrepresentation worsens only at the more discretionary points of the school to prison pipeline. A three-pronged approach to school counselor advocacy for transformative change is detailed herein.

Elementary School Counselor Experiences Teaching Lessons on a Related Arts Schedule

When and how often school counselors teach lessons varies; sometimes they go into classrooms in collaboration with teacher requests, and other times they have a set schedule rotation in conjunction with nonacademic classes like art, music, or physical education—often referred to as a related arts rotation. In this phenomenological study, we interviewed 10 elementary school counselors regarding their experiences teaching classroom lessons as part of the related arts rotation. Three themes emerged: (a) systemic factors, (b) frustrations, and (c) visibility. We discuss implications for school counselor advocacy.

Middle and High School Counselor Advocates for Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Students

Three-hundred-and-ninety-eight school counselors were surveyed with regard to school counselor advocacy for lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) students. Demographic variables were assessed, along with school counselors’ levels of LGB advocacy intention (i.e., advance plans to advocate for LGB students). School counselor LGB advocacy is significantly related to school counselors’ age, level of interaction with LGB people, years of full-time school counseling experience, sexual orientation, and school location. LGB advocacy intention was identified as a mediator—the variable mediated the effects of school counselors’ attitudes toward LGB people and advocacy self-efficacy on their levels of self-reported LGB advocacy activity.

Ecological Considerations and School Counselor Advocacy With LGBT Students

ABSTRACTThe school counseling literature contains little research and practice-based scholarship to support school counselors’ work with LGBT youth within school contexts, which may be at odds with the ethical and professional responsibilities of the school counselor. This article adopts an ecological framework to help school counselors navigate potential ethical issues when working with and advocating on behalf of LGBT students. Ecological and systemic recommendations are outlined to help strengthen the ethical practice of school counselors.

Evaluation of a School Counselor-Led Creativity Intervention Group: An Opportunity for School Counselor Leadership and Advocacy

ABSTRACTThis article presents findings from a school counselor-operated creativity enrichment program targeting academically underperforming second-grade students. Results from this pre/posttest study indicate that students in the treatment groups significantly increased their creative ability as measured by the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking when compared to a matched control group. Implications for school counselor advocacy, leadership, and programming are discussed.

Advocacy for and with LGBT Students: An Examination of High School Counselor Experiences

A paucity of empirical scholarship exists on school counselor advocacy in general and virtually none as it relates to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students specifically. Addressing this gap in the literature, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the experiences of high school counselors in the southeastern United States who have served as advocates for and with LGBT students, with a specific focus on race/ethnicity and social class. Four themes were identified within the data: (a) student advocacy, (b) education as advocacy, (c) systems advocacy, and (d) social/political advocacy. This article presents and explores the themes as they relate to the various manifestations of school counselor advocacy, and discusses study implications and limitations.

School Counselors as Social Justice Leaders

Teaching and Reaching Every Area (TAREA) is a comprehensive school–family–community partnership designed to increase Latino student achievement. The authors use action research to describe how a school counselor developed TAREA and post hoc analysis to provide examples of social justice and systemic collaboration leadership dimensions. The authors detail parent, staff, and student engagement outcomes. Throughout, they transform the abstract concept of leadership into concrete steps for school counselor advocacy and action.

School Counselor Advocacy for Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Students: Intentions and Practice

This study sought to understand school counselor advocacy for lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) students using the theory of planned behavior (Ajzen, 2015). The authors analyzed data from a non-random sample of 398 school counselors in the United States. Participants completed demographic items and the Attitudes subscale of the Sexual Orientation Counselor Competency Scale (SOCCS-A), Advocacy Self-Efficacy Scale (ASES), Motivation to Comply Scale (MTCS), LGB Advocacy Intention Scale (LGBAIS), and LGB Advocacy Activity Scale (LGBAAS). School counselors’ attitudes and advocacy self-efficacy significantly predicted LGB advocacy intention. Attitudes, self-efficacy, and LGB advocacy intention significantly predicted LGB advocacy activity. Findings related to motivation to comply were inconclusive, indicating that it did not influence any changes in school counselor LGB advocacy intention or activity. The authors call for more general and LGBT-specific advocacy, training, and research in schools and counselor education programs, and more school counselor involvement in sex education reform.

Exploring School Counselor Advocacy in the Career Development of Undocumented Latino Youth

School counselors working on career development objectives with undocumented Latino youth have unique challenges that can inform and improve advocacy efforts within the counseling profession. With approximately two million undocumented Latino students in the U.S. public education system (Passel, 2006; Passel and Cohn, 2011), school counselors are faced with unique challenges in providing and advocating for career services to this marginalized group. This qualitative study explored the experiences of 16 school counselors providing career counseling to undocumented Latino students within six states with the highest populations of undocumented Latinos. Using grounded theory methodology (Patton, 2002, Corbin and Strauss, 2008) results generated salient themes in how school counselors understand the barriers facing undocumented Latino youth and provided important insights into how the school counseling profession can improve advocacy for this population.

Factors that Facilitate and Impede School Counselor Advocacy for and with LGBT Students

ABSTRACTDespite the increasing focus on advocacy in the field of school counseling, there is a dearth of empirical research on the factors that facilitate and impede school counselor advocacy in general and with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students in particular. As such, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to investigate the factors that enable and inhibit high school counselors’ advocacy efforts with and on behalf of LGBT students.

Advocacy Competency of School Counselors: an Exploratory Factor Analysis

This article describes the initial development of the School Counseling Advocacy Assessment to measure school counselor advocacy competency and includes the psychometric results regarding the reliability and factor structure. An exploratory factor analysis revealed a five-factor model that accounted for 71% of the variance. The subscales are Collaboration with School Groups, Political and Social Actions to Change the System, Individual Student Empowerment, Actions to Reduce Achievement Barriers, and Media Advocacy. The authors discuss implications for school counselors and school counselors in training.

School Counselors’ Perceptions of Competency in Career Counseling

The National Office for School Counselor Advocacy stated that secondary students need better support from professional school counselors when making decisions regarding their postsecondary education and career. The present qualitative study explored school counselors' perceptions of competence in the area of career counseling, and resulted in the following themes: challenges to delivery, opportunity, self-doubt, reliance on colleagues, and the use of technology. Recommendations for college and career readiness best practice were incorporated with the findings from the National Office for School Counselor Advocacy report.Keywords: school counselor, career counseling, competence, postsecondary education, qualitative studyNo step in life, unless it may be the choice of a husband or wife, is more important than the choice of a vocation.... These vital problems should be solved in a careful, scientific way, with due regard to each person's aptitudes, abilities, ambitions, resources, and limitations, and the relations of these elements to the conditions of success in different industries. (Parsons, 1909, p. 3)Young people exploring career decisions are often left to their own searches to find direction in this complex process. Ninety-five percent of high school seniors expect to attain some form of college education, yet more and more are delaying entry after high school, frequently changing colleges or majors when they do enter, or taking time off throughout their programs (Altbach, Gumport, & Berdahl, 2011). According to The College Board National Office for School Counselor Advocacy (NOSCA), professional school counselors need to better support students during the decision-making process in order to streamline their progress toward postsecondary education and career readiness (Barker & Satcher, 2000; Bridgeland & Bruce, 2014). School counselors must balance this heady task with accountability in other areas, such as academic achievement, social and emotional development, and related administrative duties.The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Model for School Counseling (ASCA Model) was developed and recently updated by the Recognized ASCA Model Program (RAMP), which supports school counselors and counselor educators by standardizing and enhancing the practices of these professionals (ASCA, 2012). With the release of NOSCA's survey results, a new movement in school counselor reform emerged, which calls for standardization of practices involving college access for all students. According to The College Board (Bridgeland & Bruce, 2014), this reform is necessary to highlight the lack of support students receive in their pursuit of higher educational goal attainment.School counselors have historically lacked a clear identity in role and function (Bridgeland & Bruce, 2014; Clemens, Milsom, & Cashwell, 2009; Dodson, 2009; Johnson, Rochkind, & Ott, 2010; Reiner, Colbert, & Perusse, 2009), and in response, many states have adopted the use of some form of the ASCA Model as a guide for practicing school counselors (Martin & Carey, 2012; Martin, Carey, & DeCoster, 2009). Not all states provide such guidance for their school counselors and, as a result, some school counselors are left with little continuity among schools, even within the same school district. Some counselor educators have called for more support and supervision for school counselors (Brott, 2006; DeVoss & Andrews, 2006; Somody, Henderson, Cook, & Zambrano, 2008); however, a gap between education and professional responsibility, and consequently liability, has remained apparent (Foster, Young, & Hermann, 2005; Perusse & Goodnough, 2005). It is important to note that the aforementioned reform is linked directly to the roles and functions of school counselors (Clemens, Milsom, & Cashwell, 2009; Perusse & Goodnough, 2005). According to NOSCA, 71% of school counselors surveyed stated that they believed academic planning related to college and career readiness was important, but only 31% believed their school was successful in fulfilling students' needs in that area (Bridgeland & Bruce, 2014). …

Developing the Fearless School Counselor Ally and Advocate for LGBTQIQ Youth: Strategies for Preparation Programs

To better serve the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and questioning (LGBTQIQ) youth population, counselor educators can assist school counselors-in-training in developing advocacy competencies within their training programs. A focus on advocacy competencies outlined by the American Counseling Association (ACA) and the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) standards, and infusion of techniques throughout the education process, may increase levels of comfort for neophyte school counselors-in-training when working with LGBTQIQ youth. To increase efficacy in this multicultural population, myriad environments representative of the systemic nature of the school environment and culture must be examined and explored through training processes. These authors discuss intervention strategies for counselor educators to develop future school counselor advocacy, which align with the ACA advocacy competency domain areas.

Investigating the Psychometric Properties of School Counselor Self-Advocacy Questionnaire

This article reports on the development and the exploration of the underlying psychometric properties of the School Counselor Self-Advocacy Questionnaire, a measure of skills school counselors can use to advocate for their roles and programs. An exploratory factor analysis (N = 188) suggested a unidimensional model, and a confirmatory factor analysis indicated the overall model robustly explains the data, accounting for 80% of the variance. Cronbach's alpha reliability estimates ranged from .84 to .87 for the questionnaire and the estimates of concurrent validity were promising. Implications for school counselor advocacy practice are also included.

Investigating the Psychometric Properties of School Counselor Self-Advocacy Questionnaire

This article reports on the development and the exploration of the underlying psychometric properties of the School Counselor Self-Advocacy Questionnaire, a measure of skills school counselors can use to advocate for their roles and programs. An exploratory factor analysis (N = 188) suggested a unidimensional model, and a confirmatory factor analysis indicated the overall model robustly explains the data, accounting for 80% of the variance. Cronbach's alpha reliability estimates ranged from .84 to .87 for the questionnaire and the estimates of concurrent validity were promising. Implications for school counselor advocacy practice are also included.

School Counselor Advocacy: When Law and Ethics May Collide

Legal rules establish basic duties akin to the floor for acceptable behavior, whereas ethical codes represent aspirational standards for best practice. For school counselors, fulfilling both legal requirements and ethical principles may pose challenges that warrant careful consideration. This article outlines a legal/ethical conflict in the case ofWoodlock v. Orange Ulster B.O.C.E.S. (2006/2008), in which the school counselor followed the ethical precept of advocacy but did so in a way that collided with legal protections.