School Counselor Preparation Programs Research Articles

School Counselors’ Experiences With Ethical Decision Making

Using a purposeful, convenience sampling method, we explored six school counselors’ experiences of ethical decision making. We used a transcendental phenomenology research method and identified the themes of consulting, referring to ethical guidelines, documenting, contributing factors, and engaging in professional development. This article discusses implications for school counselor preparation programs and practicing school counselors.

Increasing partnerships in educational leadership and school counseling: a framework for collaborative school principal and school counselor preparation and support

ABSTRACT This paper presents a practical training framework for collaboration for pre-service and in-service school counselors and principal training programs, which can serve as a model for other programs to best meet the social, emotional, academic, and career and college readiness needs of P-12 students. The framework includes six elements: 1) effective pre-service preparation; 2) sustainable partnerships; 3) stakeholder collaboration; 4) current practitioner support; 5) model site development; and, 6) ongoing research and professional learning. Each element of the framework is presented with examples of collaboration among principal and school counselor preparation programs. While principals and school counselors have unique and diverse roles in schools, their collaboration supports the holistic (e.g. academic, social, and emotional) development of P-12 students. Similarly, collaboration between pre-service training programs, community partners, and practitioners can be beneficial for both students and educators. Little information is known about how these collaborative skillsets are developed in pre-service and in-service training programs, however. This framework provides faculty in higher education and pre- and in-service practitioners insights to foster school counselor and principal collaboration and positive relationships.

The School Counselor and Special Education: Aligning Training With Practice

The intent of this article is to discuss the importance of training school counselors in providing adequate services to students with special needs, as mandated by special education law and supported by school counseling standards created by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA). In addition, the lack of adequate and unified training for school counselors in this area will be explored. This article suggests implementing a more consistent school counselor education program across institutions that would include coursework and experiences in special education that are in alignment with the standards of ASCA, legal obligations, and daily counselor roles. Examples of ways to incorporate such experiences and assignments into courses across counselor training programs are provided.Keywords: counselor education, school counselor, special education, counselor training, American School Counselor AssociationThe enactment of special education laws and mandates such as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (PL 94-142) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which require schools to provide free appropriate public education to all students within the regular education setting, have immensely impacted the school counseling profession (Bowen & Glenn, 1998; Dunn & Baker, 2002; Milsom, 2002; Owens, Thomas, & Strong, 2011). The number of students identified as appropriate to receive special education services is growing (Dunn & Baker, 2002; McEachem, 2003; Owens et ah, 2011). Therefore, school counselors are now required to provide equal services to more students with special needs within the regular education setting. Similarly, school counselors are required to take a more active role in the Individual Education Program (IEP) process, from identification to implementation, than what was previously expected in the past (Dunn & Baker, 2002; Milsom, Goodnough, & Akos, 2007; Owens et ah, 2011). School counselors' involvement in special education is not only required by specific legislation, but also poses ethical considerations regarding to direct and indirect services for students with special needs. In response to legislation, the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) has advocated for school counselor involvement in special education and published guidelines for servicing students with special needs (Isaacs, Greene & Valesky, 1998; Myers, 2005; Studer & Quigney, 2005).Despite a study conducted by Studer and Quigney (2003) which showed that school counselors are becoming more involved with special education by serving on teams that assist with disability identification and implementation of services, counselor education programs are not adequately training future school counselors to deal with changing roles and responsibilities included in servicing students with special needs (McEachem, 2003; Milsom & Akos, 2003; Romano, Paradise, & Green, 2009; Studer & Quigney, 2005). Additionally, there is a dearth of recent research in the literature addressing concerns that special education is not being adequately addressed in school counselor preparation programs. Although there is an increasing trend in school counselor training programs to include some instruction about special education (Studer & Quigney, 2005), no specific suggestions for implementing such content into the curriculum have been published to date. In response, this article provides ideas and recommendations for infusing special education content throughout the school counseling curriculum required by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). Counselor education programs must recognize the importance of the school counselor in the lives of students with disabilities, and adequate training should become a priority.Students with Special Needs, the School Counselor and the LawSince the enactment of special education laws and mandates such as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (PL 94-142) and IDEA, the role of the school counselor has continued to evolve (Bowen & Glenn, 1998; Dunn & Baker, 2002; Milsom, 2002; Owens et al. …

Sexual Orientation Curriculum in U.S. School Counselor Education Programs

The sexual orientation–related content of 60 school counselor preparation programs across 22 U.S. states is described. The findings include the percentage of curricular time devoted to sexual orientation–related topics, the specific sexual orientation–related topics addressed, and the locations of sexual orientation–related curriculum within programs (e.g., foundations, methods, and fieldwork/practica). The research also investigated any relationship between sexual orientation–related curriculum and faculty demographics and Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs (CACREP) accreditation. Findings and recommendations are addressed in light of CACREP and American School Counselor Association (ASCA) standards.

Eating Issues in Schools: Detection, Management, and Consultation With Allied Professionals

It is well documented that eating disorders tend to emerge in adolescence and young adulthood. Recent epidemiological research indicates that the highest incidence (new cases) of anorexia nervosa occurs in young females between the ages of 15 and 19 (Keski-Rahkonen et al., 2007), whereas the highest incidence of bulimia nervosa occurs in young females between the ages of 16 and 20 (Keski-Rahkonen et al., 2009). Because of this age of onset, many individuals who develop eating disorders are students who spend a significant amount of time at school around their peers and school faculty. School counselors, therefore, are in a unique and important position to detect student eating issues in the early stages and to take steps to ensure that student needs are being met. The prevalence of eating-related problems in the schools is difficult to pinpoint. Although anorexia and bulimia are relatively rare in the general population, the most often diagnosed eating disorder is eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS), the category researchers know the least about (Striegel-Moore & Bulik, 2007). In addition, many adolescents struggle with potentially serious eating issues that do not meet the diagnostic criteria for an eating disorder. A recent nationally representative sample of American high school students revealed that a staggering 59.3% of girls and 30.5% of boys were trying to lose weight (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2010). Nearly 15% of girls and 7% of boys acknowledged having engaged in unhealthy dieting behaviors within the past month (CDC, 2010). Subclinical eating problems such as these can lead to the development of various mental health problems in young adulthood, including depression, anxiety, and substance abuse disorders (Lewinsohn, Striegel-Moore, & Seeley, 2000). Finally, eating disorder statistics do not account for adolescents who in some way are dissatisfied about their body size or shape. Research indicates that between 40% and 70% of adolescent girls are dissatisfied with two or more aspects of their bodies (Levine & Smolak, 2004). Body dissatisfaction is so widespread among adolescent girls that it could be considered a normative discontent (Levine & Smolak, 2004, p. 74). The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) promotes the school counselor's understanding of the continuum of mental health services, including prevention and intervention strategies for addressing academic personal/ social and career development to enhance student success in school counselor preparation programs (ASCA, 2008, p. 39). However, school counseling students are not required to take courses in psychopathology (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs [CACREP], 2009). This gap in training could lead school counselors to believe that they cannot adequately manage eating issues in the school setting. This is not necessarily the case. Although it is outside the school counselor's scope to diagnose students with specific mental disorders, they have a critical role to play in assessment, support, referral, and follow-up services (Geroski, Rodgers, & Breen, 1997). Consultation can enhance this role, and counselors can benefit from the existing knowledge base on consultation (Zins, 2002). In alignment with the ASCA National Model, consultation with parents or guardians, teachers, and community agencies to meet student needs is a key element of the delivery system (ASCA, 2005). ASCA (2005) promotes the delivery of responsive services in the schools to address the wide range of needs and concerns of students through counseling, consultation, and referral. It is possible for school counselors, therefore, to take on an expanded role with regard to eating-related problems in schools that encompasses assessment, consultation, and ongoing case management. Thus, the purpose of this article is to provide school counselors with a resource for assessing and managing eating issues in the schools, including when and how to consult with other human service professionals. …

Identifying Curriculum Components for Classroom Management Training for School Counselors: A Delphi Study

The Delphi Study was conducted to determine recommended curriculum components to be used in training school counselors to be effective classroom managers when conducting (large-group counseling) classroom guidance. Thirty-five participants, including nationally certified school counselor practitioners and prominent school counselor educators, were the two expert groups in the study. Eighty-nine initial curriculum items were identified, both knowledge and skill items included. After three rounds of the survey, the 40 items that remained were the final recommendations of the expert panel. In further analyses, no statistically significant differences were found when examining responses by expert group, gender, years of experience, or educational level. Specific recommendations are made to incorporate the findings into school counselor preparation programs.

Strategies to Operationalize CACREP Standards in School Counselor Education

School counselor preparation programs must train students in counseling skills while addressing the unique factors related to counseling in an educational setting. One way to approach this task is to utilize the general and school counseling standards set forth by CACREP (2009) as a framework for program planning. This article describes one university‟s course sequencing, program specific courses, and strategies and assignments designed to meet the particular educational needs of future professional school counselors as well as incorporate the CACREP (2009) standards. This article is available in The Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision: http://repository.wcsu.edu/jcps/vol2/iss1/5

Best Practices in Counseling the Gifted in Schools: What’s Really Happening?

School counselors play a vital role in meeting the needs of gifted students in their buildings. However, because there is a lack of structured, standardized, and empirically tested best practices for counseling gifted students, school counselors may not know how best to serve this unique population. The purpose of this study was to investigate gifted and talented adolescents’ experiences with the counseling techniques, strategies, and approaches most frequently cited in the gifted education literature in order to determine if any of these best practices were actually occurring. Few of these best practices were experienced by gifted and talented adolescents surveyed. School counselor preparation programs should consider providing training curriculum that addresses issues unique to the learning and development of gifted students. Putting the research to use School counselors play an integral role in supporting the talent development of gifted students. While there is an abundance of suggested best practices in counseling the gifted in the literature, there are few studies which ascertain if the suggested best practices are being provided by school counselors or the relationship between the gifted student and their counselor. This study was designed to enlighten both the fields of school counseling and gifted education as to what students are experiencing with their school counselors, what if any best practices are being delivered, and what programmatic options gifted students would like to see in their high schools. Findings indicate that few of the best practices are being experienced by high school students. Hence, while future research is needed to further explore this disconnect, the critical issue is the need for school counselors to have more exposure to these best practices in their preparation programs and beyond.

School Counselor Preparation to Meet the Guidance Needs of Exceptional Students: A National Study

A representative sample of counselor educators at U.S. universities were surveyed to identify the kinds of curricula school counselor preparation programs use for preparing students to work with exceptional students (ES). Program courses in exceptional student education (ESE), competencies, field experiences, state certification requirements for ESE courses, the degree of importance accorded by counselor educators to prepare graduates to serve ES, and the educators' level of satisfaction with current program requirements were investigated. Sixty‐two percent of the programs surveyed did not offer a specific ESE course; however, 53% of these programs (N = 146) reported that ESE competencies were incorporated in other program courses.

Transforming School Counselor Preparation Programs

(2002). Transforming School Counselor Preparation Programs. Theory Into Practice: Vol. 41, Transforming School Counseling, pp. 169-176.

A Comparison of Existing School Counselor Program Content With The Education Trust Initiatives

In a national survey of entry‐level school counselor preparation programs, counselor educators were asked about the extent to which they addressed, in their classes, concepts defined by The Education Trust literature and the extent to which these concepts were important in preparing school counselors. The relationship between existing programs and The Education Trust initiatives for the preparation of school counselors is discussed.

A National Survey of School Counselor Preparation Programs: Screening Methods, Faculty Experiences, Curricular Content, and Fieldwork Requirements

This article describes the results of a national survey regarding the preparation of entry‐level school counseling students. The questionnaire asked counselor educators about credit hours, screening methods, previous faculty experiences in a school setting, course content, and fieldwork requirements. Survey results revealed similarities and differences among school counselor preparation programs.

Elementary and Secondary School Counselor Preparation Programs: How Different are They?

There is a paucity of current information on training programs for elementary school counselors. Also, criticisms about roles and the need for specialized training for this group are contained in recent literature. This article presents the results of a national survey that focused on the differences in preparation programs for elementary and secondary school counselors. Data on specific courses and number of required courses for elementary and for secondary counselors are included.

Differentiation In Elementary School Counselor Preparation Programs Among ACES Regions

A national survey, reported by ACES regions, examined the differentiation of counselor education programs for the preparation of elementary school counselors. While the study, based on usable questionnaire returns from 225 counselor education programs, provides evidence of many efforts toward program differentiation, there remains a substantial lack of uniformity in preparation background of elementary school counselors graduating from preparation programs across the country.

School Superintendents View Counselor Preparation

Counselor Education and SupervisionVolume 7, Issue S3 p. 379-386 School Superintendents View Counselor Preparation Herman J. Peters, Herman J. Peters Professor of Education Herman J. Peters is Professor of Education, The Ohio State University, Columbus;Search for more papers by this authorCharles L. Thompson, Charles L. Thompson Assistant Professor Charles L. Thompson is Assistant Professor, Department of Educational Psychology and Guidance, University of Tennessee, Knoxville.Search for more papers by this author Herman J. Peters, Herman J. Peters Professor of Education Herman J. Peters is Professor of Education, The Ohio State University, Columbus;Search for more papers by this authorCharles L. Thompson, Charles L. Thompson Assistant Professor Charles L. Thompson is Assistant Professor, Department of Educational Psychology and Guidance, University of Tennessee, Knoxville.Search for more papers by this author First published: March 1968 https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1556-6978.1968.tb00831.xCitations: 2 AboutRelatedInformationPDFPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessClose modalShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Citing Literature Volume7, IssueS3March 1968Pages 379-386 RelatedInformation RecommendedPreparation of the Elementary School Counselor: 1972GEORGE E. HILL, Counselor Education and SupervisionHow Can Primary Concerns of School District Superintendents Guide School Health Efforts?Scott D. Winnail, R. Todd Bartee, Journal of School HealthDifferentiation In Elementary School Counselor Preparation Programs Among ACES RegionsBeatrice L. Wehrly, Counselor Education and SupervisionForeign Language Attitudes Survey: Georgia Superintendents and High School PrincipalsH. Jarold Weatherford Ph.D., Foreign Language Annals