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SCHOOL GUIDANCE COUNSELOR.
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Essay Subject:
Changing role. Standards. Review of Literature. Evaluation.... More...
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Paper Abstract:
Changing role. Standards. Review of Literature. Evaluation.

Paper Introduction:
Research on Counseling in the Schools Introduction According to Nancy Perry (1997), head of the American School Counselor Association, it was Sputnik that was responsible for altering the role of the school guidance counselor. This started a process that has made the job of the school counselor almost impossible because of so many different expectations. School counselors were expected to get students to major in math and science, then they were given administrative and clerical responsibilities, along with testing responsibilities, and responsibilities for dealing with social problems. In order to address the continuing problem of delimiting, and standardizing the role of the school counselor, the ASCA set forth a set of national standards in 1997, although it is still up to the individual

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Perhaps this focus on collaborationis the result of the constantly expanding role of the school counselor, andhis or her involvement, in so many aspects of school life. Other school may not introduce guidance counselors until middleschool or even high school, focusing strictly on tests, vocational, andacademic guidance toward the end of the school years. However, identifying students and keeping them from dropping outare two different issues. This is the personwho may administer tests to students, help them choose coursework that willprepare them for career or college, and interface with them when they getinto trouble with the system. and Boveja, M.E. I wonder if the educationalrequirements for school guidance counselors, and their training, is keepingup with the rapid changes in the profession. My own personal reaction to the literature was a positive one. One role that seems an important one is in identifying adolescentswho are at-risk for failure within the school system. The school counselor played an essential role inhelping both child and teacher make the transition. Yet, this is a complicated taskrequiring a number of different skills. Principaland counselor collaboration. Brant, M. Cafazzo, D. (1999). (1999). Ho, V. Techniques, 72(7),44. In order to address the continuing problem of delimiting, andstandardizing the role of the school counselor, the ASCA set forth a set ofnational standards in 1997, although it is still up to the individualschool to adopt those standards. . School counselors hard-pressed to keep eye ontroubled students. Just usingqualitative judgments alone, they did as well as an administered predictionscale. And now the pitch . This started a process that hasmade the job of the school counselor almost impossible because of so manydifferent expectations. References ASCA sets national counseling standards. (1999) talked about the need forcollaboration between the principal and the counselor, both overburdenedwith paperwork and responsibilities for meeting a number of requirementsfrom state, local, and federal sources. they note that well-trained school counselors can provide adjunct services to children andtheir families that lessen the stress that lead to problems in theclassroom and school. They perceive themselves as responsible for a wide range oftasks that seem unmanageable. Thus, Group Health and Central Youth and Family Services combineto provide a teen health clinic which includes physical health servicesprovided by health care professionals and mental health services providedby mental health counselors (Ho, 1999).Evaluation, observation, and personal reactions In reviewing a sampling of the literature dealing with counseling inthe schools, it seemed as though there was good availability of a range oftypes of materials, including anecdotal reports, research studies, andliterature reviews. On the other hand, they note that school counselors must not tryto distance themselves as administrators or disciplinarians, nor keepsecrets and stop communicating with principals. Wells et al. Some schools use counselors from elementary school through high school,serving the population from the beginning, and having low student-counselorratios. For example, one newer role is working with teachers in helpingprovide services for children with disabilities. (1999). (1999) recommend that the principals recognize that theschool counselor is not there to enhance the principal, but to help thestudents. Finally, Niebuhr et al. They seem to think that the job of guidancecounselor has change far beyond its original intention, and thatalterations need to be made in order to narrow its scope and standardizepractice. (1997). Niebuhr, K.E., Niebuhr, R.E. Accepting Cody.Learning, 26(3), 34-37. The News Tribune, B1. and Cleveland, W.T. He also coaches his students, running mock interviews and helpingthem choose essay topics for the various schools. Thiswould recognize the vital role of the school counselor, while allowing bothto focus on what they do best and bring two different perspectives toimportant school problems. Education, 119(4), 674-678. They note there areseveral areas of potential collaboration between the two, such as assessingthe school climate for threatening influences and improving safety,interviewing teacher candidates and discussing choices, working oncharacter education, and thinking together about student discipline. (1999). Itsounded as though the school guidance counselors are the individuals in theschool who are in the middle of everything. If there was a theme in the literature, collaboration was it. For example, under personal development,students would be expected to understand safety and survival skills, aswell as decision-making and interpersonal skills.Roles of the Counselor Perhaps the first thing to do is to look at the roles and activitiesof the more traditional academic guidance counselor. The authors noted that there is the need for acollaborative effort in prevention efforts, involving parents, teachers,and school counselors and psychologists, at a minimum. This developed fromPublic Law 94-142 that established the concept of mainstreaming, includingproviding all necessary services for children with handicapping conditions,including emotional and behavioral problems, and learning disabilities.This led to a more collaborative working arrangement between teachers andcounselors, as all members of school staff attempted to adapt to newresponsibilities (Niebuhr et al., 1999). Schoolcounselors' accuracy in identifying adolescents at risk for dropping out.Adolescence, 34(135), 457-461. Newsweek, 133(14), 58. Boyd et al. Manyof the articles emphasized the need for collaboration between differentparticipants in the school structure. However, as notedearlier, the school counselors role began to shift in the 196 s and hasadded more and more activities, including a number of administrative,social work, and therapeutic activities. It includes a number of focal points,including standards dealing with academic development, career development,personal and social development. My general observation about the literature is that it reveals thatschool guidance counselors have a nearly impossible job from theirviewpoint. (1997). Wells, D., Miller, M.J., and Clanton, R.C. For example, in Seattle's public schools, thedistrict provides the academic and guidance counselors, but outsideagencies provide mental health counselors and counselors for teen healthclinics. Rotter and Boveja (1999) discussed an even more expanded role for theschool counselor, noting that they are natural allies for family therapistsseeking to intervene in a dysfunctional family system. The research studies were limited in theirmeaningfulness, I thought, however, because they tended to focus onperipheral matters, rather than on school counseling itself, its utility,and its improvement. Seattle Post-Intelligencer, December 21, C18. They can provide educational programs on normaldevelopment issues and problems. For example, Martha Brant (1999) talkedabout what is thought of as a school guidance counselor activity (althoughexceptional) in profiling Leonard King and discussing how he works thephones with colleges in order to help his students in the admissionsprocess. School counselors were expected to get studentsto major in math and science, then they were given administrative andclerical responsibilities, along with testing responsibilities, andresponsibilities for dealing with social problems. (1999). This would be essential, butI did not really notice much in the literature dealing with that topic. Family therapists and schoolcounselors: A collaborative endeavor. While that may feeloverwhelming, it also seems like a powerful position in which theindividual can influence children and effect change within the schoolsystem. Family Journal, 7(3), 276-279. For example, inTacoma, Washington, the school district has only one counselor for every475 high school students (Cafazzo, 1999). . This may be overly optimistic, but it seems as though guidancecounselors can serve as the mediators between different communities --children and teachers, parents and teachers, perhaps even parents andchildren and teachers and principals. They can interface directly with familytherapists if a student has been referred, if the family therapist isknowledgeable and skilled at creating those kinds of arrangements.Options in a School Setting There are several options for using counselors in the school setting. Hess, L.L., and Herschman, J. Rotter, J.C. Counselor at health clinic helps teens deal withpressure. Boyd, M. What often results is thatprincipals try to give many of the paperwork responsibilities tocounselors, which undercuts their most effective role in the schools.Niebuhr et al. Research on Counseling in the SchoolsIntroduction According to Nancy Perry (1997), head of the American SchoolCounselor Association, it was Sputnik that was responsible for altering therole of the school guidance counselor. (1997) reported on the effective mainstreaming of onechild that resulted from the effective collaboration of a teacher andsocial worker/guidance counselor. (1999). The teacher had never worked with achild with such disabilities before, and did not have the training tomainstream easily. These counselors are able to dolittle more than the basics.Types of Positions for Counselors The traditional school guidance counselor has been joined by manyother types of counselors, although these are often funded from outside theschool district itself. (2 )noted that school counselors were actually quite good at identifying thosestudents who were at-risk for dropping out of school.

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