Making School Counseling Mandates Meaningful

• In Event: Principal and School Counselor Collaboration to Support All Students

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the different perceptions that school counselors and building leaders have on school counseling priorities, perceptions, and practices mandated by the 2019 New York State Education Department regulations. Additionally, this study explores principals’ role in providing the support school counselors need to deliver a comprehensive school counseling program, a required component of the new regulations.
School principals and counselors can forge a unique collaboration to improve student achievement. Literature reveals that following the traditional approach to school counseling does not engage in ongoing models of collaboration and partnership (Gysbers & Henderson, 2012). With diverging views of the school counselor’s role as described by principals and school counselors, the identity dialogue has continued. Nonetheless, the College Board, National Association of Secondary School Principals and American School Counselor Association have concurred that the success of a school counseling program lies with the principal’s support and involvement (Finkelstein, 2009).
The Assessment of School Counselor Needs for Professional Development (ASCNPD) survey was administered. An analysis of the psychometric properties of ASCNPD (Author, b) showed high evidence of validity and reliability. The ASCNPD has been used extensively to collect data and establish a baseline regarding attitudes, beliefs, and practices of school counselors and school leaders.
Participants included principals and assistant principals, school counseling supervisors, and practicing school counselors employed in New York public and private schools. Participants’ contact information was elicited from state professional associations. Approximately 9,000 surveys were sent with 788 completed, representing a response rate of 8.7%. Simple descriptive statistics including percentages, computed means, correlations, and cross tabulations initially were applied. One-way analysis of variance compared mean scores on each of the 65 subscale items. Due to the large number of comparisons, a post-hoc Bonferroni correction was used to control for family-wise Type I error (Remler & Van Ryzin, 2011) and clarified the significant relationships between each item and the participants’ identified position.
Preliminary results revealed significant variance in relation to the participants’ position within their school in approximately 1/3 of the items. Further analyses will address the significant differences across the 4 survey subscales School Counselor Priorities, School Counselor Practices, Frequency of Specific Activities with Students and District and Building Expectations. Additionally, the results of this study should suggest key areas that support local and statewide efforts between school counselors and principals.
For the first time in more than 40 years, regulatory changes have updated school counseling programs and practices, thus there is value in assessing everyone’s readiness and openness to implement the changes required by the new state regulations. The working relationship between the principal and the school counselor plays an important role in improving student academic success as well as college and career readiness (Author, a; Dimmitt & Wilkerson, 2012). Partnership between counselors and principals is now, more than ever, paramount to student success and helping them cope with the trauma inflicted by COVID-19. Collaboration can help ensure these new mandates are meaningful and impactful.
 

Authors

• Carol A. Dahir, New York Institute of Technology

• Robert Feirsen, Manhattanville College