The need for schools to produce graduates ready to meet increasing workforce demands and postsecondary admission requirements has called for more individualized career and academic planning with high school students. School counselors have a unique yet complex role in providing college and career guidance, monitoring, and opportunities. This study…

School counselors are charged to identify potential dropouts and they work closely with students to help them stay in school or find alternative means of completing their education. Ninth grade students transitioning to high school experience insurmountable challenges as they shift from middle school to high school. Students who lack the academic…

Eight Latino college students were interviewed to determine their perceptions of the role of their high school counselors. The findings revealed the following themes: (a) inadequate advisement, (b) lack of availability, (c) lack of individual counseling, (d) differential treatment, and (e) low expectations or setting limits. Despite insufficient…

This article describes an exploratory and descriptive study that examined the parental involvement beliefs, attitudes, and activities of 22 high school counselors who work in high-poverty and high-minority schools. More specifically, this study examined school counselors' beliefs and activities about involving parents in the college admission…

School principals and school counselors have the ability to forge a unique collaborative relationship to improve student achievement. Historically, school counselors have altered the primary focus of their work as deemed by the perspective of their principals. With an emphasis on improving student success in school, this study revealed the…

This national exploratory study examined the perceptions of secondary school counselors' (n = 81) understanding of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). Two one-way ANOVAs revealed no statistically significant differences between middle and high school counselors on their perceptions of the prevalence of NSSI. Descriptive analyses revealed that a…

In 2003, a study of two Canadian adult literacy programs included 37 learners who revealed a variety of reasons for having dropped out of school as teenagers and younger adults. Chief among these were the influences of parents, siblings, and peers both in and out of school. This article considers these research findings, in light of the…

Notes that high school counselors may be called upon to write letters supporting student applications to local community scholarship organizations. For those counselors asked to write such letters of recommendation to these groups, a number of suggestions are offered and discussed. (NB)

Identified stressful aspects of stepfamily living in 63 high school students who completed a questionnaire. Results indicated that overall stress was not high and was often related to adolescence rather than stepfamily living. Discipline issues and not being able to visit the absent biological parent were rated most stressful. (JAC)

A total of 204 middle and high school counselors from across the United States responded to a survey in which they were asked to determine whether they view specific adolescent risk-taking behaviors of varying intensity, frequency, and duration as warranting parental notification. Results suggest that counselors' perceptions that it is ethical to…

The longitudinal study in this article tested whether advantages in the career development of high school seniors resulted in better transition outcomes for these young adults 3 years after they graduated from high school. Enhanced career development in high school was significantly connected to more successful transitions into the adult roles of…

This document was designed as: (1) a guide for counselors working with the Otis Spunkmeyer Student Motivational Program for high school students; (2) a resource in training counselors for positions with corporations sponsoring student motivational programs; (3) an explanation of the program for general audiences; and (4) a stimulus for those…

There is no question that professionals and students need help in the process of gathering, deciphering, and then utilizing career information. As we enter the 21st century, school counselors are in a significant position to access and facilitate use of all sorts of career information, and they must be technically prepared to orient students,…

Examined factors college-bound high school seniors (N=848) perceived as most helpful in making career decisions. Results suggested that their families and interesting high school classes were the most helpful factors. Teachers were also rated as helpful, while counselors generally were not. (JAC)

This article focuses on systemic conceptualizations that attempt to explicate why academic achievement may be challenging for some urban African American high school students. In addition, the author delineates the important roles that high school counselors can play in ensuring urban African American high school students' academic success.