The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) aims to ensure that all students are college- and career-ready by requiring all schools to implement high-quality accountability systems and services for students. The ESSA impacts assessment practices in schools by requiring staff to account for a broader range of variables related to student well-being,…

The purpose of the study was to explore, in depth, the impact teen pregnancy has on education attainment for girls 13-19 years of age across racial/ethnicity and socioeconomic status. Eight girls from African American/Black and Hispanic/Latino ethnic backgrounds participated in the study. Critical race theoretical framework was utilized for the…

"Louisiana Believes," the state's comprehensive plan to prepare students for college and career success, includes a system of related policies and programs that help schools provide students with pathways to future prosperity, give schools the resources to offer these pathways, and reward schools when students achieve their goals. This…

Recently, the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) has developed and approved several documents and resources that support foundational policy and practice areas critical to the future of school psychology: (1) effective education systems; (2) comprehensive school mental and behavioral health services; and (3) the comprehensive role…

Recent proposed legislation to change the public school funding formula has not taken the social work profession into account. There has been a lack of participation from professional associations in creating this legislation--critical legislation that enables school districts to determine what ancillary school support staff they will or will not…

Researchers surveyed CACREP school counseling program graduates from a southeastern university to explore successes and barriers in implementing a comprehensive, developmental school counseling program. Findings included significant differences across school levels in programmatic change (p less than 0.001) and responsive services (p = 0.041).…

This article provides an analysis of important considerations for documentation for school counselors. Although the American School Counseling Association (ASCA) does not provide a national protocol for documentation of school counseling services, the ASCA Ethical guidelines provide insight into ethical record keeping which protects student…

A survey was designed to comprehensively assess multiple aspects of school counselor job satisfaction and job-related frustration, as well as orientation with the comprehensive curriculum-based guidance program used in Arizona. The five-page survey was completed by 155 Arizona school counselors. While the majority of respondents reported high…

This article discusses the vital leadership role that school counselors have in reaching the profession's accountability standards. According to the school counseling program evaluation literature, this leadership responsibility is explained as it relates to four major evaluation areas commonly associated with comprehensive school counseling…

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act contains numerous implications for school counselors, but the affects of NCLB on school counselors' roles and identities has not been thoroughly explored. Further, ways comprehensive school counseling programs and school counselors can thrive while striving to meet the goals of NCLB have been ignored in previous…

This article describes a middle school counseling department's journey and commitment to use data to seek more effective and efficient ways to provide comprehensive school counseling services to its diverse student population. Specifically, the study details the process used to design focused accountability questions that measured the…

Why does evaluation matter so much in school counseling? Most importantly, when school counselors evaluate their interventions and programs, they can be more certain that what they are doing is making a difference for their students. School counselors have a professional responsibility to show that what they are doing is effective. With evaluation…

Self-mutilation is a prevalent concern, particularly for adolescents. School counseling programs can play an important role in the recognition, prevention, and intervention of self-mutilation. This study reviews current literature on adolescent self-mutilation, prevention, and treatment suggestions offered school counseling program personnel. Also…

It is important that counsellors provide evidence regarding the efficacy of their services. Although there has been an increased focus on generic outcome measurement of counselling programs and services, little attention has been paid to accountability issues for meeting the needs of diverse populations. This article highlights the increasing…

This study investigated how school counselors and principals perceive their professional relationship with each other. Specifically, it used Q methodology to develop 45 statements about the relationship between the school counselor and the principal. Subsequently, 39 professional school counselors and principals sorted the statements. Four factors…