Community asset mapping is an approach that school counselors can use to locate resources to meet the needs of families, schools, and communities. This article provides step-by-step instructions on how school counselors might use community asset mapping to address the needs of their population(s), illustrated with an example of implementation in a…

A qualitative research study was conducted with 15 school counselors to identify the strategies they used to empower Chicana/o and Latina/o high school students. The findings of this study revealed that participants facilitated student empowerment by developing personal relationships with students, involving alumni, building sociocultural…

Latinos represent almost one quarter of students enrolled in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade in public schools. Between 2011 and 2022, Latino postsecondary enrollment will increase by 27% -- the largest rate of increase of all groups. This report examines the role of high school counselors in assisting Latino and other underrepresented…

This book will support teachers, counselors, and administrators in creating a culturally relevant, school-wide, college-going culture to improve educational experiences and outcomes for Black and Latina/o youth. The authors present the perspectives and experiences of 25 students, focusing on the complexities of their daily lives and illuminating…

This volume addresses the most current perspectives and issues related to giftedness and is written by leaders in the field. An excellent resource for special educators, administrators, mental health clinicians, school counselors, and psychologists, this volume addresses the different educational issues that impact this population. The area of…

Culturally derived career counseling groups constitute a potentially promising way of providing supportive experiences for Latino/a college students. These groups can facilitate Latino/a students' help-seeking behavior, address general college transition needs, add new coping skills, resolve developmental issues, and respond to career concerns.…

Given the burgeoning obesity problem among Latino youth and concomitant health problems (Spiotta & Luma, 2008), school counselors have begun to recognize the need for culturally sensitive programming to promote healthy lifestyles. More theoretical, evidence-based programs are needed, however, to ensure Latino youth receive appropriate…

This study examined the influence of acculturation, enculturation, parental education level, financial concerns, and gender on 106 Mexican American high school students' decisions to apply to college. Results indicated that acculturation and female gender were significant predictors. Implications for interventions with Latino high school students…

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 case study describes the experiences of a Mexican American college student addressing difficulties with academic motivation and social adjustment to college. The authors present a counseling intervention that is ecologically focused and designed to help the student develop critical consciousness regarding ethnic and social class identity.…

In 2011, the National Office for School Counselor Advocacy launched a journal series to support and build awareness of the issues and challenges raised by the College Board Advocacy & Policy Center's research report, "The Educational Experience of Young Men of Color" (youngmenofcolor.collegeboard.org.) The intent of the series is to…

Traditionally, Latino and African-American students have been underrepresented in Advanced Placement courses. However, professional school counselors work to remove barriers to "all" students' success. This article (a) identifies challenges that Latino and African-American students encounter in accessing Advanced Placement courses, (b) reviews the…

Research has illustrated that school counselors "do not" provide Latina/o students with sufficient information about higher education (Immerwahr, 2003; Zalaquett, 2005), high expectations (Martinez, 2003), and individual counseling and guidance (Vela Gude et al., in press). Because school counselors are supposed to play an important role in…

This article is practitioner based and focuses on how high school counselors can facilitate the development of Latina/o youth and parents who on a daily basis face psychological and social issues that confront their lives. My work with Latina/o troubled youth and parents, over a 33 year period, has led me to propose five concepts that can serve…

This article discusses individual, structural, and cultural factors that shape the educational and vocational transitions of graduating high school Black and Latino students. Implications of such factors for school counselors who wish to facilitate these adolescents' career development also are presented.