The Pennsylvania Department of Education revised the statewide graduation requirement (Act 158) to include postsecondary preparedness effective with the 2023 graduation class. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was adopted to mandate schools to provide the resources to assist students to meet academic standards leading to career and college…

The number of English language learners (ELLs) in schools is growing, yet many ELLs struggle with being college-ready by the time they graduate high school. School counselors are an important part of a student's college preparation while in high school. School counselors help students create their class schedules, learn about college requirements,…

The "IDRA Newsletter" serves as a vehicle for communication with educators, school board members, decision-makers, parents, and the general public concerning the educational needs of all children across the United States. The focus of this issue is "College Readiness and Success." Contents include: (1) Texas School Counselors…

Professional School Counselors have been utilized in different ways within the K-12 school system. Administrators may assign the school counselor tasks that may not coincide with the laws and standards. The purpose of this descriptive study was to understand educators' differences about the role of the school counselor. The school counselor's role…

This study surveyed 225 school counselors to investigate the college and career readiness (CCR) supports they provide, with a focus on whether these supports vary based on students' disability status. The results reveal that school counselors deliver CCR supports related to resource coordination, life-readiness instruction, and career assessment…

Members of a prominent school counseling organization were surveyed to measure their perceived responsibility, self-efficacy, and performance related to increasing students' college knowledge. The purposes of this study were to: (a) understand what level do school counselors believe they bear the responsibility to increase students' college…

This study sought to identify best practices incorporated by secondary school counselors in California high schools that promote, support, and increase college-going identity and foster a supportive college-going environment for Latino male students. The researcher used a phenomenological qualitative study to capture the best practices and…

High schools are viewed by policymakers, practitioners, and researchers alike as key institutions in facilitating access to college, especially for minoritized students from low-income families. A school-wide strategy for making college accessible is for high schools to establish a college-going culture that normalizes college attendance, elevates…

With increased pressure for schools to demonstrate college and career readiness, it is crucial to explore the roles and activities of school counselors, the preservice training they receive, and how those college and career readiness concepts are integrated into their roles. The research questions were (1) What are the current roles and activities…

High school administrators, teachers, coaches, and guidance counselors, collectively termed as educators, are responsible for educating teenage students while preparing them for adult life. High school students culminate their education not just with a diploma, but also a decision about what to pursue as an adult. Although there is a common desire…

Rural school communities face an array of systemic barriers that often impact students' college and career readiness (CCR). These barriers often extend to students identified as gifted and talented, a subsection with differing CCR readiness needs than their non-gifted peers. Despite these barriers, school counselors are well positioned to address…

This study examined student, parent, and faculty perceptions of academic development needs and related comprehensive school counseling program services from four urban middle and high schools. Participants (n = 1,032) completed a survey designed to assist schools in planning and evaluating their career and college readiness programs, and exploring…

This playbook provides ways in which school counselors and school teams can blur the lines between high school, postsecondary education, and the workforce. School counselors play a significant role to Raise the Bar for student success by developing an "education-to-workforce system" focusing on Unlocking Career Success.

The purpose of this study was to investigate school counselors' perception of and ability to implement the 20 predictors of post-school success for students with disabilities. Results indicated statistical differences between grade levels in their perceived ability to implement transition services. We offer specific recommendations for how school…

This study addresses school counselors' perceptions of the importance of college and career readiness counseling and their preparedness to implement aspects of such counseling with students and families. Results from surveying school counselors in a large urban district serving a diverse, low-income student population indicated that school…