Professional school counselors play a role in helping students and families make college decisions. One student group that may have unique challenges are student athletes who wish to compete at the collegiate level. These students have additional requirements, beyond traditional admission procedures, to meet eligibility requirements. The purpose…

Universal Free Application for Financial Student Aid (FAFSA) policies are being implemented in states as a way to eliminate financial barriers to college enrollment and completion for underrepresented student groups. High school counselors play a critical role in helping students complete this graduation requirement. Texas adopted a universal…

This study addresses the following research question: "How do counselors in different school contexts evaluate their students' college readiness and offer post-secondary guidance?" Best practices in school counselor use of time and job duties are well understood and studied. Similar guidelines for best practices in post-secondary…

Professional school counselors have been advocating for their role as counselors in the schools for decades (Galassi & Akos, 2007; Gysbers, 2002; Slaten & Baskin, 2013). Although researchers have addressed this concern through advocacy in service and writing, school counselors continue to perform a significant amount of non-counseling…

This study reports a qualitative grounded-theory investigation that explored school counselor trainees' experiences engaging in psychoeducational group lessons with first-generation college-going (first-in-family) high school students. As part of this semester-long, group-based experiential training, counselor trainees developed and implemented…

This qualitative study explores the leadership behaviors of system leaders and best practices of high school counselors in highly effective school districts that prepare all students for college and career readiness. A total of twelve participants were interviewed for this study including superintendents of schools, high school principals, and…

This phenomenological study presents 11 urban school counselors' perceptions of their graduate education in school counseling in relation to their engagement in college readiness counseling with low-income, 1st-generation college-bound students. Findings from 2 rounds of interviews suggest that intentional strategies to integrate postsecondary…

In a national survey, teachers were asked about their perceptions of the professional school counselor role as defined by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA, 2005). Teachers were questioned about the extent that they believed that school counselors should engage in and were engaged in a variety of tasks endorsed as appropriate or…

The primary purpose of this study was to explore how the No Child Left Behind Act has impacted the traditional responsibilities of high school counselors. Furthermore, if there have been changes in school counselor roles, how are school counselors managing the impact? The study findings also investigated school counselor professional development…

This article discusses a theoretical perspective, research results, and practical examples that support new roles for school counselors in strengthening school programs of family and community involvement. A modest proposal is offered for school counselors to spend 20% of their time on strengthening teamwork for partnerships by working with other…

In the next decade, more than half of all new American jobs will require some postsecondary education, yet the current college attainment rate for the nation is 39 percent. The challenges appear well before students begin college: one in four public high school students fails to graduate on time, and of those who graduate, one-third need remedial…

This study surveyed principals (N = 303) across the nation about their perceptions of school counselor roles and satisfaction with counseling services. Results from this exploratory study revealed that principals reported overall satisfaction with counseling services, although satisfaction varied across levels (elementary, middle school/junior…

Fifty-three school counselors and administrators employed in middle and high school settings were surveyed regarding their thoughts about school districts working collaboratively with non-school mental health professionals to respond to the mental health needs of students. In addition, the survey sought to understand what school counselors and…