The number of students struggling with chronic absenteeism, while on the rise prior to COVID-19, appears to have increased dramatically since the onset of the pandemic. This dissertation explores the challenges faced in a suburban middle school in Western New York throughout and following the COVID-19 shutdown. Data from the district's student…

Considering the increased number of students impacted by homelessness and the overrepresentation of people of color among the homeless population, feeling adept in meeting the unique needs of this student population is critical for school counselors. We address findings from a qualitative study exploring the challenges and cultural responsiveness…

In 2018 there were incidents of mass school shootings recurring monthly during the school year. Newspaper articles have reported since Columbine, many of the school shooters had been bullied during their school years; hence, the phrase "bullied turned bully" New Ways to Stop Bullying (2019), suggests bullying occurs most frequently from…

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…

Children in today's society require substantial support systems to help them through turbulent times and equip them with strategies and coping skills for a productive lifestyle. This support system requires the collaboration of parents and schools. In the absence of this provision, many students encounter psychological distress that impedes their…

This qualitative study explored the experiences and perspectives of eight school counselors who attended a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ)--related professional development event at a Midwestern University. The researchers identified three themes: (a) commitment and motivation, (b) learning from and connecting with others,…

Many school systems have developed climate rating surveys to gather school perception data; however, research suggests that there are few states where this data is both disaggregated by race and used by school counselors. This study explores school counselors' use of school racial climate data as a benchmark for developing and delivering…

The study examined school counselor perceptions of the American School Counseling Association's Comprehensive School Counseling Program (CSCP) on academic outcomes (better-reported grades and better-standardized scores) of middle school students with a focus on recommendations for the tasks and responsibilities of school counselors. The study was…

This qualitative case study explored school staff members' perceptions of motivation for students with learning disabilities (LD) in middle schools. Students with LD are most vulnerable when it comes to experiencing school failure and dropping out of school, and researchers have associated this vulnerability with motivation. This study focused on…

This robust mixed-methods study examines ninth-grade advanced course placement in Arkansas, revealing disparities rooted in race and socioeconomic status. Utilizing a logit analysis for a five-year pooled sample (n = 163,616), we find persistent enrollment gaps for Black ninth-grade students after controlling for prior academic achievement,…

The COVID-19 pandemic led to an unparalleled disruption of student learning, disengaged students from school and peers, increased exposure to trauma, and had a negative impact on students' mental health and well-being. School counselors are the most accessible mental health care professionals in a school, providing support for all students' social…

We initiated the study in response to school counsellors' concerns over the effects of noneducational video gaming and texting on students' school performance. The research purpose was to examine the correlations between various factors and academic performance in grade 9. The factors included social relations (e.g., friends), extra-curricular…

The researcher described the experiences of school counselors who have implemented suicide prevention strategies at the middle and high school levels. Researchers have previously addressed school counselors' critical role in supporting students' social-emotional needs by implementing suicide prevention strategies as part of a comprehensive school…

The purpose of this qualitative case study is to explore the effects of social and emotional learning (SEL) programs on school safety in grades PreK-8 in the Northeast Region of the United States. As districts, schools and policymakers continue to dive deeper into supporting students' emotional and social needs, SEL programs are being implemented…

Grade 9 pupils' choice of a course to pursue in senior high school in Ghana is a decision made at a young age usually below 16 years. Therefore, these young pupils rely on other persons for help when making such a decision. Previous research found that instead of assisting, these social agents rather interfere with this decision-making process.…