This article reflects on her experiences as a middle school counselor in Kentucky. It relates that counselors have been called upon to address problems of middle school students, including substance abuse. It offers an overview of the advantages of the American School Counselor Association's National Standards, such as its provision of legitimacy…

Educational refinement is defined as attempts to improve education through incremental improvements in the existing structure, while educational reform refers to change in the structure itself. A strong move is underway to reform education in the United States. It is argued that the development of assessments in support of educational reform…