The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) national model recognizes the importance of school counselors addressing the personal and social development of students, as well as the academic development, to ultimately help them succeed. A number of concerns have been raised regarding the impact of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act on…

In their work with adolescent students, school counselors often are faced with the ethical dilemma of whether to break confidentiality to report risk-taking and potentially dangerous behaviors to parents. This study reports the results of a national survey asking school counselors to rate the importance of multiple factors that influence their…

Middle school counselors are in a strategic position to provide leadership in promotion of bullying prevention efforts in their schools. This article provides middle school counselors with an understanding of early adolescent bullying, an overview of a comprehensive set of interventions that can be implemented to support a whole-school approach to…

The recent increase in prison populations has given rise to an unprecedented number of children in the school system with incarcerated parents. To cope with stressors before, during, or after parents' incarceration, children can exhibit a range of problematic and maladaptive behaviors. This article explores the negative behaviors these children…

The current article is designed to provide school counselors an understanding of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The causes, characteristics, and treatment approaches are presented with examples focusing on school-related issues. The article concludes with a discussion about the role that the school counselor can take in helping the child…

Overrepresentation of African Americans in special education programs has engendered much concern within the education community. However, little information is available on how the counseling profession can advocate for this particular population. The purpose of this article is to illuminate information pertaining to the overrepresentation of…

School counselors are currently being charged to become active participants in systemic change for student achievement. This will require leadership. Our study was significant in that it complemented and perpetuated the vision and direction of the school counseling field. This empirical study investigates school counselors' perceptions of…

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…

Career development is an essential role of the school counselor. This study examined the role of school counselors in assisting middle school and high school students with choosing careers. Special attention is given to school counselors working with students with and without disabilities. Results indicated that school counselors spend more…

With the current reformation of school counseling and the increasing expectations of school counselors, all counselors' work activities include some Comprehensive School Counseling Program (CSCP) activities. This exploratory study focused on differential patterns among elementary, middle, and high school counselors' daily work activities and on…

Collaboration is an interactive process that has become mandated as a part of educational decision-making. School counselors and school psychologists are now guided by professional principles that advocate interdisciplinary collaboration. This study identified activities for which these professionals currently collaborated with each other, as well…

Students with Emotional Disturbances (ED) possess unique characteristics that require additional care from school counselors, teachers, and other school personnel. Information pertaining to the prevalence of ED among students and the common characteristics of students with ED is reviewed. Additionally, ideas and effective approaches that will aid…

As educators prepare secondary students for post-graduate experiences, students with disabilities are often exposed to fewer opportunities that prepare them to be responsible and productive members of society. Building level administrators and school counselors are vital members in assuring that students with disabilities are included in as many…

A random convenience sample was compiled using 430 undergraduate students enrolled at a large northeastern university. Reported contact with school counselors in the three ASCA domains (academic, career, personal/social) and effectiveness ratings were examined. Female students reported significantly more contact only on career topics than males.…

The specific roles of school counselors and school psychologists are frequently misunderstood by students, parents, and other education professionals. This article presents results from a study of preservice teachers' (N = 111) views of the functions of school counselors and school psychologists in helping students. Results suggest that preservice…