Counselors can play an integral role in developing transformative schooling environments that center equity and disrupt marginalizing practices. The purpose of this "Equity by Design" brief is to conduct a critical examination of the profession and training of school counselors, shifting towards positioning the school counselor as an…

Decades after the landmark United States Supreme Court decision of Brown v. The Board of Education of Topeka in 1954, the push continues to make schools a safe and welcoming environment for Black and Brown students. Black students in particular are continuing to be oppressed and marginalized in PK-12 educational settings. Accounting for…

The purpose of this study was to provide insight to the lived advocacy experiences of principals and school counselors who received state and/or national recognition for their work on behalf of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students. I identified three themes and related subthemes regarding the meaning derived across the…

School counselors are called to advocate for social justice in education and use evidence-based practice (EBP) to meet the diverse needs of students in schools today. This conceptual article describes the approach of one Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)-accredited counselor education program to…

To better understand school counselors' experiences related to implementing restorative practices (RP) in schools, the authors conducted a qualitative study with eight practicing school counselors working in schools that were in the early phases of implementation. Four major themes emerged from the Consensual Qualitative Research methodological…

The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) encourages school counselors to promote equity experiences for all students through leadership, advocacy, and collaboration. School counselors and school administrators (e.g., principals, assistant principals) are uniquely positioned to combine their social capital in an effort to create a positive…

Social justice has been defined as fair and equitable distribution of resources, rights, representation, and treatment for marginalized people who do not possess equal power in society (Linnemeyer, Nilsson, Marszalek, & Khan, 2018). As a theoretical concept, social justice is an emergent area of inquiry in school psychology (Johnson, Bahr,…

In recent years, leaders in the school counseling profession worldwide have been calling on their colleagues to re-examine their role as "agents of social justice" in schools, with a view to promoting equal educational opportunities for all students. This research examines counselors' perceptions of the role, role behaviors, personal…

This phenomenological study explored the experiences of rural school counselors as social justice advocates. The first author interviewed seven participants in their respective communities and identified five themes, including both positive and negative elements: the stability of place, community promise, mutual reliance, professional and personal…

Groups of American students are learning at alarmingly different rates. This disparity in education is seen disproportionately in schools in urban areas, where students of color and low income students are concentrated in highly segregated areas. In urban areas, the effects of poverty, racism, and isolation are compounded by stressful environments…

This article describes the author's journey as a school counselor utilizing an action research approach to advocate for social justice in education. Two case studies are provided to discuss the process utilized to advocate for equal education for all students as a school counselor. Lastly, the author reflects on the successes and failures…