The SAFI Model as a Critical Link Between Marginalized Families and Schools: A Literature Review and Strategies for School Counselors

Schools have a vital role in more effectively working with students at risk by linking with families that are disengaged from their children's education. Family participation in students' education has been shown to positively affect academic, behavioral, and social development. School counselors can be leaders in facilitating family‐school partnerships to foster academic and career success for all students. This article presents an overview of the current research about family and school linkages and offers a new model, The School and Family Intervention Model (SAFI), for school counselors. The model provides strategies for better cooperation with marginalized families aimed at ensuring an interactive and dynamic collaboration and explores this work within the context of systems change to improve academic success, reduce at‐risk behaviors, and increase family involvement.     

Intercultural Model of Ethical Decision Making: Addressing Worldview Dilemmas in School Counseling

The role of school counselors has expanded and deepened over the past few decades, just as the K–12 student population has become more diversified. Professional school counselors regularly encounter ethical dilemmas related to the intersection of their transformed role and students' needs. School counselors, therefore, need assistance and support to develop the skills and problem‐solving strategies to effectively, ethically, and respectfully negotiate these dilemmas. The authors propose the Intercultural Model of Ethical Decision Making as a practical, user‐friendly tool to help school counselors meet these complex challenges.     

New Professional Roles and Advocacy Strategies for School Counselors: A Multicultural/Social Justice Perspective to Move Beyond the Nice Counselor Syndrome

The transformed role of school counselors as advocates is key in reducing the academic achievement gap. Redefining the school counselors' role requires culturally competent practitioners, social justice advocates, and organizational/social change agents. A major obstacle to implementing culturally responsive social justice advocacy and change in schools is referred to as the nice counselor syndrome (NCS). This article discusses the insidious effects of NCS and outlines a set of recommendations designed to assist school counselors in moving beyond this syndrome.     

The School Counselor as Perceived by School Counselors and Their Principals

This study was designed to ascertain the perceptions of school counselors and school administrators of the school counselor's activities and the attributes necessary for him to be effective in his role. The findings were interpreted to suggest that differences that exist between the perceptions of counselors and administrators tend to be in the degree to which they view certain activities or attributes as important. Ranking of activities and the attributes by both groups tended to be similar but differences were found to exist between the mean scores of counselors and administrators in various areas. Sources of discrepancy were discussed as possibly relating to the need for counselors to establish clearer priorities for their activities and the administrators' perception of the counselor as fundamentally a quasi-administrator of guidance services.     

Understanding the School Experience of African-American Homeless Children

Homelessness is a devastating problem that breeds far-reaching negative impacts on all aspects of children's lives, including their school experience. Fifteen homeless, African-American children in grades 3 through 6 were interviewed about their experiences at school, as well as their future educational and career aspirations. Findings of a grounded theory analysis reveal that these children struggled to envision a safe future through seeking predictability, personal connections, and academic achievement, and provide insight for interventions. The study examines the ways the children constructed meaning out of their school experience, understood their transitions, and set life goals. By understanding the ways these youth experience their school experience, psychologists, counselors, and educators can be better equipped to serve their needs by providing support services that support their development, by developing educational practices that shape realistic educational goals, and by moving toward systemic change through collaborating with administrators and other stakeholders.     

School Counselors' Experiences With Lockdown Drills: A Phenomenological Investigation

Lockdown drills are used in pre-K–12 public schools throughout the country; however, little research exists regarding their impact on students and school staff (Ilk, 2018). Because of school counselors' role in both prevention of and response to school gun violence (American Counseling Association, 2018), we used a phenomenological approach to investigate their experiences with lockdown drills (N = 26). Results included the following three themes: (a) school counselors' sense of duty to follow school protocol, (b) unintended emotional consequences related to lockdown drills, and (c) school counselors navigating complexities. Implications for school counselors and corresponding school procedures are discussed.     

Relationship of High School Seniors' Religious Perceptions and Behavior to Educational,Career, and Leisure Variables

This study used data from a national sample of U.S. high school seniors to investigate the relationship of religious perceptions and behavior to several school, career, and leisure variables. Seniors positive perceptions of religion and frequent attendance at religious services were related to positive parental involvement, positive school attitudes and behaviors, and infrequent problem behaviors. Parental involvement mediated the effects of religious perceptions and behavior on adolescents' academic attitudes and drug use. However, a large portion of the effects of religious perceptions and behavior was independent of parental involvement. Implications for counselors and educators are provided.     

Mexican-American High School Students: Educational Aspirations

Acculturation, academic achievement, and parental expectations were shown to predict the educational aspirations of Mexican-American high school students. Acculturation was also shown to mediate Mexican-American student's attitudes concerning the importance they placed on future job security and career success. Implications for counselors and educators are discussed.     

Elementary School Counselors in California

The number, school location, academic preparation and experience, and functions and duties of “elementary school counselors” in California were studied. Questionnaires were answered by 175 counselors, 118 elementary school principals, and 312 teachers in schools employing counselors. The number of children in the participating schools was 133,125, or five per cent of all pupils in grades K-8 in the State. Counselors reported that they spent 50 per cent of their time working with pupils, 17 per cent with teachers, 10 per cent with administrators, 12 per cent with parents, and 11 per cent with probation, welfare, and other officials. The counselors and the principals generally agreed on the rank order of importance of the functions of elementary school counselors and on the most important skills and personality characteristics counselors should have. The teachers reported that counselors gave them most help by testing individual pupils, counseling with pupils, helping them with classroom problems, and participating in parent conferences. Elements of an ideal counseling program at the district and school level as well as deficiencies in present programs were described by the respondents.     

The School Change Feedback Process: Creating a New Role for Counselors in Education Reform

The authors present the results of a multiyear collaborative research project that involved a counselor educator, graduate‐level school counseling students, and school personnel in defining a new role for counselors in education reform. This collaborative effort was based on an innovative conceptual framework that informs school counselors about specific schooling processes that can either enhance or hinder student academic, personal/social, and career development.     

The Effects of School Bonding on High School Seniors’ Academic Achievement

The authors examine the effects of school bonding on academic achievement (measured by math achievement scores) in a sample of 12th graders from the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002 ( Ingels, Pratt, Rogers, Siegel, & Stutts, 2005 ). Components of school bonding have proximal and distal effects on academic achievement. Attachment to school and school involvement had direct effects on achievement; attachment to teachers and school commitment behaviors had indirect effects on achievement through school‐related delinquency and prior achievement. Implications for counselors are discussed.     

The Counselor and Student Discipline: Suggested Roles

The problem of role definition for counselors relative to discipline problems has been persistent. Difficulties in defining and adopting appropriate roles in discipline have been exacerbated by conflicting expectations between and among administrators, counselors, and faculty. This article provides a short summary and analysis of the literature on the counselor's role in school discipline; possible counselor roles are grouped into six categories: mediator, ombudsman, consultant, psychological educator, special program developer, and counselor. From the variety of roles defined and discussed, counselors may find one or a combination of several roles that both satisfy the needs of their students and are appropriate to their own personalities and/or skill levels.     

Strategies for Counselors Working With High School Students With Attention‐Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Researchers agree early intervention is crucial to prevent academic underachievement and negative effects on the lives of children, adolescents, and adults affected by attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). If counselors, particularly high school counselors, address the needs of students with ADHD, these students may attain their potential and enter into the workplace or postsecondary education. The authors provide counselors with strategies to identify interpersonal, academic, vocational, and life issues that may affect students with ADHD and to help teachers and parents prepare students with ADHD for the transition from high school to postsecondary education or the work environment.     

Introducing Reality Play Therapy: Reactions and Perceptions From Elementary School Counselors

Many elementary school students lack school relationships required for positive personal, social, and academic interactions. Reality therapy and play therapy both seek to address these relationships through developmentally appropriate and effective interventions. Integrating these 2 approaches has the potential for elementary school counselors to provide students with opportunities to create positive relationships and develop problem-solving skills. In this study, 8 school counselors participated in a series of trainings introducing reality play-therapy techniques to assess this potential. A thematic analysis conducted on feedback sessions following the trainings yielded themes related to the participants’ positive perceptions to the training and possible application.     

Practicum and On-the-job Ratings of School Counselors

Practicum ratings of 50 school counselors were examined in relation to administrators' subsequent on-the-job ratings of their performance. The relationship proved negligible. The practicum ratings did relate, however, to retention of cognitive material in guidance and counseling (scores on a comprehensive examination). Such a relationship did not exist between scores on the same comprehensive examination and the administrators' ratings. It was suggested that cognitive standards for counselors are probably best established and maintained by training institutions. Administrators seeking assurance of at least minimum cognitive competency in counselors ought to seek endorsement of candidates from those who observe their practicum performance.     

Parental Involvement in School Counseling Services: Challenges and Experience of Counselor

School counselors include parents as informants in school counseling for various reasons like for consultation and client’s intervention which could lead to a different experience. The objective of the present study was to explore the challenges faced by school counselors when involving parents in the school counseling process and the ways they handle the challenges. The participants consisted of seven school counselors, with whom in-depth interviews were conducted. The subjective experiences of the school counselors were objectively interpreted by the researcher using interpretative phenomenological analysis. The research results were categorized into master and subordinate themes using double hermeneutics. The results revealed that although school counselors have their own individual perceptions of challenges and methods of handling parental inclusion in the school counseling context, there still exist similarities in their methods of handling. The study highlights school counselors’ beliefs about parents’ perceptions and expectations of counseling as well as parents’ reaction toward their child’s problem as a challenge. The findings throw light on the need for stronger evidence-based practices and policies for school counseling programs. Training and competence-building programs for school counselors would improve the service delivery.     

School counselors' knowledge of eating disorders

The purpose of this study was to examine school counselors' knowledge of adolescent eating disorders, specifically anorexia and bulimia nervosa. Participants were drawn from the national membership of the American Association of School Counselors; they were requested to complete a 43-item questionnaire on eating disorders. Of the 500 participants randomly selected, 337 (67%) returned usable questionnaires. There were 220 female and 117 male counselors; the mean age was 45.2 years. The majority held a master's degree and counseled high school students; the mean number of years they had been school counselors was 12.2. When asked how competent they were in helping students with eating disorders, 11% rated themselves as very competent, 49% believed they were moderately competent, and 40% believed they were not very competent. The majority (75%) did not believe it was their role to treat students with eating disorders; they were instead referred to an eating disorders program (40%), their parents (34%), or a psychiatrist or other physician (34%). The majority of counselors (72%) had encountered anorexic or bulimic students; the most common method of discovering students with a problem was by being informed by fellow students (35%). The majority of respondents were very knowledgeable regarding the signs and symptoms of anorexia and bulimia nervosa. Examination of their general knowledge of eating disorders revealed that they knew more about anorexia than bulimia. The two sources of eating disorders information utilized by at least half of the respondents were professional journals (70%) and workshops/professional conferences (56%).     

Evaluating a Guidance and Language Arts Unit for High School Juniors

In this study the authors report on the evaluation of a program enhancing both the career development and writing skills of high school juniors. Participants were 166 juniors attending a suburban midwestern high school. School counselors and English teachers worked together to provide an opportunity for students to develop academic skills while exploring relevant career issues. Results indicated that for a wide range of students, participation in the program led to the achievement of specific guidance competencies. Changes in perceived mastery of guidance competencies predicted positive change in vocational identity and attainment of higher English grades for girls. Implications for promoting school counselors' involvement in guidance program evaluation practices are discussed.     

School counselors as gatekeepers: guidance in poor versus affluent neighborhoods

Previous studies reveal that career guidance is usually based on a mixture of meritocratic criteria (academic ability and achievement) and nonmeritocratic considerations (students' SES and their social labeling by counselors). The present study argues that school counselors in affluent neighborhoods emphasize the meritocratic criteria, while those in poorer neighborhoods tend to focus on the more nonmeritocratic. This hypothesis is examined in a random sample of 210 male, primary school graduates from the 10 state schools of an Israeli town, 125 of whom are from schools in affluent neighborhoods, and 85 from schools in poorer neighborhoods. A path analysis of determinants of guidance to specific high school tracks shows that students' ethnicity and labeling as problematic directly affect guidance by counselors only in the poor neighborhoods. The effect of students' "problems" is due to their being labeled as problematic with respect to psychological or physical attributes rather than to behavioral problems at school. The findings are subsequently interpreted as reflecting a patronizing attitude toward lower status students by counselors. Additional studies which may further elaborate the determinants of guidance in poor versus affluent neighborhoods are proposed.     

A Case Study of a Consultation Using the Two-Circles Method With a Junior High School Teacher1

To resolve various problems in schools, a “school as a team” approach for teachers to cooperate with other professionals as well as other teachers has been introduced in Japan. Consultations are one method school counselors use to support teachers as a team. This study examines a consultation case using the two-circles method based on narrative therapy and discusses the possibilities and challenges when using this method in Japan. Using a case study analysis, the author found that the two-circles method contributed positively to the consultation by externalizing the problem, gathering local knowledge, visualizing the participants' narratives, and applying scaffolding to develop the consultee's story. The results suggest that this method could be useful for achieving the “school as a team” approach because it combines teachers' narratives to resolve problems in schools.