This study examined Kansas administrators regarding their current perceptions of the role of school counselors. The study involved over 500 building administrators from elementary, middle, and high schools across rural, suburban, and urban districts in Kansas. The findings indicate that there is a clear opportunity to educate administrators on the…

This study was conducted to develop the Measure of Gender Exploration and Commitment (MGEC), a school counseling and training tool. The MGEC assesses one's gender exploration and commitment and was normed with a national sample of school counselors. Developing the MGEC involved (a) conducting a literature review, (b) modifying items, and (c)…

All too often policymakers have called upon teachers to attend to youth mental health in the classroom and school counselors have largely been left out of the discussion. The American School Counseling Association (ASCA) Model (2019) advocates for the practicing role of school counselors in providing direct service to youth. The Coalition model…

School counselors are challenged to cultivate critical consciousness (CC) among youth engaged in anti-racist advocacy (American School Counselor Association. (2016; Ieva et al., 2021; Moss & Singh, 2015; Ratts et al., 2007; Singh et al., 2010). However, review of youth-led anti-racist initiatives reveals a lack of clarity regarding…

This article summarizes the exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis results from a sample of (N = 322) school counselors' multicultural competence in three Midwestern states. Findings indicate the factor analytic structure of the original Multicultural Counseling Inventory (MCI) can be revised to a parsimonious 15-item,…

African American students are retained at a higher rate compared to Hispanic and White students (National Center of Education Statistics, 2015). While there are many causative variables identified as explanations for racial disparities in grade retention practices, school counselors are encouraged to facilitate efforts to bridge existing gaps.…

Average American students are seldom aware of child and human rights principles and their impact globally and locally. School counselors are one logical group of school specialists skilled to facilitate school-based, rights-based (i.e., child and human rights) initiatives to promote students' awareness. Moving beyond their professional comfort…

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions, school counselors continue to provide necessary mental health services, support, prevention, intervention, and referrals, as needed, to the increasing number of PK-12 students with mental health needs. School counselors are essential mental health professionals who provide developmentally appropriate,…

Students with disabilities are at greater risk for depression, substance use, bullying, and fewer friendships, largely due to negative attitudes and misperceptions from their nondisabled peers. School counselors are particularly important stakeholders in improving the experiences of students with disabilities. This qualitative study uses the…

Leadership programs and services have burgeoned over the past decade to encourage greater representation in leadership among girls and teens. Yet, little is known about the prevalence and type of girls' leadership programs or services adopted in secondary schools, whether they are perceived as important or effective by school counselors, or what…

Collaboration in the school setting is a vital component to student success. Two key stakeholders who support and advocate for English Learners (ELs) are school counselors and English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teachers. The authors of this manuscript conducted a research study to measure school counselor and ESOL teacher perceptions…

This article introduces credit recovery (CR) programs to school counseling. Traditionally the school counselors' role in CR has been limited to referring students who are, or who have, failed courses. Based on our own findings from a study of a large Midwest high school (N = 2,000) CR program, we make specific recommendations for school counselors…

School-family-community partnerships are associated with positive educational outcomes for students and families. However, there are limited interventions available to assist school counselors in building effective school-family-community relationships with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender parents/guardians and their children. This article…

Limited budgets may place educational positions in jeopardy and if school counseling positions become jeopardized, then school counselors must communicate their role and impact more effectively. However, school counselors may lack training and experience in professional self-advocacy practices, and advocacy efforts may be undermined by role…

This article outlines the challenges that military-connected students face and discusses ways in which school counselors may utilize each of the four components of the ASCA National Model to help this population. Finally, a case study is presented to demonstrate how school counselors may support military-connected students. Utilizing the ASCA…