This qualitative research study contains a focus on first-generation students' perceptions of their school's comprehensive school counseling program and their school counselor. Through a social capital theory lens, three themes emerged, (a) received school counselors' emotional, motivational, and tailored support, (b) increased social capital…

The advisory period is a key component of a successful middle level experience for young adolescents. Advisory is designed to be a time when students build relationships with peers as well as one trusted adult, referred to as an advocate. During the advisory period, the academic and social-emotional needs of students are addressed. In order to…

There is a dearth of existing literature pertaining to the use of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in school counseling; which may be beneficial when addressing student concerns such as social anxiety and decreased social networks. This article discusses the overlap of ACT with comprehensive school counseling programs and culminates with a…

Educators, researchers, and policymakers across the political spectrum agree that the nation must send more of its young people to college and find ways to help them graduate--especially young people from low-income families. To that end, in 2010, MDRC and a group of partners developed College Match, an innovative school-based college advising…

How do school leaders help students and parents, especially those from low-income families, understand the value of a college education? Engaging students and families early and often and using a continuum of strategies enables school leaders to close aspiration gaps, thus creating and sustaining a college-going culture for all students.…

Bridge-building activities are practiced widely in the education systems of Europe. They are meant to bridge transitions between lower and upper secondary school and form a mandatory part of the youth guidance system in Denmark. By giving pupils the opportunity to experience the different educational context of upper secondary school,…

This study developed and field tested an electronic career guidance package for secondary schools, the e-Career Guidance System. The study was an educational research and development study and thus utilised the instrumentation research design. The formative evaluation of the developed programme was carried out using the pretest-posttest…

This mixed methods research study explored advisory programs in three middle schools located in Southeastern Pennsylvania. An advisory program is a fundamental component of an exemplary middle school yet there are often difficulties in implementing it successfully. Research indicates that a middle school advisory program cannot be successful if…

Implementing violence prevention programs has become a priority for schools; however, most programs used for this purpose are limited in the skills they teach. In this study, two different resiliency building/violence prevention models were evaluated to assess their effectiveness at preventing violent and maladaptive behaviors in youth. Data from…

Background: College attendance has become a crucial determinant of life chances in U.S. society. Besides college costs and academic preparation, college-related cultural and social capital may help explain socioeconomic differences in whether and where students attend college. While high school counselors are seen as potential agents of social…

A considerable amount of research in a number of different jurisdictions has shown student dissatisfaction with career counselling in secondary schools. This article explores policy and practice by reflecting on two counsellor interviews and 35 student responses to a questionnaire about career education in a single Ontario high school. Students…

This paper explores the decision-making processes of young people aged 13-14?years in 30 consortia across England as they chose their options for Key Stage 4 at a time when a new qualification, the 14-19 Diploma, was being introduced. It draws on data collected as part of a longitudinal national study (January 2008-August 2011) of the introduction…

The current educational reform agenda requires that stakeholders in the school community help all students graduate. The U.S. Department of Education's "A Blueprint for Reform: Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act" sends all stakeholders a clear message to take action that results in every student completing high school…

This study explores factors affecting the involvement of regular secondary school teachers in the whole-school approach to guidance and counselling by interviewing 12 secondary school teachers in Hong Kong. Emerging themes include teachers' ownership of their role in student guidance and counselling, the alignment of their disposition with…

This qualitative study explores career counseling and guidance services as provided to students engaged in career and technical education programs at three sites in the United States. The sites, consisting of high schools and community colleges, were part of the National Research Center for Career and Technical Education's 5-year studies of…