National longitudinal databases hold much promise for school counseling researchers. Several of the more frequently used data sets, possible professional implications, and strategies for acquiring training in the use of large-scale national data sets are described. A 6-step process for conducting research with the data sets is explicated:…

Parental characteristics, ecological factors, and the academic achievement of African American male high school students were examined. One hundred fifty-three 11th and 12th grade African American males completed the Parenting Style Index (Steinberg, Lamborn, Darling, Mounts, & Dornbusch, 1994) and a demographic questionnaire. Results…

Data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988-2000 (NELS: 88) were used to examine the characteristics of students who see their school counselor about general, academic, career, and academic issues. Study results indicated that overall, school counselors were more likely to have contact with students who are identified as at-risk…

This article examines the evaluations of nine pre-service school counselors who completed a practicum in an inner-city or urban, predominately African American school. A content analysis of the pre-service counselors' narrative evaluations was studied and six themes emerged: (a) Relationships and Interactions with Urban Students and Educators, (b)…

Examines school counselors' perceptions regarding the importance of the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs school counseling standards. Results identified four underlying factors in the standards: program development, implementation and evaluation; counseling and guidance knowledge and skills; contextual…

A descriptive study was implemented to determine how urban school counselors adhere to the Gysbers and Henderson (2000) and Myrick (1993) models of school counseling programs. One hundred and two counselors in six urban centers (New York; Newark, NJ; Philadelphia; Washington, DC; Trenton, NJ," and Baltimore) completed the Urban School…

School counseling professionals are recognizing the need to address family issues as an intervention strategy with children. Counselor educators can assist school counselor trainees in understanding the family systems' perspective by using the family autobiography as a course requirement. This article presents a description of the family…

School counselors can play a powerful role in closing the achievement gap when they incorporate the principles of social justice into their practice. In this much-needed resource for preservice and inservice counselors, the author addresses factors (such as racism, sexism, heterosexism, and classism) that can contribute to academic failure, and…

Although there is a growing body of literature on students' transition from middle school to high school, much of the literature fails to take into consideration the distinctive racial and environmental circumstances of African American students. This article reviews literature related to the transitioning of African American students and…

With the increasing number of children from diverse backgrounds entering the U.S. school systems, it is imperative that school counselors gain a working knowledge of how to best serve these children. This article provides a checklist of 51 competencies that the author believes are necessary for working with culturally diverse students. The…