This qualitative study focused on the insights of the participants in order to provide a more significant understanding of how they view their skills and abilities when providing mental health supports as a novice school counselor. A generic qualitative approach was used to answer the following research question, "What are the self-efficacy…

The purpose of this quantitative, correlational study was to examine the relationships of preK-8 professional school counselors' (PSCs') work motivation with their perceptions of importance and levels of implementation of Maryland's state standards based on the national standards created by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA). The…

This study used quantitative measures to explore child abuse reporting trends for early career school counselors and to examine factors influencing their decisions to report suspected child abuse. Thematic coding was used to analyze recommendations for additional training needs regarding child abuse reporting and for the challenges school…

The Multidisciplinary Education, Training, and Support (METS) program is designed to meet the linguistic and academic needs of recently arrived English Learners (ELs) who are identified as Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education (SIFE). The METS program in Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) includes students in elementary,…

The purpose of this qualitative study is to examine the perceptions of African American males participating in one 4A program at a Mid-Atlantic community college. Twenty African American males along with six staff members were selected to participate in the study. The study used focus group interviews to investigate students' interactions with…

Mental health practitioners working within school or community settings may at any time find themselves working with youth presenting with suicidal thoughts or behaviors. Although always well intended, practitioners are making significant clinical decisions that have high potential for influencing a range of outcomes, including very negative…

Using an evidence-based framework in a mixed-method study, we examined the needs of English Language Learners (ELLs) in a middle school in the eastern United States and identified strategic intervention approaches to enhance ELL students' sense of school belonging to promote academic success. We illustrate how describing a problem as part of an…

The Office of Shared Accountability (OSA) in Montgomery County (Maryland) Public Schools (MCPS) is conducting a multiyear evaluation of the Achieving Collegiate Excellence and Success (ACES) program. The ACES program is a collaboration between MCPS, Montgomery College (MC), and the Universities at Shady Grove (USG) to create a seamless pathway…

Counseling self-efficacy (CSE), defined as one's beliefs about his or her ability to effectively counsel a client, is an important precursor of effective clinical practice. While research has explored the association of CSE with variables such as counselor training, aptitude and level of experience, little attention has been paid to CSE among…

To investigate the current practices of schools and school counselors working with students with chronic illness and the protocols for providing these services, the authors conducted a mixed design, grounded theory study, with an eye toward pinpointing any trends or patterns in service provision. They identified a collaborative, developmental,…

Professional school counselors' leadership capacity may well play a pivotal role in educational reform in the twenty-first century. Crucial to the success of this vision, supported by the American School Counseling Association, is the perspective of system-level supervisors of school counselors. This exploratory qualitative study employed in-depth…

Kenneth B. Hoyt passed away on August 27, 2008. He leaves a comprehensive legacy of insights and initiatives about the relationship of education and work, the importance of career development as a mission of schools, and the role of school counselors in these important processes. This article reviews Dr. Hoyt's 50-year-long body of work.

This study explored the prediction of student outcome variables from the ASCA national model level of program implementation. A total sampling of schools from two suburban school districts was conducted. Outcome variables were measures of math and reading achievement scores, attendance and graduation rates. Such measures play a central role in…

This article examined school counselor dispositions (e.g., general self-efficacy, counselor self-efficacy, openness to change, commitment to counseling improvement/professional development) that predict data usage among K-12 professional school counselors. For the study, 130 professional school counselors from Maryland and Virginia completed the…

The current study replicates work of Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Northeast and Islands. It describes dropout prevention programs in nine Mid-Atlantic Region (Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania) school districts serving communities with populations of 24,742-107,250 (as of July 2008). All nine…