The Role of the Counselor

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The role of the school counselor has long been debated within the field, and various models and means of accountability have been presented, tried, and evaluated over the past several decades. Comprehensive counseling and guidance programs that incorporate academic, career development, and social/emotional domains have been described in the professional literature for many years (Gysbers & Henderson, 2000; Myrick, 2003). School administrators, teachers, and parents often may view the counselor's role from their own perspectives (Burnham & Jackson, 2000). There has been a recent shift in emphasis to the perception of the school counselor as an educational leader, student advocate, and social change agent (Clark & Stone, 2000; House & Martin, 1998; Stone & Clark, 2001). This leadership role entails increased collaborative interventions with those people who are significant in the lives of students (Cooper & Sheffield, 1994). In the vast majority of states, there has been an increased emphasis on high academic achievement for all students. Statewide competency-based testing results have become an increasingly high priority in our K-12 schools. The No Child Left Behind Act (2001) has established new math and reading testing requirements and has authorized funds for states to develop, select, and design their own tests (National Association of Secondary School Principals, 2002). Much pressure has been placed on students and educators at all levels to raise academic standards, with regard to achievement test scores as well as increased credit and more rigorous coursework requirements for graduation from high school (Quaglia, 2000). And, the "achievement gap" between minority and majority students as demonstrated by test scores and high school and college graduation rates is contributing to the call for higher academic standards and accountability measures for all students (Isaacs, 2003). The development of the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Standards (Campbell & Dahir, 1997) and the ASCA National Model: A Framework for School Counseling Programs (ASCA, 2003a) has provided the impetus and rationale for establishing the school counseling program as an integral component of the mission of each school. The ASCA National Standards and the National Model help the profession address questions about our role as

school counselors, how we fit into the overall mission of the school, and how we contribute to academic achievement of students (Schwallie-Giddis, ter Maat, & Pak, 2003). The four domains included in the National Model--foundation, delivery system, management system, and accountability--make up a comprehensive model for effective service delivery. Experts agree that establishing meaningful connections between teachers and students in the class rooms, as well as among the students themselves, is essential for the mission of education to be successful (Dodd, 2000; Mulgan, 1996). Many educators assert that too much instructional time is taken up with classroom management issues including the lack of positive communication between teacher and student(s) (Dodd). The educators are recognizing that when schools attend to students' social and emotional skills, the academic achievement of children increases, the incidence of problem behaviors decreases, and the quality of the relationships surrounding each child improves (Cummings & Haverty, 1997; Elias et al., 1997; Pasi, 2001). There is very little written in the professional literature about the perceptions or contributions of teachers toward influencing the counseling programs in their schools. Yet, teachers are the people who are with the students for the majority of their school day and they are basically held responsible for the teaching and learning that take place in the school. Furthermore, public schools have mirrored the social transformations of the modern era resulting in an expansion of the teacher's role regarding inclusion, socialization, and multiculturalism (Elkind, 2000). Teachers in today's schools often are facing a population of students whose personal and social problems create barriers to academic success (Bemak, 2000; Keys & Bemak, 1997). The influence and expectations of principals, their understanding of the role of the school counselor, as well as their understanding of program development and implementation have been identified as significant factors affecting the development of exemplary school guidance and counseling programs (Ponec & Brock, 2000; Vaught, 1995) and as aspects of school counselor efficacy (Sutton & Fall, 1995). Teachers have not been specifically mentioned in the literature as being a part of this support, yet teachers' expectations of counselors and their knowledge of counselor

performance can have great impact on students, parents, and administrators and therefore on counseling programs (Valine, Higgins, & Hatcher, 1982). A major role of the school counselor has been that of teacher consultation to help students achieve in school (Gysbers & Henderson, 2000; Myrick, 2003). With the increased emphasis on academic achievement apparent in our nation's schools today, it is clear that collaboration with teachers is essential to provide the best services for students with regard to their academic, career development, and social/ emotional needs (Bemak, 2000). . What do classroom teachers perceive to be the counseling and guidance :needs of their school and how might these needs be addressed by the school counselor(s)? 2. What types of services do teachers perceive that school counselors engage in and what activities would they like them to engage in? 3. What do teachers report as helpful strategies that counselors might use to deliver such services? METHOD Because the focus of the study was on the meanings and perspectives of individuals within a specific social context, a descriptive qualitative grounded theory design was used (Glaser, 1976; Glaser & Strauss, 1967). Grounded theory is a qualitative methodology based on symbolic interactionism (Blumer, 1967). Symbolic interactionist theory asserts that people construct meanings for phenomena based on their interpretations of interactions they have with one another. Grounded theory provides the methods for conducting research based on this perspective. An inherent assumption of symbolic interactionism and grounded theory is that "reality" is susceptible to different interpretations based on socially constructed meanings. Because "reality" is viewed as being individually and socially constructed, there are an infinite number of constructions that might be made, thereby producing multiple individual and social meanings.

Grounded theorists base their research on the assumption that individuals and groups share certain social circumstances, and that from those shared circumstances meanings are generated. It is the role of the grounded theory investigator to explore and attempt to see the world from the point of view of the respondents, to articulate their meanings to make sense out of their social experience, and to develop a theoretical understanding of the processes involved in their experience. Therefore, consistent with methodological and epistemological assumptions of symbolic interactionism and grounded theory, study samples are purposive, chosen to reflect the fullness of experience from the perspective of the individual, and no attempt is made to seek representativeness. Findings based on these data are not generalizable but are offered as an in-depth description of an experience so that different possible insights, theoretical ideas, and change strategies can be generated. From this initial work, it is anticipated that additional discovery and testing of the concepts and processes will be continued in future studies.

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