Seven years have elapsed since Kirk (1988) studied job satisfaction among elementary school counselors Virginia. During this time, the number of elementary school counselors has dramatically increased with the implementation of a state-mandated elementary school counseling program. Additionally, societal concerns, practice issues, personnel concerns and even attacks on the program itself have had the potential to change the working environment and activities of elementary school counselors in Virginia. This study was designed to survey the current level of job satisfaction among elementary school counselors in Virginia and compare this with the level of job satisfaction of elementary school counselors in Virginia in 1988. Data were collected through mailed surveys consisting of a demographic data form and a modified form of the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire. Six hundred thirty-three elementary school counselors were mailed survey materials and 82.15% responded. Of those that responded, 488 elementary school counselors employed by the Commonwealth of Virginia were included in the data analysis. The survey results indicate that 96.3% of the current sample are either satisfied or very satisfied with their jobs. Only 3.7% fell within the dissatisfied or very dissatisfied range. Elementary school counselors in Virginia are satisfied with all but one aspect of their jobs as measured by the Modified Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire. They expressed dissatisfaction only with the compensation subscale. Three demographic variables combined to predict increased job satisfaction: the number of elementary school counselors in the school division, the intention to remain in the current position for 5 years, and having a Collegiate Professional/Postgraduate Professional certification. The level of overall satisfaction for the 1995 and 1988 groups is very similar. While the order varied somewhat, both groups are most satisfied with the same six factors and least satisfied with the same three factors. The present group of elementary school counselors is, however, less satisfied with the technical quality of their supervision, the relationship between counselors and their supervisors, the opportunities for advancement, their salary, the way they along with other faculty and staff of their schools, their being recognized for doing a good job, and their level of job security than the 1988 group. Several implications and recommendations were drawn from the study. These included investigating the possibility of developing increased opportunities for advancement within elementary school counseling that do not involve administrative or central office roles, increasing the opportunities for clinical supervision by qualified supervisors, and further study of job satisfaction to establish a consistent baseline of job satisfaction for elementary school counseling. / Ph. D.

This study explores the process by which a selected group of fat women work toward a positive acceptance of their size and weight and on the experiences and perspectives of these women as participants in psychotherapy. Research questions focused on participants' childhood, adolescent and adult experiences as large women prior to choosing to emphasize accepting, rather than changing their bodies; on the factors that influenced their decision to make that choice; and on participants' experiences as clients in psychotherapy. Psychotherapy experiences were examined to determine what role they may play in a woman's process of working toward acceptance of size and weight. Participants were asked to describe therapist characteristics necessary to their being effective with clients who are fat women. In-depth phenomenological interviewing served as the primary method of data collection. Each participant was interviewed twice individually in sessions lasting from ninety minutes to two hours each. The study employed reflective and interactive components. Participants were given copies of the transcriptions of their individual interviews for review and comment and invited to take part in a focus group interview. The data are organized into four areas: childhood and family of origin, adulthood and independence, working toward acceptance of size and weight, and experiences in therapy. Findings indicate that the negative sequalae of participants (a) being shamed for their size and (b) blamed for not controlling their size, continued well into adulthood. Adult experiences of prejudice and discrimination based on size confirmed and recapitulated attributions of unattractiveness and inadequacy. The journey toward acceptance of size and weight is life-long, nonlinear and involves embracing an alternative paradigm of assumptions concerning the origins of fatness, prevailing cultural standards of beauty, and the tendency to regard fatness as an indicator of compromised physical and mental health. In order to conduct effective therapy with fat women, psychotherapists need to understand the biological bases of fatness and the exacerbating effects of dieting; examine their own biases concerning size and weight; educate themselves regarding issues that fat women face; and remain aware of dynamic considerations specific to conducting therapy with fat women as clients.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between experiencing parental divorce as a child and cognitive schemas of primary relationships as an adult. Four questions were of interest: is there a significant relationship between experiencing parental divorce as a child and adult attachment style? Do women with parents who divorced during their childhood describe their relationships with their parents in different ways than those whose parents stayed married? What, if any, are the differences between the romantic relationships of young women whose parents divorced when they were children and those whose parents are still married? And fourth, what role does conflict play in attachment style and relationship expectations? Each of the first three questions has been, to varying degrees, examined by previous research. This study, then, is an effort to replicate and integrate those diverse findings and to consider the additional role of conflict. Subjects were 196 female undergraduate students at a large state university and at a small private college. A measure of interpersonal schemas was used to determine expectations of, and stated satisfaction with, relationships during adulthood. Retrospective and current conflict between and with parents was measured as well. Adult attachment measures, adjective lists and questions about mental models were used to elicit further information about experiences and descriptions of relationships. Women whose parents divorced when they were children did not differ significantly from those with married parents on the measures of attachment or in their descriptions of their mothers. They were also equally likely to be in a romantic relationship and to describe their romantic partner and the relationship in positive terms. However, women with divorced parents were much more negative about their fathers. Attachment style was usually related in different ways to each of the measures in this study, suggesting that parental divorce and attachment have somewhat independent effects on adult relationships. The strongest finding of this study was that increased levels of conflict between parents during childhood is a stronger predictor of decreased satisfaction with current relationships with both mothers and fathers than parental divorce itself. Additionally, conflict with each parent during childhood was the strongest predictor of satisfaction with the current relationship with that parent. Attachment was the factor which most significantly predicted satisfaction with romantic partners as an adult, although the regression equation with the greatest amount of predictive validity for that relationship also contained parental divorce as a factor.

This study examines the effect of student peer interactions on students' educational outcomes. It presents African-heritage students' perceptions of their interactions at a predominantly White institution of higher education (PWI) and how these interactions affect their academic persistence. The study focuses on intraethnic and interethnic student-peer interactions in the university environment. Concern about attrition rates and retention of students of African descent requires that educators and administrators take actions to facilitate the development and academic success of these students. Traditional student development models, often based on a Eurocentric world view, have often failed to adequately address the needs of this student population. Social functioning and social adjustment are critical to African-heritage students' development. Sociocultural involvement is an inherent aspect of African-heritage characteristics, which include music and dance and collective cooperation. In this study, these relevant sociocultural issues, including a common experience of oppression, are examined as they relate to African-heritage students' interpersonal interactions, social adjustment, academic persistence and development. The social functioning of African-heritage students is identified and represented in five proposed modes of social adjustment, (1) alienation/isolation, (2) assimilation/acculturation, (3) biculturality, (4) Africentricity and (5) cultural relativism/pluralism, These modes of adjustment may also be considered ways in which Black students cope with and respond to various situations while interacting in the PWI environment. This study utilizes a triangulation research design that includes qualitative and quantitative data collection methods. Focus group interviews are the primary data collection method. The focus group interview process included spoken dialogue and written responses to focused questions and is complemented with additional individual written responses. This process is triangulated with quantitative methods of demographic survey and a Likert scale questionnaire. Participants are students of African descent at a four-year public university in New England. These Black students relate important behavioral strategies used to interact in, adjust to and persist at the PWI.

abstract: National and state education reforms are centered on developing higher academic expectations and standards to ensure students transitions into postsecondary options, college and career ready. What does this national emphasis signify for urban school districts that are educating a significant proportion of first-generation students and that struggle to produce students ready for the rigor of postsecondary education without remediation? Framed within Karl Weick's (1976) theoretical framework of loose coupling organizational theory, this qualitative study examined the implementation of the pseudonymous ABC High School District college readiness education reform initiative through the lens of district-wide system actors, which included district leadership, school-level implementers and the students as the intended beneficiaries. ABC High School District is the largest non-unified urban school district in a large metropolitan area in the Southwestern United States. I focused specifically on two implementation sites: Blue Sky and Desert Flower High Schools. The system actors expounded on their knowledge and understanding of how they perceived the implementation of the initiative, their interpretations of the district's new policy and initiative, and how this initiative guided their practices based on their respective roles. The findings included the four major themes of (a) building capacity of the actors, (b) communication, (c) policy and politics, and (d) academic rigor and high expectations. Two additional findings specific to counselors and students were also revealed. The counselor-specific experiences revealed the changes in their roles that have created confusion among school staff and their growing responsibilities that may impede the progress of the district initiative. The student-descriptions suggest their knowledge about college and career planning, challenges, and their academic preparedness to successfully transition to a postsecondary institution. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ed.D. Educational Administration and Supervision 2012

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The service role and functions of school counseling and school psychology have been discussed extensively for several decades. The literature from each professional discipline is replete with calls to expand the training and service capacity of these school professionals. Simultaneously calls are made for even broader educational reform as it specifically relates to student pupil services. From within this context an integrated school counseling and school psychology program known as the School Counseling Psychology Program was organized and administered at Brigham Young University. This qualitative dissertation study highlights the perceived strengths and limitations of this integrated training program. The impact of integrated services and collaboration among student service professionals is highlighted from a regional perspective that reaffirms the value of grassroots level research. Lastly, the conceptual barriers and recommendations of administering an integrated school counseling and school psychology training program are presented and discussed.

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