This research investigated high school students, their parents, and high school counselors self-reported views about the nature and relative importance of different aspects of "College Preparation Knowledge." In brief, this research investigated many areas of College Preparation Knowledge (CPK) broadly defined as the facts and the processes needed to be known to be prepared to successfully apply, attend, and graduate from college. Practical suggestions derived from the research findings may help the high school counselor better serve their college-bound students and parents. / Educational Psychology

Educational leaders play a critical role in creating change in schools (Fullan, 2001; Reeves, 2009; Sheninger & Murray, 2017; Ziegler & Ramage, 2017). Increasingly, school counselors are being asked to take on leadership roles during a time of educational reform (Amatea & Clark, 2005; Baker, Robichaud, Westforth Dietrich, Wells, & Schreck, 2009; House & Hayes, 2002; Lewis & Borunda, 2006; McMahon, Mason, & Paisley, 2009; Shields, Dollarhide, & Young, 2018; Young, Dollarhide, & Baughman, 2015). The research on school counselors leading collaborative change efforts is very limited, and the behaviors and characteristics of counselors that influence the formation and facilitation of teacher teams have not been studied. Using a design-based methodology, this study examined how a school counselor organized and implemented an effective work group that aimed to support the formation of desirable teacher-student relationships. The focus of the study was on the planning process that was implemented by myself, the school counselor, not the outcome of the process. The qualitative data that was collected during the process describes the structures and processes involved with the initial planning stages, formation, and functioning of the work group. The data captured the importance that relationships, empathy, planning, and reflection all had on the formation, facilitation, and group processes. Lastly, six design principles were developed for school counselors to use as practitioners when forming and facilitating teacher work groups. / Educational Leadership

A large percent of high school students in New Jersey aged 12 -17 can benefit from seeing their school counselor. The problem is that without teacher referrals, many students with unidentified mental health disorders may not receive the needed early intervention services. Limited research exists as to which factors may influence a teacher to refer a student to a school counselor. Framed with cognitive behavioral theoretical foundation, a cross sectional survey design study investigated how teachers' perception of school counselors influence teachers' willingness to refer to a school counselor, as measured by the Counselor Rating Form - Short Edition. Using a stratified cluster sampling method, 55 licensed New Jersey school teachers participated in the study. To assess the relationship between the results of the Counselor-Rating Form - Short Edition, and teacher made student referrals linear regression was used. In this study, a simple correlation between the CRF-S score and the number of referrals was found to be significant, r = .338, p = 0.012. Further, the scores on the CRF-S could be a significant predictor of making a referral, F(1, 53) = 6.825, p = 0.012, R2 = 0.114. This information could be used to infuse counselor education curriculum designed to increase teacher and school counselor conversations, and ultimately provide information to school counselors that may increase the rate of teacher-made referrals of students to school counseling for mental health services.

The purpose of this quantitative, cross-sectional survey study was to compare school counselors’ and principals’ perceptions of the frequency with which school counselors perform activities that align with the ASCA National Model (ASCA, 2005) and those activities that do not, as measured by the School Counselor Activity Rating Scale (SCARS) (Scarborough, 2005). Results indicate that the school counselors and principals that participated in the study agreed that school counselors are spending most of their time engaged in activities that align with the ASCA National Model (ASCA, 2005). Significant differences (p < .05) appeared on 10 items in which five were related to counseling activities, primarily as they relate to small group counseling. Principals indicated their school counselors were conducting small group activities related to academic and substance abuse issues more frequently than the school counselors indicated. Other areas that showed significant differences (p < .05) between school counselors’ and principals’ responses included conducting classroom guidance lessons on substance abuse issues, consulting with school staff regarding students’ behavior, and such coordination activities as professional development and school counseling advisory teams. School counselors indicated they engaged in the non-counseling activity of substituting/covering classes more frequently than principals indicated (p = .032). Implications for school counselors, principals, and counselor education and education administration faculty are discussed.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Special Education, Counseling and Student Affairs / Judith K. Hughey / Many efforts have been directed towards providing equitable access to higher education for youth from low-income, first-generation families. Despite gains, attendance and graduation rates from college are consistently lower for these students (U.S. Department of Education National Center for Education Statistics, 2012). A variety of initiatives have been implemented to support students' entry into college, persistence to graduation, and increased access to professional careers. One such program is Talent Search, which provides middle school students opportunities to achieve academic success and to become knowledgeable about college and career options. KU Talent Search offers a summer career camp as part of its programming. The Career Horizons Summer Program (CHSP) exists to help students between 6th and 7th grades explore career possibilities, build potential for success in academics and careers, and become more comfortable in a college environment (Dukstein, 2012b). This study examined beliefs about college and careers in a group of 52 students, as well as the impact of the CHSP on the intervention group. Educational aspirations and expectations, and career and college-going self-efficacy were assessed. It was predicted that participation in the camp would result in an increase in college-going and career self-efficacy. The study also provided additional insight into the construct of college-going self-efficacy. Using a quantitative comparison group design, data were collected from camp participants and from students who were eligible to participate but did not. Pre and posttest surveys assessed educational aspirations and expectations and included scales to measure career self-efficacy (Fouad & Smith, 1997) and college-going self-efficacy (Gibbons & Borders, 2010a). Educational aspirations and expectations were high in all participants and a bivariate correlation analysis revealed that career self-efficacy and college-going self-efficacy were highly correlated. Comparisons between the intervention and the comparison group suggested that the CHSP did have an impact on career and college self-efficacy. It is important to understand the characteristics of a successful college and career access program, and to identify interventions that are most impactful. The findings of this study add to understanding of one such intervention and may have implications for specific practices that can increase potential for college success.