<p> Without the rich stories of the experiences of teen parents who drop out of school and then re-enter, we do not have a total picture of the dropout phenomenon and how best to address the issues for this marginalized group. Using the research strategies of Charmaz' social constructivist grounded theory, Melton has gathered detailed stories about overcoming obstacles, connecting with others, and finding resources to complete their high school education. The pivotal role of school counselors as advocates becomes even more imperative to support teen parents in completing their education. Hopefully, this research has added depth to the understanding of what works, what is needed, and what interventions are most effective with teen parents. By using the Relational-Cultural Theoretical lens, Melton has developed the <i>Model of Relational Resilience and Marginalization of Teen Parents who Re-enter High School after Dropping Out</i> to better understand of the experiences of teen parents by defining their needs, exploring their resiliency, and highlighting the importance of protective factors and relationships in returning students to school.</p>

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2008. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 69-05, Section: A, page: 1733. Adviser: Michaelene M. Ostrosky. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 72-79) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, Dept. of Counseling and Educational Psychology, 2007. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-10, Section: A, page: 4214. Advisers: Thomas J. Huberty; Ellen A. Brantlinger. Title from dissertation home page (viewed May 20, 2008).

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The purpose of this study was to explore the ethics of social media use in rehabilitation counselor education programs. Program coordinators from 81 U.S. education programs accredited by the Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE) were solicited to complete a survey regarding the ethical dilemmas or problems they encountered with respect to social media used by graduate students, faculty, and administrative staff. Of the 81 program coordinators, 28(34.56%) completed the survey. The survey asked program coordinators to report whether their program, department, or university had a social media policy, as well as whether they had encountered any social media-related ethical dilemmas. Finally, the survey asked program coordinators about their ethical beliefs regarding the use of social media in rehabilitation counselor education. The results found that 13 (46.43%) of the program coordinators had encountered at least one ethical dilemma related to graduate students' misuse of social media in the past year. The most frequently cited dilemma was students' "befriending" of faculty members on social networking sites such as Facebook. An examination of the data revealed no association between the type of social media policy employed and the probability of reporting an ethical dilemma. Program coordinators reported that the ethical use of social media will continue to be a challenge in the future, and the results of the present study could thus be used by rehabilitation counseling educators to develop policies and practices to better promote and regulate the appropriate use of social media in rehabilitation education programs.

The problem was to compare the effectiveness of an integrated didactic and experiential approach in the training of graduate counseling practicum students with that of the traditional approach in counseling practicum training.

<p> This investigation examines the effect of a peer mentoring service-learning program established by the University of Maine on empathy and moral reasoning. The methodology is qualitative in nature, using a semi-structured interview protocol and a conceptual framework based on the review of the literature. Mentoring, empathy and moral reasoning were the focus of the literature review, which revealed these two key components of social and emotional learning are associated with academic performance and pro-social behaviors in adolescence, and mentoring is a service learning modality associated with similar benefits. </p><p> Two rural high schools were recruited to participate in an innovative collaborative effort with the University of Maine. Volunteer mentors, screened by local guidance staff, were trained in peer mentoring theory, skills, and techniques in three all day workshops. Ongoing onsite guidance was provided by a University of Maine graduate school intern and on site counseling staff. Each mentor was assigned a mentee, whom they met with regularly throughout the school year. In the spring, twelve mentors, representing approximately half of the mentor population, was interviewed about their experiences and perceptions.</p><p> A conceptual framework was developed based on a detailed review of relevant literature. A semi-structured interview was based on this framework, which was then utilized to guide data collection in the interviews. The interview transcripts were coded and analyzed to detect the emergence of themes with high frequency and prevalence. Mentor profiles were also developed for each of the twelve mentors who participated.</p><p> The mentor profiles and findings from the interview thematic analysis were then compared and contrasted with the review of the literature, and the conceptual framework was refined into the final concept map. The findings support a strong conceptual connection between moral reasoning and empathy, mediated through the empathic connections of the mentors including family, friends, and mentees, as well as the various moral dilemmas that they encountered in their high school experience. The implications for conceptual development through research with adolescents is reviewed, as well as opportunities for future research to increase the effectiveness of service learning programs that develop social and emotional capacities in youth.</p>

<p>This explanatory mixed-method study explored the dropout phenomenon from an ecological perspective identifying the school organizational (academics, activities, structure) and social relationship (teachers, peers) factors that most significantly influence students&rsquo; decisions to leave school prior to graduation at a rural high school in south central Pennsylvania. </p><p> The quantitative phase of the study utilized a 40 question, forced choice survey to isolate the school organizational and social relationship factors that had the most influence on students&rsquo; dropout decision making, as well as to determine what, if any, correlation existed between the perceptions of students who are not at-risk, those who are at-risk but are still in school, and those who had already formally dropped out of school. The survey respondents included 80 students in school and 10 students who had dropped out of high school. The qualitative phase was composed of in-depth interviews of nine students who had formally dropped out of the rural high school in the study. </p><p> The results of the quantitative analyses revealed the following key findings: (1) there was no single predictor factor category which statistically and significantly influenced student persistence; (2) there was no statistically significant difference in the way students who were at-risk, but still enrolled in high school, and those that had already dropped out perceived any predictor category; and finally, (3) the responses of students at-risk (whether enrolled or who dropped out) were statistically and significantly different from the responses of students who were not at-risk in the predictor categories of school structure and teacher relationships. </p><p> The patterns that emerged from the interviews revealed that these students: (1) viewed the school structure as a barrier to diploma attainment; (2) believed the lack of content relevancy lead to detachment from school and justified the decision to quit school; and (3) shared that had an adult within the school intervened at the beginning of his or her divergence from the path to graduation, the results of his or her high school experience would have been different. </p><p> Several implications for practice emerge given these findings. First, proactive strategies such as multiple curricular pathways and the use of transition academies should be applied systematically for all students enrolled in school. These structural elements of the school&rsquo;s organization should be paired with instructional strategies that promote student engagement. Second, targeted interventions should be designed to meet the needs of students who are at-risk for dropping out of high school. Targeted intervention should include the: (1) use of an instrument that identifies students who are developing or who possess negative perceptions of the school and school staff; (2) at-risk students being assigned an education advocate to promote meaningful and sustainable relationships; and (3) school leaders&rsquo; efforts to creatively develop personalized learning for all students who are considered at-risk for early school departure. </p>