The overrepresentation of African American (AA) students in special education is a problem in the United States, with concerns about the lack of uniformity in AA students' referrals to special education, and whether the referral process is applied consistently for all students. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the perceptions of teachers, school counselors, and school administrators concerning the special education referral process, and whether the process was applied consistently for all students. The 2 theories providing the theoretical foundation were critical race theory and zone of proximal development. Criterion sampling was used to select 6 participants for this qualitative case study. The sample included 2 teachers, 2 school counselors, and 2 school administrators. Face-to face interviews were conducted and transcripts were analyzed using open coding with topical analysis to see if any patterns emerged concerning teachers', school counselors', and school administrators' perceptions of the special education referral process. Member checking was used to improve trustworthiness of the interpretations. Findings revealed that all participants were unaware of the disproportionate number of AA students in special education, and reported that they followed the established rules and procedures within the school to guide their referral decisions. In addition, all respondents identified their distinct role in the referral process, and indicated that when placed properly, students can benefit from special education placement. Positive social change may result by exploring stakeholder perceptions of the special education referral processes among school staff, and ensuring that those involved in special education referrals are applying processes consistently for all students.

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Youth living in the United States are experiencing increasing rates of mental health issues (New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, 2003; U.S. Department of Education, 2006) and are less likely to receive mental health services (U.S.DHHS, 2009). Children and adolescent mental health services are fragmented, often times ineffective, and difficult to obtain (Brown, 2006; Center for Mental Health in Schools, 2008; Jacob, 2008). Children of color and children living in poverty (ASCA, 2009; Panigua, 2005; Shavers, 2013; and Vera, Buhin, & Shin, 2006), are more likely than their peers to experience mental health disorders and less likely to receive outside mental health services (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,1999; U.S. National Institute of Mental Health, 2001). Professional school counselors, play a significant role in identifying, meeting and connecting students in need of additional mental health services (ASCA, 2012; Jacob, 2008) and are advised to collaborate with community agencies to better meet the mental health needs of all their students (ASCA, 2009; ASCA, 2012). If left untreated, mental health issues can have a direct impact on students’ learning and academic performance (Adelman & Taylor, 2006). In response, there have been many recent initiatives to promote mental health in schools, including H.R. 628: Mental Health in Schools Act currently being considered by a United States congressional committee. School-based mental health counseling programs (SBMHCPs) have been implemented to address the fragmented mental health delivery system for children and adolescents needing mental health services (Center for Mental Health in Schools, 2003; New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, 2003; & Surgeon General Report on Mental Health, 1999). There is limited research about SBMHCPs from the perspective of those who have been addressing the mental health needs of students for decades—professional school counselors and professional school counselor educators. This qualitative study examined professional school counselors’ and counselor educators’ experiences working collaboratively with school-based mental health counselors. Seventeen school counselors (n=17) and five (n=5) counselor educators participated in a structured online questionnaire. Phenomenological data analysis methods were used to analyze the results (Hays & Woods, 2011; Moustakas, 1994). Results describe professional school counselor and counselor educator’s perceptions about school-based mental health programs, the roles of professional school counselors and school-based mental health counselors, training recommendations, and funding issues related to school-based mental health programs.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-01-26T18:50:02Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 LUZIA_DISSERTACAO_08_10_2007.pdf: 6117764 bytes, checksum: 739310402fa45ed4aba14e30053c492e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-08-08 / The present research, focused the continued formation of the professors for the qualification in service promoted for a coordinating teacher. It analyzed how these actions had been planned and executed in the school in the weekly meetings of the Collective Pedagogical Working Schedule and the daily attendance of the execution of the teaching work, in the classroom. A project of reading work was executed as opportunity to follow the qualification of the professor for the coordinator; at the same time it attended the educative necessities of the pupils of that group of educators. The investigation was defined in a quanti-qualitative boarding as collaboration research and it allowed to verify the practice adopted for the pedagogical coordination next to the group of professors. While I was a researcher, I participated several times as observer of the development of the activities purposed by the research. Small interventions were made as collaborating with the endorsement of the professors in the execution of the project of reading work, in attendance to the requests of the operating group itself. Questionnaires, comments, colloquies and registers in a daily notebook had been used. Pictures and graphs were elaborated as synthesis of the gotten data. Photos were annexed to clarify what was made in the projects of reading work. The participants of this research were a Pedagogical Coordinating Teacher and twenty two professors of a public school of Cycle I of Basic School, located in the city of Presidente Prudente, in the interior of São Paulo State. The research development demonstrated that it is essential to the Pedagogical Coordinator to contribute for the improvement of the Pedagogical practice of those that are under your coordination, being a strategies researcher that allows to auxiliate your subordinates to review, to understand and to transform their way, either in the classroom or in another environment of work. It is necessary the professional to be the one worried in reflecting on its proper work and constantly search to invest in its own qualification. It is necessary that this coordinator makes frequents studies in the area of professors formation and education and learning. The execution of a project of reading work collaborated with the searched group in the improvement of the continued formation in the school and compelled the reflection about the projects elaboration and the practices of reading until then, with results in the learning of the students. At the same time, it assisted the searched group in the necessary theoric basis to the reflection, organization and evaluation of actions that contemplated the necessities of the pupils. / A presente pesquisa, focalizou a formação continuada dos professores pela capacitação em serviço promovida por uma professora coordenadora. Analisou como foram planejadas e executadas essas ações na escola - nas reuniões semanais do Horário de Trabalho Pedagógico Coletivo e no acompanhamento cotidiano da execução do trabalho docente, em sala de aula. Um projeto de trabalho em leitura foi executado como oportunidade de acompanhar a capacitação dos professores pela coordenadora, ao mesmo tempo em que atendeu às necessidades educativas dos alunos daquele grupo de educadores. A investigação foi definida numa abordagem quanti-qualitativa como pesquisa colaborativa e permitiu verificar a prática adotada pela coordenação pedagógica junto ao grupo de professores. Enquanto pesquisadora, participei diversas vezes como observadora do desenvolvimento das atividades propostas pela pesquisa. Pequenas intervenções foram realizadas como colaboradora com o aval dos docentes na execução do projeto de trabalho em leitura, em atendimento às solicitações do próprio grupo atuante. Questionários, observações, conversas informais e registros num diário de bordo foram utilizados. Quadros e gráficos foram elaborados como síntese dos dados obtidos. Fotos foram anexadas para aclarar o que foi feito nos projetos de trabalho sobre leitura.Os sujeitos desta pesquisa foram uma Professora Coordenadora Pedagógica e vinte e dois professores de uma escola pública do Ciclo I do Ensino Fundamental, localizada na cidade de Presidente Prudente, no interior do Estado de São Paulo. O desenvolvimento da pesquisa demonstrou que é essencial o Coordenador Pedagógico contribuir para o aprimoramento da prática pedagógica daqueles que se encontram sob sua coordenação sendo pesquisador de estratégias que lhe permita auxiliar seus coordenados a rever, entender e transformar sua prática, seja em sala de aula, seja em outro ambiente de trabalho. É preciso que ele seja, antes de tudo, um profissional preocupado em refletir sobre o seu próprio trabalho e buscar constantemente investir em sua própria capacitação. È necessário que esse coordenador faça constantes estudos na área de formação de professores e de ensino e aprendizagem. A execução de um projeto de trabalho em leitura colaborou com o grupo pesquisado no aprimoramento da formação continuada realizada na escola e obrigou a reflexão sobre a elaboração de projetos de trabalho e às práticas de leitura existentes até então, com resultados na aprendizagem dos alunos. Ao mesmo tempo, auxiliou o grupo pesquisado no embasamento teórico necessário à reflexão, organização e avaliação de ações que contemplaram as necessidades dos alunos.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-18T17:54:26Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 LUZIA_DISSERTACAO_08_10_2007.pdf: 6117764 bytes, checksum: 739310402fa45ed4aba14e30053c492e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-08-08 / The present research, focused the continued formation of the professors for the qualification in service promoted for a coordinating teacher. It analyzed how these actions had been planned and executed in the school in the weekly meetings of the Collective Pedagogical Working Schedule and the daily attendance of the execution of the teaching work, in the classroom. A project of reading work was executed as opportunity to follow the qualification of the professor for the coordinator; at the same time it attended the educative necessities of the pupils of that group of educators. The investigation was defined in a quanti-qualitative boarding as collaboration research and it allowed to verify the practice adopted for the pedagogical coordination next to the group of professors. While I was a researcher, I participated several times as observer of the development of the activities purposed by the research. Small interventions were made as collaborating with the endorsement of the professors in the execution of the project of reading work, in attendance to the requests of the operating group itself. Questionnaires, comments, colloquies and registers in a daily notebook had been used. Pictures and graphs were elaborated as synthesis of the gotten data. Photos were annexed to clarify what was made in the projects of reading work. The participants of this research were a Pedagogical Coordinating Teacher and twenty two professors of a public school of Cycle I of Basic School, located in the city of Presidente Prudente, in the interior of São Paulo State. The research development demonstrated that it is essential to the Pedagogical Coordinator to contribute for the improvement of the Pedagogical practice of those that are under your coordination, being a strategies researcher that allows to auxiliate your subordinates to review, to understand and to transform their way, either in the classroom or in another environment of work. It is necessary the professional to be the one worried in reflecting on its proper work and constantly search to invest in its own qualification. It is necessary that this coordinator makes frequents studies in the area of professors formation and education and learning. The execution of a project of reading work collaborated with the searched group in the improvement of the continued formation in the school and compelled the reflection about the projects elaboration and the practices of reading until then, with results in the learning of the students. At the same time, it assisted the searched group in the necessary theoric basis to the reflection, organization and evaluation of actions that contemplated the necessities of the pupils. / A presente pesquisa, focalizou a formação continuada dos professores pela capacitação em serviço promovida por uma professora coordenadora. Analisou como foram planejadas e executadas essas ações na escola - nas reuniões semanais do Horário de Trabalho Pedagógico Coletivo e no acompanhamento cotidiano da execução do trabalho docente, em sala de aula. Um projeto de trabalho em leitura foi executado como oportunidade de acompanhar a capacitação dos professores pela coordenadora, ao mesmo tempo em que atendeu às necessidades educativas dos alunos daquele grupo de educadores. A investigação foi definida numa abordagem quanti-qualitativa como pesquisa colaborativa e permitiu verificar a prática adotada pela coordenação pedagógica junto ao grupo de professores. Enquanto pesquisadora, participei diversas vezes como observadora do desenvolvimento das atividades propostas pela pesquisa. Pequenas intervenções foram realizadas como colaboradora com o aval dos docentes na execução do projeto de trabalho em leitura, em atendimento às solicitações do próprio grupo atuante. Questionários, observações, conversas informais e registros num diário de bordo foram utilizados. Quadros e gráficos foram elaborados como síntese dos dados obtidos. Fotos foram anexadas para aclarar o que foi feito nos projetos de trabalho sobre leitura.Os sujeitos desta pesquisa foram uma Professora Coordenadora Pedagógica e vinte e dois professores de uma escola pública do Ciclo I do Ensino Fundamental, localizada na cidade de Presidente Prudente, no interior do Estado de São Paulo. O desenvolvimento da pesquisa demonstrou que é essencial o Coordenador Pedagógico contribuir para o aprimoramento da prática pedagógica daqueles que se encontram sob sua coordenação sendo pesquisador de estratégias que lhe permita auxiliar seus coordenados a rever, entender e transformar sua prática, seja em sala de aula, seja em outro ambiente de trabalho. É preciso que ele seja, antes de tudo, um profissional preocupado em refletir sobre o seu próprio trabalho e buscar constantemente investir em sua própria capacitação. È necessário que esse coordenador faça constantes estudos na área de formação de professores e de ensino e aprendizagem. A execução de um projeto de trabalho em leitura colaborou com o grupo pesquisado no aprimoramento da formação continuada realizada na escola e obrigou a reflexão sobre a elaboração de projetos de trabalho e às práticas de leitura existentes até então, com resultados na aprendizagem dos alunos. Ao mesmo tempo, auxiliou o grupo pesquisado no embasamento teórico necessário à reflexão, organização e avaliação de ações que contemplaram as necessidades dos alunos.

Professional school counselors frequently use career interest inventories as part of a comprehensive guidance program to help students create a post-secondary school plan. The present study evaluates the validity of three commonly used interest inventories, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Self-Directed Search, and Strong Interest Inventory on field of study choice for graduating high school seniors (N = 616) from a large, suburban high school in Texas. Students identified their intended postsecondary field of study category, were randomly assigned using stratification to three groups, and each group completed a different inventory. Group membership was evaluated to establish covariate balance on a wide variety of indicators. Data from each group was evaluated to determine the extent to which the inventory predicted the chosen field of study, as well as Other and Undeclared categories using logistic regression models. None of the inventory models suggest that the inventory accurately predicts Other or Undeclared outcomes. For students selecting intended postsecondary fields of study, the Self Directed Search predicts such outcomes better than other measures. Professional school and career counselors should consider the SDS in addition to narrative counseling strategies to add greater precision with career decision making among clients and students.

Studiens syfte var att undersöka hur skolkuratorer uppfattar sitt och sina skolors arbete med ungdomskriminalitet i särskilt utsatta områden. För att besvara frågeställningarna så genomfördes tre semistrukturerade intervjuer med fyra kuratorer från tre skolor. För analysen av empirin valdes domänteori, handlingsutrymme, identitet och socialt utanförskap som teoretisk utgångspunkt. Analysen gjordes utifrån forskningsansatsen fenomenografi för att synliggöra deras uppfattningar och upplevelser, där arbetssätten var i fokus. Skolkuratorerna uppfattade brottslighet som en utmaning och att området försvårade arbetet då vissa elever inte känner sig som en del av samhället och riskerar att rekryteras av kriminella nätverk. De främsta arbetssätten för kuratorerna var relationsskapande, psykosocialt arbete, tillgänglighet och sociala kartläggningar. Kuratorerna menade att skolornas främsta strategier är samverkan med andra myndigheter, uppmärksamhet på skolfrånvaro och våldsförebyggande program. Tillgångar kuratorerna upplevde var vuxentäthet, kompetens och starka ledningar men de önskade mer tid och resurser. / This study’s purpose was to examine how school counselors perceive their own and their school’s work with criminality in excluded areas. To answer the study’s questions, three semi-structured interviews were conducted with counselors from three different schools. Domain theory, freedom of action, identity and social exclusion were the theoretical foundation for the analysis which was done with the research methodology phenomenography to highlight the counselor’s perceptions, with focus on their strategies. The counselors perceived criminality as a challenge and that the area made it difficult because of pupil’s risk of recruitment by criminal networks and their sense of not belonging. The counselors focused on relationship building, psychosocial work, availability and social mapping. They expressed that their school’s primary strategies were cooperation with other authorities, attentiveness on school absence and violence prevention. Assets the schools had were grownup density, competence and strong management but they wished for more time and resources.

The purpose of this study was to examine school counselors experiences of meeting and working with adolescents with gender nonconforming identites. The study was based on two research questions which were stated as following: What do school counselors at upper secondary schools believe is essential when working with students with gender nonconforming identites? And is there access to regulatory documents or general material for school counselors to use when meeting students with gender nonconforming identites? And what are the school counselor's opinions on that being implemented? We decided to do a qualitative study and conducted six interviews with school counselors operating in six different upper secondary schools in Sweden. In addition to the interviews we decided to further our research to provide us with a global perspective using previous research as well as theories related to the purpose of the study. The results showed that school counselors found trust, continuity, confidentiality, situation based treatment, equality and gender inclusive language as most relevant to ensure students with gender nonconforming identites feel safe and accepted botn at school and as well as the counselors office. We also found there to be little to no regulatory documents or general material for school counselors to use when meeting students with gender nonconforming identites and the opinions among the informants were scattered where some had a positive take on it and others were critical.

Vår studie syftar till att undersöka vilken upplevd roll några studie- och yrkesvägledare har eller skulle kunna ha i elevhälsoteam. Vi har genomfört kvalitativa intervjuer med sex olika informanter, fyra studie- och yrkesvägledare och två elevhälsoteamansvariga och tittat på deras erfarenheter och åsikter kring studie- och yrkesvägledarnas roll i elevhälsoteam. Våra forskningsfrågor är: Hur ser studie- och yrkesvägledarnas roll ut och hur används dennes kompetenser i elevhälsoteamens arbete? Hur ser de elevhälsoteams-ansvariga på studie- och yrkesvägledarens roll och kompetenser i elevhälsoteamen? Hur upplever studie- och yrkesvägledarna och de EHT-ansvariga samarbetet mellan studie- och yrkesvägledarna och övriga professioner i elevhälsoteamen? Resultatet visar att samtliga av studiens informanter är eniga om att studie- och yrkesvägledare ska ingå i elevhälsan. Det framkommer att studie- och yrkesvägledare besitter kompetenser som ingen annan i elevhälsoteam har, om bland annat utbildningsvägar, skolgångar och samtalsfärdigheter. Vidare framkommer det att det tvärprofessionella samarbetet i elevhälsan visar sig både ha för- och nackdelar. / Our study aims to explore what experienced role some school counselors have or could have in school-health teams. We have explored this through qualitative interviews with six different informants, four school counselors and two leaders of school-health teams. We have examined their experiences and opinions about the school counselor’s role in school- health teams. Our research questions are: How does the school counselor’s role look like and how are their competencies being used in school-health teams? How does leaders of school-health teams see the school counselor’s role and competencies in the work done by school-health teams? How does the school counselor and the leader of the school-health teams experience the cooperation between the school counselor and the other members of the school-health team? The results show that all our informants agree that the school counselor should be a part of the school-health team. They also agree that the school counselor have competencies that no other member of the school-health team have, including knowledge about educational routes, schooling, and conversation methodology. Furthermore, our study shows that the interprofessional cooperation in the school-health team prove to have both pros and cons.