Despite much attention given to school counselors and their roles, minimal research has been conducted with regard to parental expectations of school counselors and no research exists in how expectancy theory relates to parental motivation. The primary purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore parental expectations of the secondary school counselor's roles and to gain an understanding of how expectancy theory influences parental motivation. The following questions were researched: What are the attitudes and general beliefs that parents have regarding expectations of school counselors? What do parents expect their children to gain from working with secondary school counselors? How do parents' prior interactions with school counselors impact their expectations? Is there a relationship between parental expectations and what advice/encouragement parents give their children when consulting school counselors? The first phase consisted of a qualitative exploration of the expectations of secondary school counselors based on focus group interviews with fifteen parents. Qualitative results revealed that parents expect secondary school counselors to know and guide their child. In addition, parents expect their children to gain information and knowledge from their school counselor. Finally, it was determined that there was a relationship between what parents expect and the encouragement and advice parents gave their children about working with school counselors. Themes that emerged from the focus groups were used in the development of the Parental Expectation School Counselor Questionnaire (PESCQ) and to confirm the focus group findings. The PESCQ was administered to 450 parents of high school students in grades 9-12 at two SW Virginia high schools. The survey did not detect significant findings between demographic variables but did confirm qualitative findings of parental expectations and child gains. Clearly, parents who had expectations expected their children to gain knowledge and information from their school counselors and those parents were motivated to encourage their children to work with their school counselor. This study contributed to research on expectancy theory and analysis revealed that parents are motivated to work with counselors because they have shared values of wanting what is best for the child. This positive outcome equals a students' success. This research also provided implications for parents, school counselors, counselor educators, administrators, and school boards. Parents need to get to know their child's school counselor and become informed about their roles and functions. School counselors need to do their best to get to know their students and evaluate how they can motivate their parents to be more involved. Parents and school counselors share values of wanting the student to be successful. Since parents see the school counselor as a key to success and parents want to meet their child's needs this creates a motivation in working with the school counselor. / Ph. D.

Bullying is a major issue facing school systems today. It is important to explore the extent to which school counselors feel confident in providing interventions to address bullying. This research study is designed to fill a gap in the current school counseling literature regarding our understanding of school counselors' self-efficacy to address bullying in elementary schools. The following research questions will guide the study: 1. What is the elementary school counselor's perceived self-efficacy for providing bullying interventions in an elementary school setting, as measured by the Counselor Self-Efficacy and Bullying Interventions Scale (CSBI)? 2. What is the elementary school counselor's perceived self-efficacy regarding his or her counseling skills as measured by the Counseling Self-Estimate Inventory (COSE)? 3. To what extent are (a) years of experience in the field, (b) years of training, (c) bullying-intervention training in graduate school, and (d) participation in professional development activities and/or in-services predictive of a counselor's self-efficacy for providing bullying interventions? Responses from 126 elementary school counselors employed at a large suburban school district in the Mid-Atlantic region were used to explore overall counselor self-efficacy and counselor self-efficacy related to bullying interventions. The Counseling Self-Estimate Inventory (COSE; Larson et al., 1992), and Counselor Self-Efficacy and Bullying Interventions Scale(CSBI adapted from King et al., 1999) were the instruments used to answer the research questions. Participants reported a high (M =185) overall self-efficacy as well as a high (M =71.2) self-efficacy for providing bullying interventions. However, only one variable, years of experience, was found to significantly predict efficacy expectations (B = 0.25, p <.01) and outcome values (B = 0.21, p <.05); none of the variables were found to significantly predict outcome expectations (r-squared=0.06, n.s). / Ph. D.

The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of elementary school counselors working with students adopted transracially (SATr) and their families. Previously, the voices of elementary school counselors have been omitted from the limited scope of professional literature available related to school counseling practice with SATr. Using a phenomenological method, research questions were developed to capture the perceptions, needs, and practices of elementary school counselors working with SATr and their families. The purposeful sample of 11 participants represented elementary school counselors from Northern and Southern Virginia and West Virginia. The participants had professional school counseling experience ranging from one to 27 years where they worked with a range of one to over 200 SATr and their families. A structured analysis process was used that included coding (i.e., open, axial, selective), writing textural and structural descriptions that were verified by participants, and developing composite summaries. This structured process uncovered the categories, sub-categories, and themes leading to a core category. Bracketing was used to maintain the trustworthiness of the research study. The findings included eight themes as continuums reflecting the various perceptions, needs, and practices of the participants in working with SATr and their families. The shared lived experiences can best be described as a 'CONTINUUM OF COMFORT AND CONFIDENCE' whereby elementary school counselors relied on using foundational counseling skills, understanding human development, applying multicultural competency, and being sensitive to adoption related practices. Additionally, they continually refined their practice strategies in being responsive to the needs of SATr and their families. Although the findings of this study cannot be generalized, the narratives of these elementary school counselors offer important insight and generate recommendations for practice. Salient recommendations include frequent collaboration among school and mental health counselors, the need for elementary school counselor advocacy to promote acceptance and inclusion of SATr and their families, and the necessity for counselor educators to include coursework on transracial adoption. Future research with middle and high school counselors, SATr and their families who have used school counseling services, and professional development training will deepen our understanding for inclusive comprehensive, developmentally appropriate school counseling programs. / Ph. D.

Students pursuing a master’s degree in CACREP-accredited school counseling programs are required to complete supervised field experiences as a part of their course requirements. During their practicum and internships experiences, they receive university supervision by a faculty member or doctoral student supervisor, as well as site supervision at the placement site, typically from a school counselor. University supervisors may lack experience in school counseling and knowledge of the unique roles and supervision needs of school counselors. In addition, site supervisors may lack training or knowledge of clinical supervision. Furthermore, the multiple systems in which SCITs function may have differing goals and expectations for supervisees. The various factors influencing supervision may result in confusion and frustration for SCITs. The purpose of this interpretive phenomenological study was to understand the supervision experiences of SCITs enrolled in CACREP-accredited counselor education programs in Southern Louisiana universities who recently completed internship. Specifically, I sought to understand SCITs experiences with regard to university individual and group supervision, site supervision, and what influence, if any, the ASCA National Model had on their supervision experiences. After receiving IRB approval, participants were invited to participate via an email solicitation. The eight participants chosen were master’s students from CACREP-accredited counselor education programs who recently completed internship. Data were collected through individual, face-to-face, audio-recorded interviews utilizing a semi-structured interview protocol. After the interviews were transcribed, the data were analyzed using IPA data analysis procedures. The final analysis resulted in four super-ordinate themes. The findings describe the meaning of the lived experiences of SCITs with supervision. According to the results, supervision experiences, whether being reported as positive or negative, could be attributed to: impact of counselor education program, aspects related to supervisors, significance of feedback, and influence of self. The results could help inform the design of counselor education programs to more adequately prepare SCITs for school counseling as it is today. Furthermore, the results could help improve site supervision practices.

This study develops the first measurement instrument designed to accompany the concept of competency basing in counselor training. In so doing, the study screens and validates a list of skills most essential to an effective counselor. The problem of this study is to develop and validate an instrument for the measurement of competencies of school counselors. The instrument developed and validated by this study is especially designed to delineate the specific skills which best represent the competencies necessary for a well-qualified counselor.

This exploratory research was designed to elucidate elementary school children's perceptions of the process of counseling with school counselors who utilize play therapy techniques. Seven elementary school children who were engaged in a counseling relationship with a school counselor who utilized play therapy techniques were interviewed three different times in person. All three rounds of interviews were audio taped and transcribed for the purpose of data analysis. Throughout each round of data collection, coding procedures, mainly open, axial, and selective, were utilized to extract and organize emergent themes. The data yielded three main categories: (a) therapeutic relationship, (b) emotional expressiveness, and (c) creative play, which included properties and sub-properties. To verify findings, expert consultation, member checks, and rival explanations were sought. Findings are discussed, followed by a conceptual framework of the counseling process. Methods to address potential limitations are presented, followed by a discussion of implications for counselor educators, play therapists, and school counselors. Last, suggestions for further research are offered.

While approximately 62% of high school graduates enroll in college, almost half of these students do not return for their second year in school. This demonstratable gap in college interest and reaching actual goals speaks to a need for information on how to facilitate the precollege guidance process to achieve more successful high school graduate and postsecondary institution matches. Much information is available in regard to the college choice process of high school students considering four year colleges and universities; scant information is known about how students discover information about the complete range of postsecondary educational opportunities. In particular, the community and technical college postsecondary education options have received minimal attention. Providing precollege counseling and information to students is considered a function of the high school counselor. Therefore, their perceptions and knowledge of postsecondary educational institutions are important in understanding the information they relate to their students. The purpose of this study was to investigate and describe high school counselors' perceptions of community and technical colleges as viable and valued postsecondary education options. The study probed into the unique experiences of high school counselors from a major school system and examined how their perceptions were informed and shaped. A qualitative research design incorporating one-on-one interviews was conducted. The conceptual framework guiding this study was informed and developed by integrating three respected models: McDonough's (1997) model of building a comprehensive college culture in the high school, McClafferty and McDonough's (2002) model, and the American School Counselor Association National Model. The perceptions of the high school counselors resulted in five themes which included experiences with university bound students, experiences with community and technical college bound students, pathways of awareness of community and technical colleges, precollege counseling, and perceptions of community and technical colleges. The study concludes with implications for policy, practice, and recommendations for further study.

his study of elementary, middle, and high school counselors (N = 361) investigated the discrepancies, and the factors predictive of the discrepancies, between the actual practice and preferred practice in interventions associated with a comprehensive, developmental school counseling program. Results indicated that school counselors preferred to spend their time in accord with best practice. Subsequently, selected professional, employment, self-efficacy, and school climate variables were found to predict differences between actual and preferred practice.

Comprehensive, developmental school counseling programming has been associated with numerous benefits for students and is considered current best practice. A qualitative, grounded theory study was conducted to investigate eight professional school counselors employed across grade level, geographic setting, and region within the United States. This article presents this research and the emergent model for successful comprehensive, developmental school counseling program implementation. Implications for school counselor education and practice, as well as future research, are discussed.

This qualitative study explores the expectations and preceptions elementary teachers have of school counselors. Participants were current or past students in an elementary education graduate progrma at a southeastern university. The participants responded to an open-endd online survey that consisted of questions that focused on the demographics of their schools and the expectations and perceptions they had of the school counselor's roles and responsibilities pertaining to both academic achievement and student behavior. Although responses varied, the data suggests that there was substatntial concern regarding the time and availability of the school counselor, implications of the use of counselors as school standardized testing administrators, and respondents' desires for school counselors to focus on the severe emotional and behavioral needs of students.