Title: COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL COUNSELING PROGRAMS: AGREEMENT BETWEEN SCHOOL COUNSELORS AND PRINCIPALS
1COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL COUNSELING PROGRAMS
AGREEMENT BETWEEN SCHOOL COUNSELORS AND PRINCIPALS
2Purpose
- To determine the extent of the levels of
agreement between Alabama school counselors and
principals about the - (a) importance of and (b) existence of 44
professional CSCP activities in K-12 Alabama
public schools
3Literature Review
- Pre-service training and collaboration rarely
exist (Shoffner Williamson). School counselors
are engaged in school activities only remotely
related to their training (Baker). - Principals support and agreement for programs
are necessary for effective school counseling
activities to be provided (Burnham Burnham
Jackson Hogan). - Program models exist (Alabama Plan ASCA National
Model Erford Gysbers Myrick) yet, counselors
express difficulty establishing and implementing
a CSCP activities (Niebuhr, Niebuhr,
Cleveland). - Counselors do activities expected of professional
educators in that they transmit cultural values
and train children to be functional citizens to
adapt and live productive lives (Dewey). - However, research indicates individuals loose
commitment to their jobs when they experience
role conflict or role ambiguity (Rizzo, House,
and Lirtzman).
4Procedure
- Permission obtained from doctoral committee, IRB,
and Alabama SDE to conduct survey - Surveys mailed by regular mail to K-12 Alabama
public school counselors and e-mailed to
principals with correct school e-mail addresses
5Methodology
- Instrument Counselor Program Survey (CPS)
- CPS, Part I
- Six Professional Program Domains Questions 1-44
- Organizational Administrational Services (8
items) - Counseling Programs and Services ((7 items)
- Educational Career Planning Services (11 items)
- Student Assessment Services (7 items)
- Classroom Guidance Activities (6 items)
- Professional Development Skills (5 items)
- CPS, Part II
- Other research interests
- Demographic data (questions 1-9)
- Counselor role conflict (questions 10 11)
- Non-guidance activities (question 12)
- Other activities (extra-curricular activities
question 13) - Teach regular classes (question 14)
- Program improvement (questions 15 16)
6- Statistical Analyses
- Independent t test - overall levels of agreement
about the (a) importance of and (b) existence of
44 CSCP activities - Independent t test - levels of agreement about
the (a) importance and (b) existence of 44 CSCP
activities within six domains - Pearson Product Moment Correlation -
relationships of the importance of the 44 CSCP
activities to the existence of the 44 CSCP
activities for the (a) overall activities, (b)
activities within the 6 domains, and (c) 44
individual CSCP activities - Chi-square test of independence - affirmative
ratings for the (a) importance of the 44 CSCP
activities and the (b) acknowledgement of the
existence of the 44 CSCP activities
7Demographics
Table 1
- Gender
- 46 Male Counselors
- (10)
- 418 Female Counselors
- 1 Female Supervisor (90)
- 34 Male Principals
- (60)
- 22 Female Principals (40)
-
- Professional Training
-
- Masters
- 349 School Counselors (76)
- 26 Principals (46)
- Specialist
- 66 School Counselors (12)
- 19 Principals (34)
- Doctorate
- 14 School Counselors (4)
- 6 Principals (11)
8Demographics
Table 1 continued
- School Experience
- School Counselors
- 1-5 years 51 (10)
- 6 -15 years 130 (28)
- 15-25 years 132 (29)
- 26-35 years 129 (28)
- Principals
- 1-5 years 8 (14)
- 6-15 years 8 (14)
- 15-25 years 19 (34)
- 26-30 years 19 (34)
- Schools Levels
- School Counselors
- K-12 51 (10)
- Elementary 177 (34)
- Middle School 95 (18)
- High School 134 (26)
- Principals
- K-12 10 (17)
- Elementary 11 (17)
- Middle School 9 (16)
- High School 24 (43)
9 Research Questions 1 2
- Are there differences in the levels of agreement
between K-12 professional counselors and
principals about - (1) the importance of, and
- (2) the existence of
- CSCP activities in Alabama public schools?
10- Table 2
- Overall Agreement for the Importance of and the
Existence - of Comprehensive School Counseling Program (CSCP)
- Activities
- __________________________________
- Variable n M SD t p
___________________________________ - Importance
- Counselors 461 50.34 9.63 1.31 .19
- Principals 55 48.51 11.27
- Existence
- Counselors 458 52.78 12.21 -.53 .60
- Principals 55 53.95 15.88
11Research Question 3
-
- Are there differences in the levels of
agreement between K-12 professional school
counselors and principals about the importance of
CSCP activities in Alabama public schools when
the activities are grouped within 6 program
domains - Domain I, Organizational and
Administrational Services - Domain II, School Programs and Services
- Domain III, Educational and Career Planning
Services - Domain IV, Student Assessment Services
- Domain V, Classroom Guidance Activities
- Domain VI, Professional Development Skills?
12- Table 3
- Levels of Agreement for the Importance of the Six
Comprehensive School Counseling Program Domains - __________________________________________________
____ - Domain Counselor Principal
- n M SD n M SD t
p - __________________________________________________
____ - IMPORTANCE
- Sch. Org/Adm. 464 8.7 1.83 55 8.5
1.92 .60 .55 - Prog. Serv. 465 8.1 2.31 55 8.0 1.94
.46 .65 - Ed. Car Pl. 465 13.4 4.61 56 12.5 5.16
1.35 .18 - Assessment 465 8.4 2.23 56 7.9 2.44
1.63 .10 - Class.Guidance 465 6.2 1.58 56 6.5 1.54
-1.27 .21 - Profess. Dev. 465 5.1 1.05 56 5.1
1.50 .35 .72 -
13Research Question 4
-
- Are there differences in the levels of agreement
between K-12 professional school counselors and
principals about the existence of CSCP activities
in Alabama public schools when the activities are
grouped within 6 program domains - Domain I, Organizational and
Administration of Services - Domain II, School Programs and Services
- Domain III, Educational and Career Planning
Services - Domain IV, Student Assessment Services,
- Domain V, Classroom Guidance Activities
- Domain VI, Professional Development Skills
14- Table 3 (continued).
- Levels of Agreement for the Existence of the Six
Comprehensive School Counseling Program Domains - __________________________________________________
_______ - Domain Counselor Principal
- n M SD n M SD
t p - __________________________________________________
________ - EXISTENCE
- Sch. Org/Adm. 465 8.8 2.81 56 9.7
3.19 -2.11 .03 - Prog. Ser. 465 8.9 2.83 56 9.1
3.10 -.55 .59 - Ed. Car. Plan. 465 14.9 4.63 56 14.8
5.70 1.04 .30 - Assessment 465 8.2 2.57 56 8.3
2.64 -.34 .73 - Class. Guidance 465 6.2 2.26 56
7.1 3.06 -2.06 .04 - Profess. Dev. 465 5.0 1.61 56 5.6
1.65 -2.57 .01
15- Higher proportion of school counselors than
principals reported the existence of CSCP
activities in the following 3 domains - Domain I Organization and Administration of
Services - Domain V Classroom Guidance Activities
- Domain VI Professional Development
16- Correlations of Counselors and Principals
Ratings for the Importance of and the Existence
of Comprehensive School Counseling Program
Activities
17- Table 4
- Correlations of Counselors and Principals
Ratings of the Importance and Existence of CSCP
Activities - __________________________________________________
______ - CPS Item CSCP Activity r
- DOMAIN I SCHOOL ORG/ADMIN. OF SERVICES
.35 - 1.Counselors plan their counseling program with
an advisory committee. .21 - 2.Counselors are included in development of the
school improvement plan. .20 - 3.Counselors develop annual program plan.
.35 - 4.Counselors share classroom guidance plans with
administration and staff. .40 - 5.Counselors complete a yearly program plan based
on needs assessment. .38 - 6.Counselors provide in-service for staff at
administrators request. .28 - 7.Counselors use a yearly calendar to plan
classroom visits. .36 - 8. Counselors provide referral services to
community resources. .20
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23Results of the Pearson r analysis
- Moderate positive correlations between
importance and existence ratings - Some individual CSCP items yielded low
correlations - Correlations of overall items was moderate
- (r .56)
-
- (p .05 level of significance)
24- Chi Square Analysis of the Ratings of the
Importance of and Existence of each of the 44
CSCP Activities
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31Differences in Ratings of Importance
- Domain II (Programs Services)
- Greater percentage of principals (94) reported
that counselors should schedule classroom visits
with teachers using a yearly calendar counselors
(84). - Domain III (Education/Career Planning)
- Greater proportion of principals (88) reported
counselors should provide a career guidance
section in library counselors (66).
32Differences in Ratings of Importance
- Domain III (Education/Career Planning)
- Greater percentage of principals (81) reported
that counselors should provide a career center in
guidance office counselors (66). - Greater percentage of counselors (88) reported
that counselors should provide yearly career
activities principals (73). - Greater percentage of principals (77) reported
that school counselors should provide financial
aid information assistance with students forms
counselors (62).
33Differences in Ratings of Importance
- Domain IV (Assessment)
- Greater percentage of principals (51) reported
that counselors should conduct diagnostic testing
of SPED students counselors (33). - Greater percentage of principals (75) reported
that counselors should represent the principal as
the LEA at SPED meetings counselors (33).
34Differences in Reported Existenceof CSCP
Activities
- Domain I (Organization Administration)
- Greater percentage of counselors (88)
acknowledged that counselors developed an annual
program plan principals (70). - Greater percentage of counselors (86)
acknowledged that counselors provided in-service
for staff - principals (72).
- Greater percentage of counselors (86)
acknowledged that school counselor used yearly
calendar to plan classroom visits with teachers
principals (74). - Greater percentage of counselors (96)
acknowledged that counselors provided referral
services to the community principals (85).
35Differences in Reported Existenceof CSCP
Activities
- Domain III (Education/Career Planning)
- A greater percentage of principals (66) reported
that counselors provided career guidance section
in the library counselors (42). - A greater percentage of counselors (82) reported
that counselors provided yearly career activities
- principals (63).
- A greater percentage of principals (73) reported
that counselors provided financial aid
information for students counselors (50). - A greater percentage of principals (63) reported
that counselors provided career-oriented field
trips counselors (44).
36Differences in Reported Existenceof CSCP
Activities
- Domain IV (Assessment)
- A greater percentage of counselors (94) reported
that counselors functioned as school test
coordinators principals (83. - A greater percentage of principals (43) reported
that counselors conducted diagnostic testing for
SPED students counselors (27). - A greater percentage of counselors (92) reported
that counselors provided teachers with test
schedules principals (80).
37Differences in Reported Existenceof CSCP
Activities
- Domain V (Classroom Guidance)
- A greater percentage of counselors (80) reported
that counselors were teaching communication
skills principals (65). - A greater percentage of counselors (88) reported
that counselors taught decision-making skills - principals (69).
- A greater percentage of counselors (89) reported
that counselors taught students how to handle
group pressure principals (75). - A greater percentage of counselors (91) reported
that counselors promoted abstinence programs - principals (77).
38Differences in Reported Existenceof CSCP
Activities
- Domain V (continued)
- A greater percentage of counselors (89) reported
that counselors taught coping skills principals
(73). - Domain VI (Professional Development)
- A greater percentage of counselors (98) reported
that counselors used good communication skills
principals (87). - A greater percentage of counselors (94) reported
that counselors initiated new programs as needed
principals (80).
39 Additional Research Interests
- Role conflict in implementing CSCP activities in
public schools - Non-guidance activities assigned to professional
school counselors - Other (extra-curricular) duties assigned to
professional school counselors - Teaching regular classes
- Improvement for Comprehensive School Counseling
Programs
40- Table 5
- Frequency of School Counselors and Principals who
Reported the Presence of Additional Concerns for
Counselors/Counseling Program - ___________________________________________
- Additional Concerns Counselorsa
Principalsb -
f f - ___________________________________________
- Role Conflict 311
67 21 38 - Non-guidance Activities 246 53
5 9 - Extra - Curricular Duties 101 30
0 0 - Regular Classes 14
4 0 0 - Needs Improvement 266 78
18 36 - aNumber of counselors 465. bNumber of
principals 56
41Examples of Duties/Activities Principals Assigned
School Counselors
- Clerical tasks and data entry
- School-wide test coordinators
- Maintenance of grades/records
- Substitute teaching substituting for principal
while principal attends meetings - Registration and scheduling of all students
- Discipline of students
- Special education activities planning and
attending IEP meetings occupational diploma
portfolio evaluations - Special education testing representing
principals as LEA at IEP meetings
42 Implications
- Possibly, school counselors and principals
- View CSCP activities differently
- Collaboration for the counseling program is
needed - Possible, principals assign (inappropriate)
duties - Possibly, some CSCP activities existed, but
principals were not aware of the activities - Better communications between counselors and
principals needed - Some CSCP activities may not have obvious impact
on students
43To Promote Agreement Between School Counselors
and Principals
- Replicate the study
- Use sample from all levels more principals
- Delete any CPS items not applicable to all school
levels - Conduct a qualitative study
- In-depth understanding of school counselors role
conflict - Actual activities/duties counselors conduct
44To Promote Agreement Between School Counselors
and Principals
- Provide professional development activities
- Encourage activities based on state/national
models and program activities - Address different expectations
- Collaboration for school counseling program
planning - Address evaluation
- Classroom guidance activities to promote
personal/social skills of students - Pre/post test for each activity in classroom
45To Promote Agreement Between School Counselors
and Principals
- Address career development activities
- Utilize career center for all levels
- Build a consensus for utilizing web sites for
career activities - Individual schools decide where to locate career
center - Address inappropriate roles
- diagnostic testing for SPED students
- LEA for principals
- school-wide test coordinator
46- History shows that unless the role of a
school counselor is clearly established, the
whims of the times can threaten the very
existence of counselor positions. We can point to
some pockets of excellence, where school
counselors have created exemplary programs and
implemented successful counselor interventions.
We talk about them with pride. On the other hand,
there are school counselors who need help in
defining, clarifying and advocating their role
and function (Myrick, ASCA, 2003, pp. 6-7).