Rachelle Pérusse

Increasing Academic Achievement and College-Going Rates for Latina/o English Language Learners: A Survey of School Counselor Interventions

This study was conducted to identify the extent to which school counselors use various intervention strategies to promote college attendance for Latina/o English Language Learners (ELLs). Specifically, school counselors across the Northeast (n = 198) were asked to identify activities they implement on behalf of Latina/o ELLs to increase college-going rates. The results suggested the importance of the following: collaborating with multiple school and community stakeholders, addressing the inadequacy of resources through advocacy and leadership, and keeping track of dropout, graduation, and college-acceptance data for Latina/o ELLs to ensure equitable access to educational opportunities.

Changes Over Time in Masters Level School Counselor Education Programs

A national survey regarding the preparation of entry-level school counseling students was conducted to assess changes over time that may have occurred in the credit hours, screening methods, faculty experiences, course content, fieldwork requirements, and importance of The Education Trust concepts. Key findings include increases in the number of faculty with school counseling experience and the number of programs requiring practicum and internship to be completed in a school setting, and decreases in the number of courses designed specifically for school counseling students and the importance of supervision. Authors Notes Correspondence addressing this article should be sent to Melissa S. Ockerman: Mockerma@depaul.edu

Comparison Findings of School Counselor Beliefs About ASCA National Model School Counseling Program Components Using the SCPCS

The School Counseling Program Component Scale (SCPCS) was developed to measure beliefs about program components of the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Model. In 2002, results from the SCPCS indicated that “using data” was ranked as less important than other program components. The current follow-up study was conducted in 2009. Results from this study indicated that the component subscales are consistent and reliable. Notable shifts were found in “use of data for program planning” and “use of data for accountability” subscales, suggesting that school counselors may have begun to prioritize the value of using data.