A Review of the Major School Counseling Policy Studies in the United States: 2000-2014

Jay Carey and Ian Martin conducted a review of the major policy studies concerning school counseling in the United States:
A Review of the Major School Counseling Policy Studies in the United States: 2000-2014. The authors located 37 documents disseminated between 2000 and 2014 that were either intentionally written with a focus on policy implications or were frequently used to attempt to influence policy decision-making. Their review is organized by types of policy studies: Literature Reviews, Survey Research, Statewide Evaluations of School Counseling Programs, State Evaluations of School Counseling Practice, Existing Database Investigations of School Counseling, Research Identifying Elements of Exemplary Practice, Studies of Evaluation Capacity and Practices in School Counseling.

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Paving the Road to College: How School Counselors Help Students Succeed

Rich Lapan and Karen Harrington authored Paving the Road to College: How School Counselors Help Students Succeed. This monograph documents the educational reform contributions of Chicago Public Schools (CPS) school counselors in promoting students’ academic achievement, college readiness, and transition from 8th grade into high school. In addition, this report identifies particular actions that a school district can undertake to better utilize and support school counselor professionals. Specifically it recommends ways to enhance collaboration between principals and school counselors and to reduce the burden of non-counseling tasks.

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The Current Status of School Counseling Outcome Research

Wendy McGannon took the lead in developing a review and analysis of The Current Status of School Counseling Outcome Research. Types of research are described and a distinction is made between research and evaluation. Additionally, this paper includes a discussion of evidence-based practice and an explanation of how all of these topics are relevant to school counselors and school counseling programs. This includes a brief history of the school counseling movement from the mental health model to Comprehensive Developmental Guidance, and then to the American School Counseling Association’s (ASCA) National Model and data-driven decision-making.

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Effects of Students' Middle-School and High-School Experiences on Completion of the Bachelor's Degree

Jerry Trusty authored the first Center Research Monograph Effects of Students’ Middle-School and High-School Experiences on Completion of the Bachelor’s Degree. This monograph reports critically important research on the impact of students’ middle and high school experiences on later success in earning a Bachelor’s degree. In addition, the monograph presents a model that summarizes relationships between student experiences and later college success and identifies ways school counselors can intervene to foster success. This important work establishes significant relationships between proximal factors such as science and math course taking and long term success in higher education. It identifies specific points of intervention for school counselors that can be expected to have long term effects on student success.

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Improving Academic Achievement in Primary Students Through a Systemic Approach to Guidance and Counseling

Christopher Sink and Heather Stroh authored Improving Academic Achievement in Primary Students Through a Systematic Approach to Guidance and Counseling. This monograph, which is published by the Washington School Research Center (WSRC), reports the results of a statewide study of the impact of Comprehensive Developmental School Counseling programs on elementary students’ academic achievement. 

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Assembly Bill 722 Study of Pupil Personnel Ratios, Services, and Programs

The Counseling and Student Support Office of the California Department of Education completed a landmark statewide evaluation of school counseling programs in 2003, Assembly Bill 722 Study of Pupil Personnel Ratios, Services, and Programs. This monograph presents the findings of the study with recommendations for strengthening school counseling programs. The report includes information on the relationships of student/counselor ratios and program characteristics to student outcomes. The report provides essential information for policy-makers, guidance directors, educational leaders, and school counseling practitioners who are concerned with strengthening school counseling programs. More information is available on the California Department of Education Counseling and Student Support Website.