Examining the role and practices of high school counselors in helping students make career transition

High school counselors are in a unique position to promote college and career readiness for all students; yet, we know little about the role and practices of school counselors overall; what the goals most emphasized in high school counseling programs are; and how they help students make the transition from middle school to high school, from high school to work, and from high school to college.The researchers investigated these questions using a nationally representative survey.Participants in this study were 852 lead high school counselors from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009-2013 (U.S.Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, and National Center for Education Statistics, 2016).A descriptive analysis was used to examine the transitional counseling activities between public and private high school counselors.This analysis revealed differences in how public and private high school counselors assisted students with transitions.Findings also revealed that self-reported goals of high school counselors were closely associated with several features (e.g., foundation, delivery) outlined in the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Model (ASCA, 2003(ASCA, , 2012)).Further, our study paved the way for more comprehensive research on the role of high school counselors in the area of career development.Implications for research and practice are discussed.Keywords: high school counselor, college and career readiness, student transition Helping high school (HS) students make a smooth transition to college or work has been a policy priority for school personnel (Lapan, Poynton, Marcotte, Marland, & Milam, 2017;Obama, 2015).In 2014, in the United States, nearly 2.9 million students aged 16 to 24 graduated from HS (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2015).Of these students, nearly two million enrolled in 4-year colleges, whereas 31.6%transitioned directly into the labor force (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2015).Out of all the interested parties (e.g., administrators, teachers, staff, parents), school counselors are uniquely positioned to support students' successful transition from middle school (MS) to HS as well as from HS to college, or the workforce.The role of HS counselors has been redefined by numerous educational reforms (e.g., A Blueprint for Reform [U.S.Department of Education, 2010] or No Child Left Behind of 2001 [2002]) and various new models and standards (e.g., American School Counselor Association [ASCA] National Model [ASCA, 2003[ASCA, , 2012] ] or ASCA National Standards for Students [ASCA, 2004]).This redefined role and the current models now require that professional school counselors play a vital role in helping all students achieve academic, career, and personal/social success.However, there is scant evidence of how HS counselors have implemented the new reforms, models, and standards to help students to achieve their goals during a career transition (McKillip, Rawls, & Barry, 2012).Therefore, our study used a nationally representative sample of lead HS counselors to examine the practices that HS counselors have undertaken to help students make successful transitions. High School Counselor RolesAs defined by ASCA (2015a), professional school counselor refers to educators who are either certified or licensed with a minimum of a master's degree in school counseling.Professional school counselors usually seek employment in elementary, middle/junior high, and high schools and address the needs of all students through a comprehensive school-counseling program (Dahir & Stone, 2012).School counselors are charged with the management of the student outcome-based comprehensive school counseling program, which is focused on teaching life competencies to students (ASCA, 2012).School counselors using the ASCA (2003, 2012) national model create vision and mission statements that align with the vision and mission of the school.The service delivery that school counselors use should align with the mission and vision and have measurable outcomes (ASCA, 2015a).School counselors may receive guidance in the establishment of an effective school counseling program from the ASCA Mindsets and Behaviors for Student Success: College-and-Career Readiness Standards for Every Student (Mindsets & Behaviors Standards; ASCA, 2014).The Mindsets & Behaviors Standards (ASCA, 2014) describe for the school counselor "knowledge, skills, and attitudes students need to acquire in order to achieve academic success, college and career readiness, and social/emotional development" (p. 1).The Mindsets & Behavior Standards are organized in three broad domains: academic, career, and social/emotional development, and school counselors operationalize the Mindsets & Behavior Standards by selecting specific competencies that reflect the vision, mission, and goals of the comprehensive school counseling program and that align with the school's academic mission.In addition, when setting goals for the comprehensive school counseling program, school counselors must consider other student standards from their state and district.The school counselor provides services to the students, the parents, the school staff, and the community (ASCA, 2012).The services provided include direct student service, which includes the school counseling core curriculum, individual student planning, and responsive services, as well as indirect service (ASCA, 2015a).The school counseling core curriculum includes structured lessons that provide students with the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary for student development (ASCA, 2012).The school counselor systematically delivers the core curriculum to all students in collaboration with the other professional educators in the building.School counselors also coordinate activities on a systemic basis to assist students with achieving their personal goals and developing college and career plans (ASCA, 2015a).College and career planning and readiness activities comprise a great deal of the activities in individual student planning.These individual planning services may be provided in classrooms, small or large groups, or even in individual settings.The final component of direct student service, responsive services, meets students' individual and immediate needs and concerns.Responsive services may include individual or small group counseling, or crisis services (ASCA, 2015a).A school counselor's indirect services are services provided to students that include interactions and collaboration with others.Indirect services may include referrals, consultation, and collaboration with parents, teachers, other educators, and community organizations (ASCA, 2015a).The HS counselor is a vital resource person for secondary school students during their late adolescent years (Rosenbaum, Miller, & Krei, 1996).For instance, the counselor's role in high schools includes assisting students with the successful transition to adulthood, providing for the social/emotional needs of students, and offering assistance to school administration (MacAllum, Glover, Queen, & Riggs, 2007).More specifically, McKillip et al. (2012) summarized the role of HS counselors in three defined contexts: (a) the social context: organize the counseling program for college preparation, collaborate with other staff and teachers, and provide school resources for college readiness; (b) the family context: provide crucial assistance for students who lack information and resources in the college preparatory process; and (c) the student context: meet each student's needs during the college preparatory process.The HS counselor's role often is dictated by expectations from policy makers, administrators, students, and parents.For example, educational policy makers are calling for a decrease in the HS dropout rate, as well as an increase in the HS graduation rate (Obama, 2009(Obama, , 2015)).Secondly, school administrators expect school counselors to perform tasks such as designing a master schedule for all students and managing all the school's testing programs (e.g., American College Testing [ACT]; Wright, 2012).Likewise, HS students, teachers, parents, and administrators might have wide-ranging expectations of their school counselor.These expectations might include providing information on topics such as mental health counseling services, knowledge of achievement tests, and career advising (ASCA, 2015b;Shi, Liu, & Leuwerke, 2014).Lastly, most parents want HS counselors to help their children gain admission into a good college and to receive a lucrative scholarship or financial aid package (Wright, 2012). Middle School to High School TransitionMoving from the middle grades to HS is a critical juncture for students.The Southern Regional Education Board (2002) describes the MS to HS transition as challenging and unwieldy.McKee and Caldarella (2016) reported that the student's successful or unsuccessful navigation of the MS to HS transition is a key predictor of HS success and dropout.Factors making the transition more difficult include higher achievement expectations, decreased supports, and a less personalized environment in HS (Barber & Olsen, 2004;McKee & Caldarella, 2016).Difficulties in making the transition might result in the student developing a negative perception of the school environment and a decline in the student's grades (Akos & Galassi, 2004;McKee & Caldarella, 2016;Uvaas & McKevitt, 2013).Furthermore, a student's unsuccessful transition to HS can