Journal of the Effective Schools Project, Volume 18, 2011 Page: 8
79 p. : ill. (some col.) ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
of a maximum of 250 students to
one counselor, many counselors in
the initial contact group indicated
their caseload far exceeded the
maximum recommendation. The
National Council of Education Sta-
tistics reported the 2008- 2009 na-
tional counselor to student ratio as
457-to-1. Texas counselors do not
fare much better than the national
average with a reported 435-to-1
counselor to student ratio (as cited
in ASCA, 2010).
Further frustration was expressed
when asked about their personal
career expectations and Texas stat-
utory directives regarding the role
of the high school counselor in as-
sisting students as they face post-
secondary education opportunities
and/or career expectations. Conse-
quently, the authors undertook this
study to determine if job frustration
was a common theme amongst cur-
rently practicing high school coun-
selors in the region.
Study Design
This monograph takes a cursory,
non-scientific look at the self-
perceived daily duties of a selected
group of high school counselors in
Texas. In an effort to document,
and in-a-sense, tease out the poten-
tial disconnect between what the
state outlines as the expected role
of the Texas High School Counse-
lor and reality, a survey was devel-
oped by the authors and sent to a
selected group of high school
counselors. Respondents were also
asked to provide basic demograph-
ic information for descriptive pur-
poses only as reflected in the sur-
vey. The school districts ranged in
total student size from less than
100 students, considered Class lA
by the University Interscholastic
League (UIL) in Texas, to schools
with over 2000, considered Class5A by UIL. Through a 15 item
survey instrument (see Appendix),
42 counselors were asked to re-
spond via Survey Monkey, a com-
puterized survey program selected
for its ease of use and participant
access.
Survey respondents were asked to
check from a list of 17 areas of
responsibilities, citing those areas
they perceived were within their
job expectations. From this list,
respondents were asked to rank
what they considered their top five
job responsibilities. Next, re-
spondents were asked to identify
and rank the top five sources they
perceived students used to get in-
formation about post high school
higher education and career train-
ing options.
Using a 5-point Likert type scale
with five being the highest ranking
and other responses in descending
order of effectiveness, counselors
were asked to respond to the fol-
lowing question: "How effective
do you feel your efforts are in
counseling individuals on their
options and opportunities available
after high school?" Each respond-
ent was given an opportunity to
provide written comments about
the challenges encountered when
counseling students about higher
education options. These respons-
es, although subjective in nature,
were carefully read by the authors
and provided evidence of the need
for further study as noted in the
Study Results section of this mon-
ograph.
Statutory and Certification Pro-
visions
A Model Comprehensive, Develop-
mental Guidance and Counseling
Program for Texas Public Schools:
A Guide for Program DevelopmentIn an effort to document,
and in-a-sense, tease out
the potential disconnect
between what the state
outlines as the expected
role of the Texas High
School Counselor and
reality, a survey was
developed by the authors
and sent to a selected
group of high school.
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Periodical.
Tarleton State University. Effective Schools Project. Journal of the Effective Schools Project, Volume 18, 2011, periodical, 2011; Stephenville, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth201694/m1/10/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Tarleton State University.