School Counselors: Becoming Key Players in School Reform.

Abstract

School reform has moved to the forefront of public issues as stakeholders throughout the United States increase the emphasis on raising the educational achievement of all students. At the same time, the cost of doing business in education continues to out-distance increases in funding, forcing school officials to examine the cost-benefit ratio of all school programs in efforts to reduce expenses. Not surprisingly, school counselors and school counseling programs are increasingly being scrutinized by school boards and administrators to determine their effectiveness in meeting the overall objectives of schools (Fields & Hines, 2000). Despite the national call to enhance educational opportunities for all students, school counselors are too often seen as ancillary to the mission of schools and are not included as an integral part of standards-based school reform (Anderson & Reiter, 1995; Fields & Hines, 2000; House & Martin, 1998). School counselors and what they do are topics that are conspicuously missing from discussions of school reform and from initiatives designed to support all students in successfully achieving high academic standards. The omission of school counselors from school reform efforts is an enormous mistake, especially when school counselors hold the keys to many students' dreams and aspirations. Opportunities for fulfilling these aspirations, especially for poor students and students of color, are almost always inextricably linked to the course of study they follow in school. The lack of proactive efforts to get students into a rigorous curriculum and support them once there can be a huge barrier to being successful in an increasingly demanding workplace (Schneider & Stevenson, 1999). This article presents the view that school counselors must be proactive leaders who are effective collaborators in advocating for the success of all students. Closing the existing achievement gap between poor students and students of color and their more advantaged peers is the focused mission of schools today (The Education Trust, 1996; 1999; Elam, 1993). School counselors need to be integral players in closing this gap by assisting schools in helping all students gain access to rigorous academic preparation that will lead to greater opportunity for all students. By helping students gain access to these rigorous courses, school counselors will promote equity for all students--especially those not currently served. Working in this way, school counselors will help those who have traditionally been the least served by schools become better prepared for the future. The Call for Change Educational equity in a democratic society requires that all children have equal access to quality teaching and a rich curriculum (Elam, 1993). Moreover, all students deserve to receive the support necessary to succeed academically and to be prepared to select from a wide array of postsecondary options upon graduation. However, data from state and local educational agencies show repeatedly that economically disadvantaged students and students of color are systematically denied the kind of education that leads to success in the marketplace (The Education Trust, 1999). The gap that separates poor students and students of color from other young Americans is wide and getting wider. Although the 1970s and 1980s saw progress in narrowing the gap, by 1990 the achievement gap began to widen again and continues to grow wider (Jencks & Phillips, 1998; National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 2001; Reyes, Wagstaff, & Fusarelli, 1999; The Education Trust, 2001). More African-American and Latino-American students are graduating from high school and entering college, but often these high school diplomas are of limited value (Lomotey, 1990; Reyes, Scribner, & Paredes Scribner, 1999; Shujaa, 1994; Valenzuela, 1999). This is supported by the fact that the proportion of African Americans and Latinos earning a college degree has barely changed in more than 2 decades (NCES, 2001). …

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