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Historical Highlights
In the United States, "the school counseling profession began
as a vocational guidance movement at the beginning of the 20th century” (Schmidt, 2003, p. 6). Jesse B. Davis is considered the first
to provide a systematic guidance program. In 1907, he became the principle of a high school
and encouraged the school’s English teachers to use compositions and lessons to relate career interests, develop
character, and avoid behavioral problems. Many others during this time did the same. For example, in 1908, Frank Parsons
(Father of Guidance) established the Bureau of Vocational Guidance to assist young people in making the transition from
school to work.
From the 1920’s to the 1930’s,
school counseling and guidance grew because of the rise of progressive education in
schools. This movement emphasized personal, social, moral development. Many schools reacted to this movement as anti-educational,
saying that schools should only teach the fundamentals of education. This combined with the economic hardship of the Great
Depression led to a decline in school counseling and guidance. In the 1940’s, the
U.S. used psychologists and counselors to select, recruit, and train military personnel. This
propelled the counseling movement in schools by providing ways to test students and meet their needs. Schools accepted these
military tests openly. Also, Carl Rogers’ emphases on the helping
relationships during this time influenced the profession of school counseling. In the 1950’s, the government developed the Guidance and Personnel
Services Section in the Division of State and Local School Systems was established. In 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik I. The American government reacted in anxiety, that the Russians were beating the U.S. in the space race, which had military implications. The American government, out of
concerns that there were not enough scientists and mathematicians, established the National Education
Act; which spurred a huge growth in vocational guidance through large
amounts of funding. Since the 1960’s, the profession of school counseling has
continued to grow as new legislation and new professional developments were
established to refine and further the profession and improve education (Schmidt, 2003)
Theoretical Framework and Services
Professional School Counselors meet the needs of student through three basic domains: Academic development, Career development, and Personal/Social Development. These domains are
developed through appraisal, consultation, counseling, coordination, and collaboration. School counselors may use a variety of
personality and vocational testing to help students explore vocation needs
and interests or observe a student in a class, and provide their expertise to teachers and other personnel to develop a plan to
address the student’s behavioral problems. They also help by providing consultation services to family members.
Additionally, professional school counselors may lead classroom guidance on any variety of personal/social issues relative to
student needs, or establish groups to address common issues among students, such as divorce or death. Often counselors will
coordinate outside groups that wish to help with student needs such as academics, or coordinate a state program that teaches
about child abuse or drugs, through
on stage drama (Schmidt, 2003).
Education and Training
According to the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), a school counseling
program should meet several standards such as the professional identity of school counseling (history, organizations, so on),
cultural diversity courses, human development and growth, and
career development. Additionally, it has to have core
components for helping relationships (consultation, counseling, so on), group work, assessment, research and program evaluation,
knowledge and requirements for school counselors, contextual dimensions of school counseling, and foundations of school
counseling. In programs that are, CACREP accredited, a school counseling student must have 600 clock hours of internship under a highly qualified school counselor (Master’s degree or higher,
and appropriate licenses and certifications) (CACREP, 2001). Lastly, according to CACREP, a school counseling program should be a
master’s level (or higher) graduate program. Certification for a school counselor is voluntary, but each state has its own
licensure requirements. For a school counselor to obtain certification, they must have at least, 2 years of supervised experience
and pass the exam for the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC). (National Clearinghouse, [school counselor] n.d.)
References
National Clearinghouse for professions in Special Education. (n.d.) School counselor. Retrieved on February 26, 2005 from
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- http://www.special-ed-careers.org/pdf/schcoun.pdf
Schmidt, J.J. (2003) Counseling in schools: Essential services and comprehensive programs. 4th ed. Boston: Allyn &
Bacon
Studer, J.R. (2005) The Professional School Counselor: An Advocate for Students.Belmont, CA: Wadsworth
Related Articles
External Links
Contributers
--Joseph Wayne Hicks (orginal contributer) 03:52, Feb 25, 2005
(UTC)
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