Teacher Practical Guidance:

School Counseling

Category: External

Rank Order

68

Effect Size

0.27

Achievement Gain %

10

How-To Strategies

How to:

  • Provide full-time, qualified counselors on staff

 

  • ID students most likely to benefit from working with counselor

 

  • Adequate time for counselor to work with students

 

  • Counselor given the “agency” to ID program and methods in the context of evidence-based practices

 

Impact of Various Counseling Approaches:

  • Optimal ratio of school counselor to students 1 / 250

 

  • Cognitive-Behavioral interventions (0.90 effect size)

 

  • Relaxation (0.84 effect size)

 

  • Social skills training (0.50 effect size)

 

  • “Student success skills” (0.29 effect size)

 

  • School-based psycho-therapy (0.23 effect size)

 

  • Play therapy (0.03 effect size)

(Reese, 2010; Villares, 2012)

 

How-To Resources

Link – Organization (ASCA) American School Counselor Association

 

Link – Organization (ACA) American Counseling Association

 

Link – Guide (WWC) Reducing behavior problems

 

Link – Article (MI Dept of Educ) Intro. to PBIS

 

Link – Website (Center on PBIS) PBIS Resources

 

Link – Program (WWC) Coping Power: MS grades

 

Link – Program (WWC) Check & Connect

 

Link – Program (Blueprints) “Positive Action”

 

Link – Program (Blueprints) “Bounce Back”

 

Link – Program (Blueprints) “Coping with Divorce”

References

Center on PBIS. Website Link

 

IES (2008) Reducing behavior problems. What Works Clearinghouse (WWC). US Dept. of Education. link

 

Prout, S. & Prout, H. (1998) Meta-analysis of school-based studies of counseling and psychotherapy: Update. Journal of School Psychology,  36(2).  Link

 

Reese, R., et al (2010) Counselors as leaders in schools. Florida Journal of Educational Administration, 4(1). Link

 

Villares, E., Brigman, G., Webb, L. (2017). Evidence-based school counseling: A student success approach. Routledge Press.

 

Whitson, S., Quniby, R. (2010). Review of school counseling outcome research. Psychology in Schools, 46(3). Link

School Counseling

DEFINITIONS

Students can be referred to counselors, in or out of school, who review the affect, the beliefs, and the social context as seen through the eyes of the student. The beneficial effects of counseling are aimed towards student adjustment, retention, and academic success; however, counseling continues to be stigmatized by many students—reducing overall rates of adoption and completion.

DATA

  • 5 meta-analysis reviews

  • 320 research studies

  • 29,000 students in research studies

  • 3 Confidence level. Hattie (2023) p. 183

 

 

Impact of School Counseling (effect size):

  • Student depression (0.70 effect size)

  • Attitude (0.65 effect size)

  • “Effects higher for elementary students” (0.65 effect size)

  • Anxiety (0.54 effect size)

  • Self-esteem (0.50 effect size)

  • Social skills (0.28 effect size)

  • Attendance (0.20 effect size)

  • Reducing aggression (0.13 effect size)

  • Improving academic performance in MS (0.08 effect size)

  • GPA improvement in HS (0.05 effect size)

  • Improving academic performance in elementary (0.00 effect size)

(Prout, 1998;  Whitson, 2009; Reese, 2010)

 

QUOTES

“School counselors are critical in support and enhancing students social and emotional development.” Reese (2010)