Graduation rates are affected by several factors in which school counselors are not always aware of. Current research highlights several demographics at a higher risk for dropping out of high school including low socioeconomic status, African-Americans, Hispanics, teen pregnancy and students whose parents dropped out of high school. This…

High school female students often have challenges transitioning to high school. There are many possible obstacles that exist but some female students may experience difficulties with maintaining interpersonal relationship with their female peers. It is very common for high school settings to have various types of social cliques that exist. In some…

The purpose of this study was to target students who show aggressive and bullying behavior due to a lack of anger management and self-control skills. Two groups of boys in grades 2-4 participated in anger managements groups that either followed an anger management curriculum or followed the anger management curriculum plus breathing techniques.…

Activities performed by school counselor interns perform that are related to the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Model and Performance Standards were explored in this study. Interns were more likely to perform tasks that included individual and small group counseling, monitoring student progress, and conducting individual…

Process work has long been a tenet of successful counseling outcomes. However, there is little literature available that focuses on how to best integrate process work into group settings--particularly psychoeducational groups that are content heavy and most often utilized in a school setting. In this article, the authors provide an overview of the…

School-based mentoring continues to attract both attention and criticism among school leaders and researchers. This practitioner-university collaboration examined mentees' reported levels of school connectedness after a nine-week cross-age mentoring intervention. This study of 47 mentees attending a rural, low socioeconomic status (100% FRL)…

Living in a country based on the "salad bowl" of cultures philosophy, it is necessary for mental health professionals to be competent in providing effective counseling to heterogeneous clientele. Multicultural counseling ensures that professional counselors will deliver services matching the clients' needs, resulting in valuable…

Reality Therapy is a form of brief therapy that is applicable in the school setting and is derived from William Glasser's Choice Theory (Banks, 2009). The basic premise of Choice Theory is that individuals are the masters of their own choices and they alone are responsible for their choices and behaviors. Choice theory states that each person is…

This paper reflects the author's views on using a solution-focused approach at the elementary school level. A solution-focused approach emphasizes problem solving and highlights the strengths and positives of students. A solution-focused approach is also recognized for creating solutions for clients or students in a limited amount of time. Some…

The authors present a therapeutic resource for school counselors who need a tangible method to integrate self-esteem strategies into their psychoeducational group programs. The focus of the group is a comprehensive wellness model based on five senses of self and how each self must be addressed to promote healthy life decisions. Special attention…

Because school counselors are limited in the time they have to accomplish all the tasks for which they are accountable, they must find ways to provide direct individual services to students effectively and efficiently. For this reason, high school counselors should have a brief theory of counseling and subsequent techniques to utilize in a school…

School counselors play a crucial role when schools face any type of tragedy or loss, many times learning from experience because response plans are not in place. School counselors are called upon to help shape and provide the response to students, staff, and parents. The demands of managing all of the aspects of school tragedy, in addition to the…

Multiracial students represent a growing population in school systems today. This diverse group of students and their families may encounter many challenges and race-specific issues in the school setting. School counselors are in a unique position to assist these students and their families to become successful in meeting these challenges. The…

This small action research study (ARS) began with a review of the literature examining the relationship of gangsta rap in regards to academic achievement, self-esteem, decision-making, identity issues and development of young African American males. The purpose of the ARS was to examine the correlation between gangsta rap and its influence on 5th…

The purpose of this research study was to determine whether or not student test scores on the Georgia Criterion-Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) were positively impacted by the implementation of the Response to Intervention (RTI) program. This paper will review the implementation and effectiveness of the RTI method.