An after-school counseling program for high-risk middle school students.

There are a number of middle school students who experience difficulty making the transition from childhood to early adolescence and may be described as high-risk. This article describes an after-school program designed to promote healthy identity, and adaptive personal choice behaviors in a high-risk group of middle school students.

Developmentally, middle school students are transitioning from late childhood to early adolescence. It is a time of many changes and, at times, turmoil. School counselors play an integral role in creating developmentally appropriate services for this age group. In general, middle school students have unique needs based on the rapid shifts in their physical, psychological, and social development (Roeser, Eccles, & Sameroff, 2000). Physically, they are entering puberty; psychologically, they are dealing with issues of industry and identity. As issues of autonomy and identity become much more important to them, simply completing their schoolwork because it is what their teachers ask is no longer sufficient motivation, especially if they perceive school to be meaningless or boring. For youth in this developmental phase, the most important relationships are no longer exclusively with family members, and peers become much more influential during this time (Fowler, 1981; Turner & Helms, 1995).

It is a challenging time in which children's perceptions of school and expectations about their future are being remolded into a form that will remain fairly stable throughout the rest of their lives (Roeser et al., 2000). This developmental period sets the stage for problem-solving approaches later in life (Jessor, 1987), and adult attitudes and behaviors toward risk taking often have their antecedents in youth (Logan, 1991).

More than half of all middle school students are able to manage these multiple biological, psychological, and social transitions without major problems. Nevertheless, a significant proportion of students encounter distress when making the transition from childhood to early adolescence. Roeser et al. (2000) noted that 25% to 50% of all children in the United States aged 10-17 are "at risk for curtailed educational, emotional, economic, and social opportunities due to their engagement in high-risk behaviors and activities that include violence and vandalism, unprotected sex, abuse of alcohol and drugs, skipping and failing school, and so on" (p. 444). Students from low socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds are at particular risk for engaging in these behaviors (Roeser et al.), for having lower or more unrealistic occupational aspirations (Rojewski & Hill, 1998; Rojewski & Kim, 2003), and for having delayed psychosocial development (Marcon, 1997).

This article describes an after-school program designed to meet the personal and social developmental needs of a group of high-risk middle school students, consistent with the American School Counselor Association (2004) position statement for at-risk youth. This after-school program is provided as one part of the comprehensive school counseling program at Wilson Middle School (WMS), an urban, Midwestern middle school.

WILSON MIDDLE SCHOOL AND ITS STUDENTS

The student body at WMS is predominantly Caucasian (82%) with a small percentage of Black (14%) and multiracial (4%) students. The majority of the student population comes from lower SES families. Almost three-quarters of the students participate in the free and reduced lunch program with the majority receiving free lunch. Many WMS students also score poorly on the state's mandatory achievement test. Over the past 6 years, the average passing percentage for students has ranged from 35% to 55%. These percentages consistently fall below the state average of 65% to 70% (Indiana Department of Education, 2004). While the students at WMS face the same bio-psycho-social challenges as other middle school students, they are considered a high-risk population given their SES and academic performance.

THE AFTER-SCHOOL COUNSELING PROGRAM

The after-school program is provided within the context of a university counseling practicum and was developed collaboratively with school personnel. Our goal was not only to enhance practicum counselors' expertise working with children and families, but also to provide an opportunity to develop their skills working with and in an educational community. Further, the university practicum was able to enhance the existing school counseling program by providing ancillary services to meet the personal and social needs of at-risk middle school students at WMS. The after-school program's overriding goals are to foster intrinsic motivation, healthy identity, positive self-esteem, adaptive peer relationships, and positive conflict resolution. These skills and qualities reduce the likelihood of future high-risk behaviors (Roeser et al., 2000).

Alter-school programming was chosen for several reasons: (a) This is a vulnerable time for high-risk behaviors in this age group, (b) the program would not interfere with students' classroom instructional needs, (c) parents and caregivers would be more accessible for participation, and (d) space for the program was more available in the school. Conducting the program after school provided students additional counseling time and addressed issues that might not have been focused on during the regular day. In addition, the after-school program provided for a lower counselor-to-student ratio.

At the beginning of each semester, school administrators send a flyer home with the students advertising the free guidance and counseling services provided as part of the program. School personnel typically refer those students who have demonstrated persistent personal and/or social difficulties in the school setting, often reflected in their frequent discipline referrals. Teachers, administrators, school counselors, and family members have referred students to the program. Occasionally students themselves have requested services.

The program services are provided once a week in conjunction with the university's practicum class. The program is composed of three types of intervention: individual counseling, family counseling, and group guidance. Most students receive 1 hour weekly of both individual counseling and group guidance. Family counseling is provided to the student and his or her family at the request of the family or on the recommendation of school personnel. Each semester approximately 10 master's-level practicum counselors provide 2 to 3 hours weekly of individual and/or family counseling. Additionally, there are two guidance groups per semester, with up to 10 WMS students and two practicum counselors. One faculty instructor and two doctoral-level teaching assistants provide supervision.

Practicum counselors begin their individual counseling with the middle school students by identifying personal goals for growth and development. These goals are grounded in developmental theory and focus primarily on issues of identity and personal choice. Students are encouraged to describe their values and aspirations in an effort to promote a healthy, future-oriented sense of self; as well as to enhance intrinsic motivation. The students also explore their daily choices to evaluate whether these choices are likely to promote or hinder their aspirations. Additionally, individual counseling sessions are used to develop more effective methods of problem solution and self-assertion. For example, students are taught to use the acronym STAR (Stop, Think, Act, and Review) when making adaptive personal choices.

Weekly group guidance activities focus on the development of positive conflict resolution and adaptive peer relationships. While individual counseling and group guidance are not specifically coordinated, middle school students have an opportunity to practice and implement the problem solving and assertiveness strategies learned in individual sessions. As many of these students were referred to the program following discipline referrals, the majority of the group guidance activities use cognitive behavioral techniques and psychoeducation to develop adaptive anger management and conflict resolution strategies. For example, sessions focus on improving verbal and nonverbal communication skills, understanding myths and facts about conflict, using "I" statements, and developing positive self-assertion skills. The group guidance activities also explore both negative and positive peer influences as well as provide time to practice ways to avoid negative peer pressure.

Family counseling typically is initiated when caregivers are frustrated with behaviors related to the normal family developmental tasks of this life stage such as separation/individuation, growing autonomy, and increased peer influence (Carter & McGoldrick, 1988). For the middle school students participating in the program, these normal developmental issues often are reflected in oppositional behaviors, poor communication, and negative peer choices. Family counseling sessions primarily focus on improving communication, implementing age-appropriate discipline strategies, and promoting adaptive peer relationships. This portion of the program is not limited to biological parents. In several cases, the caregivers have been grandparents, extended family, or foster parents.

The case of Terry illustrates how the program is integrated and implemented.

THE CASE OF TERRY

Terry was recommended for the WMS after-school program by administrative staff and his parents. He had received three in-school suspensions for discipline problems varying from physical altercations with students to use of profanity with school personnel. His inability to control his temper was a significant concern to all the adults in his life, but not to Terry. Terry grew increasingly resistant to individual counseling and group guidance, and during week 3 he angrily stormed out of the guidance group when asked to participate. This behavior pattern was typical of his approach in school. Because the groups arc provided concurrently with individual and family counseling, Terry's individual counselor was available to immediately intervene in the situation. Terry's counselor and the practicum instructor met with him for an individual counseling session to process his reaction and behaviors in the group. During this individual session, Terry was provided with an opportunity to explore the nature of his frustration and his choices to deal with that frustration. It became clear that the source of Terry's frustration was a lack of understanding about why he had been referred to the program. When asked what his parents had communicated to him about the reason for referral, Terry became tearful and said, "They didn't say anything." The counselor validated Terry's frustration and supported his right to know why his parents and school staff felt he needed the program.

The counselor was able to use the current incident to process everyone's concerns about his poor capacity for anger management. The counselor also identified the need for improved communication between Terry and his parents. Then his parents were contacted, and they agreed to come in the following week for family counseling. The family session focused on having Terry and his parents openly discuss their concerns about his future, given his current behavioral choices. They also were able to identify family communication patterns that did not facilitate developmentally appropriate relationships and problem solving. Specifically, the parents seemed to be using an authoritarian parenting style that did not allow much autonomy and input from Terry. The family agreed to make developmentally appropriate shifts in communication and relationship patterns. At the end of the family session, Terry agreed to participate in the after-school program. He has continued to participate more actively and appropriately in all aspects of the program.

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

Because this program is in its second year, little formal outcome data are currently available about its impact. Both the university and the middle school participants feel that the program has been mutually beneficial. Preliminary accountability data as well as anecdotal reports from counselors indicated that providing services to the high-risk middle school students was simultaneously rewarding and frustrating. It was rewarding because it provided a much-needed service to the middle school students while providing the practicum counselors with a valuable learning experience. It was frustrating because the changes noted in the middle school students seemed small, slow, and hard-won. The middle school staff and students feel they also have profited from the program. The high-risk status of this group of middle school students resulted in their having more needs for competency development, particularly in the area of personal and social development, than the existing school counseling personnel were able to meet.

Based on our experience with the after-school counseling program, we believe that the approach is an effective way to enhance the school counseling program and focus on the needs of high-risk students. Further, this collaborative effort of the middle school and university has been mutually beneficial and we believe it is an approach that other middle school counselors and counselor education faculty could develop. From our perspective, this after-school program has resulted in a more comprehensive school counseling program that we hope will help prevent both current and future high-risk behaviors.

References

American School Counselor Association. (2004). Position statement: At-risk students: The professional school counselor end the prevention and intervention of behaviors that place students at risk. Retrieved March 4, 2005, from http://schoolcounselor.org/content.asp?contentid=258

Carter, B., & McGoldrick, M. (1988). The changing family life cycle--A framework for family therapy. In B. Carter & M. McGoldrick (Eds.), The changing family life cycle (2nd ed., pp. 3-29). New York: Gardner Press.

Fowler, J. W. (1981). Stages of faith: The psychology of human development and the quest for meaning. San Francisco: Harper.

Indiana Department of Education. (2004). School snapshot, Wilson Middle School #1437. Retrieved September 10, 2004, from http://mustang.doe.state.in.us/SEARCH/ snapshot.cfm?schl=1437

Jessor, R. (1987). Problem-behavior theory, psychosocial development, and adolescent problem drinking. British Journal of Addiction, 82, 331-342.

Logan, B. N. (1991). Adolescent substance abuse prevention: An overview of the literature. Family and Community Health, 13, 25-36.

Marcon, R. A. (1997, February). Influences on psychosocial development of inner-city early adolescents. Poster presented at the biennial meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Washington, DC. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED407471)

Roeser, R. W., Eccles, J. S., & Sameroff, A. J. (2000). School as a context of early adolescents' academic and social-emotional development: A summary of research findings. The Elementary School Journal, 100, 443-471.

Rojewski, J. W., & Hill, R. B. (1998). Influence of gender and academic risk behavior on career decision-making and occupational choice in early adolescence. Journal of Education for Students Placed At Risk, 3, 265-287.

Rojewski, J. W., & Kim, H. (2003). Career choice patterns and behavior of work-bound youth during early adolescence. Journal of Career Development, 30, 89-108.

Turner, J. S., & Helms, D. B. (1995). Lifespan development (5th ed.). Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace.

Theresa Kruczek, Charlene M. Alexander, and Kevin Harris are with the Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services, Ball State University, Muncie, IN. E-mail: [e-mail]