Professional school counseling in urban settings: introduction to special issue.

The public school systems of most U. S. cities and metropolitan areas are in deep trouble (Hunter & Donahoo, 2003; Jacobs, 1993; Kozol, 1991). They suffer from a growing lack of public confidence, a routine series of financial crises, low student achievement gains, and continuous conflicts with the communities they serve. As a result of increasing criticism of urban public education, educators in almost all specialty areas (e.g., special education, teacher education, school administration) agree that there is an urgent need for change in urban education policies, practice, and theory. It is disappointing, however, that school counseling has been slow to join this dialogue regarding urban school reform and education. Not since Julius Menacker (1974) published the classic text "Vitalizing Guidance in Urban Schools" has urban school counseling been highlighted as a critical topic in the profession. And, this is ironic because school counseling is the one educational specialty with uniquely urban origins.

The needs of urban students have approached crisis proportions in recent years (Rice & Roelke, 2003) and education professionals have devoted much time and funding to urban education reform (Goertz & Stiefel, 1998; Hunter, 2000; Ward, 1987). Departing from traditional practices and concepts is increasingly being recognized as the direction of urban education reform initiatives. In the same manner, school counseling professionals also have begun to recognize the disconnect between traditional practices and the needs of students. For instance, the Transforming School Counseling Initiative (TSCI), a component of the Education Trust, proposes a shift in focus from individual student interventions to a more systemic perspective. The thought is that by encouraging more flexible responses and programs to meet students' needs, school counselors will be able to address the "root" of problems rather than the symptoms. The link between the TSCI and urban schools, however, has not formally been documented in the literature. It is my hope that this special issue of Professional School Counseling will make that link for profession al school counselors and will provide a catalyst for dialogue on the issues and challenges that are germane to urban school counselors.

If counselors are to be a meaningful force in improving the education and development of urban students, they must recognize and deal with the current and emerging issues that most directly affect urban schools and students. The talented authors in this special issue all have worked in urban education settings and they present a spectrum of views and approaches on urban school counseling. The range of topics is varied, but the ideas expressed in these articles allow the reader to construct counseling strategies that are aligned with the complexities of urban education. On a more immediate level, the articles provide a foundation for understanding the unique dynamics of urban schools and they offer practical guidelines for the professional practice of counselors in urban schools.

The collection of articles begins with Lee's introduction to the urban school environment and the counseling issues that are prevalent in urban schools. This article, which surely will be a classic in our field, addresses the uniqueness of counseling in urban schools when compared to other school communities (e.g., rural, suburban). Green, Conley, and Barnett, in their article, explore the influence of urban school counselor education on the actual practice of school counselors. They offer two case scenarios that really "bring to life" the link between counselor education and urban school counselor practice. Bemak and Chung then highlight the importance of advocacy in urban school counseling and counselor education. Advocacy, an important school counselor role, often is expected of urban school counselors but little is known about how to develop those skills. Next, two research studies are presented that specifically focus on urban school counselors and students. Holcomb-McCoy and Mitchell present the results of a descriptive study that explored urban school counselors' roles and functions within the context of comprehensive and developmental school counseling models (e.g., Gysbers & Henderson, 1994; Myrick, 1993). Another article by Mitchell presents the results of a study examining the effect of generational status on the academic self-concept of urban Caribbean immigrant adolescents.

The need for family and community involvement in urban education reform has been well-documented (Ascher, 1988; Comer, Haynes, Joyner, & Ben-Avie, 1996; Valdez, 1996). The next two articles address urban school counselor practice in the context of community and parent involvement. Bryan's article reviews resiliency in urban youth and then links resiliency to school counselor roles in urban school-family-community partnerships. Continuing with this theme, Giles presents three patterns underlying the roles and relationships between urban parents and educators. She offers repertoires that urban school counselors can use to foster relationships between parents and educators.

And, the final two articles specifically address school counselor practice with urban students. Day-Vines and Day-Hairston, in their article, offer culturally congruent strategies for addressing the behavioral needs of urban African American males. Eschenauer and Chen-Hayes present the Transformative Individual School Counseling Model. This model utilizes functional behavioral assessment, systemic or solution-focused counseling, and a single-case study design for evaluation.

CLOSING REMARKS

I think that tiffs special issue on urban school counseling is long overdue and I am optimistic about the influence that it will have on the school counseling profession. I hope that all counselors, including those in rural and suburban schools, will read these articles and apply the concepts and recommendations to their work. As a result of this special issue, I also hope that counselors, graduate students, researchers, and counselor educators will become more interested in the issues and challenges of urban youth. Evidence-based research on counselor practices and strategies in urban schools is greatly needed as well as research on effective practices with diverse urban student populations. Also, I hope that urban school counselors will become more involved in the national discourse regarding the transformation of school counseling. Considering the fact that urban school counselors work in schools that are large, ethnically and linguistically diverse, and low performing, it seems only fitting that urban counselors have a "voice" in the direction of our profession.

Overall, as one reads the following articles, it is evident that counseling in urban schools is not easy. It requires commitment, partnership efforts, and heart. Most of all, however, it requires reminding ourselves each day that all children deserve success, no matter where they live!

References

Ascher, C. (1988). Improving the school-home connection for low-income urban parents (ERIC Digest online). Retrieved August 4, 2004, from www.ed.gov.database/ ERIC_Digests/ed293973.html

Comer, J., Haynes, N., Joyner, E., & Ben-Avie, M. (Eds.). (1996). Rallying the whole village: The Comer process for reforming education. New York: Teachers College Press.

Goertz, M. E., & Stiefel, L. (1998). School-level resource allocation in urban public schools. Journal of Education Finance, 23, 435-446.

Gysbers, N. C., & Henderson, P. (1994). Developing and managing your school guidance program (2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association.

Hunter, R.C. (2000). Will accountability systems work in an unequal education system? School Business Affairs, 66, 7-10.

Hunter, R. C., & Donahoo, S. (2003).The nature of urban school politics after Brown: The need for new political knowledge, leadership, and organizational skills. Education and Urban Society, 36, 3-15.

Jacobs, G. (1993). History, crisis, and social panic: Minority resistance to privatization of an urban school system. Urban Review, 25, 175-198.

Kozol, J. (1991). Savage inequalities. New York: Harper Perennial.

Menacker, J. (1974).Vitalizing guidance in urban schools. New York: Dodd, Mead, & Company.

Myrick, R. D. (1993). Developmental guidance and counseling: A practical approach. Minneapolis, MN: Educational Media.

Rice, J. K., & Roelke, C. (2003). Urban school finance: Increased standards and accountability in uncertain economic times. School Business Affairs, 69, 30-33.

Valdez, G. (1996). Con respecto: Bridging the distances between culturally diverse families and schools: An ethnographic portrait. New York: Teachers College Press.

Ward, J. G. (1987). Factors associated with urban school finance problems: An investigation with education equity implications. Journal of Educational Equity and Leadership, 7, 37-48.

Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy, Ph.D., is an assistant professor with the Department of Counseling and Personnel Services, College of Education, University of Maryland at College Park. E-mail: [e-mail]