School Counseling Leadership Team: a statewide collaborative model to transform school counseling.

The School Counseling Leadership Team (SCLT) is a model of a collaborative team formed to advocate for the transformed role of professional school counselors. The members of the SCLT included school district counseling supervisors, counselor educators, and leaders of statewide school counselor organizations. This article reviews the need for and evolution of the SCLT, its goals, accomplishments, and future plans. Suggestions and guidelines are offered for replicating the model.

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Never in the history of school counseling has leadership been more urgently needed (Borders, 2002; Paisley & McMahon, 2001). While school reform experts focus on the ever-widening achievement gap, professional school counselors are conspicuously absent from the school reform discussions (Bemak, 2000; Herr, 2002; House & Hayes, 2002; Paisley & McMahon). Budget cuts threaten school counseling positions and programs. Until recently, the profession's lack of clarity concerning the role and function of the school counselor has had the effect of marginalizing school counselors (House & Hayes; Johnson, 2000). Despite this bleak picture of school counseling, change on many fronts is underway. The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) is providing vision and direction for school counseling programs. ASCA developed the National Standards for School Counseling Programs (Campbell & Dahir, 1997) and launched the ASCA National Model[R] for School Counseling Programs (ASCA, 2005).

The Education Trust also has contributed to the clarification and advancement of the role of the professional school counselor by working collaboratively with counselor education programs and providing training to practicing school counselors. This initiative began with DeWitt Wallace-Readers Digest grants to the Education Trust to work with six counselor education programs and their local school districts to transform their counselor preparation programs and the field of school counseling. While these efforts already are reaping benefits for some professional school counselors and counseling programs, it is evident that the transformation of school counseling is in its infancy (House & Hayes, 2002). Collaboration among practicing school counselors, supervisors of school counseling programs, counselor educators, state-level school counseling specialists, and leaders of school counseling professional organizations is required to ensure that the transformation of school counseling is realized.

NEED FOR COLLABORATION AND ROLE CLARIFICATION

The profession of school counseling is in a period of redefining its identity. It is essential that the leaders of the school counseling field shape the discussion, which involves a number of critical issues that will define the future direction of school counseling. One important issue is the role and function of the school counselor, which continues to be misunderstood (Bemak, 2000; Borders, 2002; Burnham & Jackson, 2000; Herr, 2001; House & Hayes, 2002; Johnson, 2000). Another concern is the discrepancy between counselor education programs and actual school counselor practices (Burnham & Jackson; Johnson; Paisley & Hayes, 2003). There is a lack of clarity about whether counselor education preparation programs prepare student counselors for the role they can play in the educational reform movement (Bemak & Chung, 2005; Perusse & Goodnough, 2001). Professional school counselor advocates have encouraged school counselors to assume leadership roles in schools and to network in order to increase support bases (Herr, 2002; Schwallie-Giddis, ter Maat, & Pak, 2003; Shoffner & Williamson, 2000; Stone & Clark, 2001). Additionally, advocates have proposed training in system and organizational skills that will enhance advocacy and leadership skills (Bemak & Chung).

Burnham and Jackson (2000) conducted a study to examine the discrepancy between what counselors do and the counseling models they learn in their graduate programs. While professional school counselors are performing many of the roles consistent with the appropriate counseling models learned in graduate school, many counselors spend inordinate amounts of time doing clerical work. The most troubling is the continued overuse of school counselors for noncounseling activities, sometimes referred to as "clerk-work" (Bemak, 2000). The investigators also reported a lack of understanding of group counseling in schools and the need for greater understanding of the leadership role the professional school counselor can play in advocating for all students.

In reviewing the transformation of professional school counselors, and in light of the current school reform movement, it has been suggested that professional school counselors need to increase their visibility within school communities by developing support networks (Herr, 2002). House and Hayes (2002) argued that professional school counselors are uniquely trained with skills of teaming and collaboration and can play a central role in advocating for programs and policies that ensure academic success for all students. Professional school counselors need to assume a leadership role in their schools.

EMERGING EXAMPLES OF COUNSELING LEADERSHIP AND COLLABORATION

Schwallie-Giddis et al. (2003) offered suggestions concerning implementation of the ASCA National Model (2005) and praised the efforts of the Northern Virginia School Counseling Leadership Team (SCLT) to educate practicing professional school counselors, directors of school counseling programs, and school administrators in Northern Virginia about the model. They credited the SCLT with having the vision of leadership required to secure buy-in concerning the implementation of the ASCA National Model and noted, "School counseling leadership teams and Summits such as this one can be created and delivered in any area of the country" (Schwallie-Giddis et al., p. 171).

Another example of the power of leadership and collaboration comes from the state of Texas. In May 2001, the Texas Legislature authorized the state comptroller to investigate concerns expressed by professional school counselors about the amount of time spent on noncounseling activities (Rylander, 2002). In asking for permission to conduct this survey, the comptroller was responding to the concerns of school counselors, district supervisors, and counseling organizations in the state. As a result of this legislative action, all 4,000 professional school counselors in Texas were surveyed. Based on the findings of the survey, it was recommended that each district adopt a policy on the appropriate use of counselor time and review district guidance and counseling policies.

What is happening in Virginia, Texas, and other states and regions around the country is evidence of what can be accomplished when stakeholders collaborate. When local district counseling supervisors, professional school counselors, leaders from professional organizations, counselor educators, and state-level administrators work together, they can advocate for the profession of school counseling. This article reviews the need for and evolution of the SCLT, its goals, accomplishments, and future plans, and it offers suggestions and guidelines for convening local advocacy teams in other states and localities.

SCHOOL COUNSELING LEADERSHIP TEAM

Northern Virginia's School Counseling Leadership Team is one model developed to advocate for the transformed role of professional school counselors at the local, regional, and state levels. The SCLT serves as a model for effective collaboration and advocacy for professional school counselors and counselor educators. The members of the SCLT include school district supervisors of counseling, representatives of the Virginia School Counselor Association, and counselor educators. Among its accomplishments, the SCLT lobbied for a state-level counseling position. This position was cut in the early 1990s due to budget restraints, along with four other statewide positions in the Virginia Department of Education (i.e., a school counselor in charge of career counseling in schools, a school counselor in charge of elementary counseling, a school counselor in charge of middle school counseling, and a school counselor in charge of secondary school counseling). The SCLT also petitioned for revision of the state's Guidance Standards of Learning (SOLs) and increased communication among counselor educators, district school counseling supervisors, and state-level counseling professional organizations. The SCLT took a leadership role in the introduction of the ASCA National Model to Virginia school counselors, and it is contributing to the development of a Virginia state model for school counseling programs.

HISTORY OF THE SCHOOL COUNSELING LEADERSHIP TEAM

The Northern Virginia SCLT started informally in 1999 when two counselor educators (the first and second authors) contacted supervisors of counseling from local school systems to set up individual meetings and discuss potential collaboration. The purpose of these meetings with each supervisor was straightforward. It was based on local needs to reestablish contact and strengthen relationships between the counselor educators' university and individual school districts and to initiate discussions pertaining to the appropriate roles and responsibilities of the professional school counselor. The response was encouraging. Each meeting provided insight into the needs of a district and established the beginning of a stronger relationship.

The following year, the third author came to Virginia after being a principal investigator of one of six DeWitt Wallace-Readers Digest grants to transform school counseling. In collaboration with the first two authors, he invited all of the Northern Virginia school district counseling supervisors to a meeting at their university. The meeting was an opportunity to focus on issues relevant to the entire group. The group shared common concerns and collaborated on responses to those shared concerns. The overall consensus that there was an ongoing need to meet on a regular basis soon became apparent as more and more issues were put on the agenda. Hence, the SCLT was formally established in 2001. It identified three basic goals: to clarify the role of professional school counselors within the commonwealth of Virginia, to transform counselor education programs, and to influence public policy governing school counselors and school counseling programs within Virginia. The ensuing dialogue focused on expanding the group to other local counselor educators, to representatives from the state school counselor association, and to directors of school counseling programs interested in focusing on school counseling advocacy. The current membership now reflects and includes such representation from all local school district counseling supervisors, all local counselor educators, and officers from the Virginia Counselors Association, Virginia Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (president), and Virginia School Counselors Association (past president, current president, president-elect, and post-secondary vice president).

SCLT ACCOMPLISHMENTS

The School Counseling Leadership Team has made significant impact in the commonwealth of Virginia through eight major accomplishments in 5 years. The first major achievement of the SCLT was to contact the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) and request a meeting. The school counseling district supervisors had voiced unanimous frustration regarding the inability to get consistent answers to graduation requirement questions from VDOE. The school counseling specialist position at the state level had been vacant for over 8 years due to budget cuts and a lack of understanding of the importance of this role. The lack of school counseling leadership at the state level meant that there was no one person at VDOE that school counselor district supervisors could turn to for consistent answers. On behalf of the SCLT, the third author wrote a letter to the VDOE asking for a specific VDOE contact person to be assigned to respond to school counseling questions, while also requesting a meeting with the newly designated VDOE person.

The meeting with the state representative was the first of several contacts resulting in a meeting with the president of the state's School Board of Education. This was the second major accomplishment. The SCLT representatives met with the VDOE School Board president in July 2001. The goals of that meeting were to establish dialogue about the role of the professional school counselor in Virginia, to propose that school counselors be placed on key statewide school planning committees, and to discuss the reinstatement of at least one permanent school counseling position in VDOE. This position was eliminated due to the budget cuts in the early 1990s.

The meeting resulted in the third major accomplishment. VDOE and the state School Board agreed to review the Standards of Learning. VDOE commissioned a writing team chaired by a Virginia School Board member to revise the SOLs, originally written in 1984 and no longer reflecting current research, practice, or representation of policies provided by ASCA. Several members of the SCLT served on the team along with school counselors from around the state. The team met for 2 years to revise the standards. The Virginia School Board approved the final document in January 2004 under the new title, "Standards for School Counseling Programs in Virginia Public Schools" (Virginia Department of Education, 2004).

At the 2001 meeting with the VDOE School Board president, the issue of school counseling representation at the state level was discussed. The president promised to consider reinstating at least one school counselor specialist position within VDOE. Although many individuals within the commonwealth had made this request, the advocacy of the SCLT had a major impact. A year later, in 2002, a school counselor was hired as the new VDOE school counseling specialist. The SCLT's consistent request for this position to be reinstated echoed the ongoing requests from school counselors throughout the commonwealth. That position had been vacant for over 8 years. This was the fourth major accomplishment of the SCLT.

The SCLT's fifth major accomplishment was the strong advocacy for an important new law that was passed in Virginia. House Bill l136-Elementary Counselors in Standards of Quality, signed in April 2002 by the governor, officially required that every public elementary school have a school counselor. While middle and high school counselors have always been part of Virginia school communities, elementary counselors had been on a political seesaw. At one point, local jurisdiction could decide whether or not to hire a reading specialist in place of an elementary counselor. Virginia now has a K-12 requirement for school counselors (Virginia General Assembly, 2002) resulting in all children within the commonwealth's public schools having access to a professional school counselor within their building. The passage of HB 1136 was the result of the collaborative efforts of professional school counselors, school counseling state association leadership, a legislator who strongly supports counselors, and supportive parents within many school communities throughout the state.

A sixth significant SCLT accomplishment has been developing and presenting a series of workshops introducing the ASCA National Model to professional school counselors within the commonwealth of Virginia. These presentations have been at state counseling conferences and at half-day workshops. One of the first in the series, "Closing the Gap: From Where We Are to Where We Need to Be," was attended by 327 Virginia school counselors, principals, and directors of counseling. The attendance at the remaining workshops has been equally impressive. The SCLT provided the needed leadership to offer such workshops at such a critical time.

The SCLT also sponsored and delivered two major educational summits in Virginia, which was its seventh major accomplishment. In an effort to introduce the ASCA National Model to school counselors, school counseling directors, and administrators in Northern Virginia, two school counseling summits were held. Members of the SCLT sponsored and presented at both of the school counseling summits. Approximately 150 participants were invited and attended each summit. The first summit, "Embracing the National Model," provided an overview of the model, and, more importantly, it offered the opportunity for the 20 to 30 school counselors, directors, and administrators from each of the five local school districts to respond and react to the ASCA National Model in their own district-level meetings. Pre- and post-test data from the summit indicated that participants benefited from the opportunity, to learn about the ASCA National Model and to work with other counselors from their district on first steps toward implementing the ASCA National Model. Based on pre- and post-session evaluations, participants increased their knowledge in three areas:

* Ninety-two percent increased in knowledge of the ASCA National Model.

* Fifty-nine percent increased in knowledge of the ASCA National Standards.

* Fifty percent increased in knowledge of using accountability strategies.

Summit II was held in February 2004. One hundred and twenty-seven school counselors, counselor educators, and school district counselor supervisors were in attendance. The focus was on accountability strategies. Pre- and post-test data demonstrated that counselors have continued to benefit from opportunities to learn about the ASCA National Model and that progress has been made toward the goal of introducing the model to Northern Virginia professional school counselors and supervisors. Based on pre- and post-session evaluations, participants increased their knowledge in five areas:

* Forty, percent increased in knowledge of the ASCA National Model.

* Thirty-six percent increased in knowledge of the ASCA National Standards.

* Fifty-one percent increased in knowledge of using accountability strategies.

* Sixty-eight percent increased in knowledge of using descriptive statistics.

* Seventy-one percent increased in knowledge of compiling reports.

Implications for practice based on analysis from post-data indicate the following:

* Training can be effective. Attendees at each summit increased their knowledge of the ASCA National Model and accountability strategies.

* Summit III training for developmental needs and beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels is needed.

* Additional accountability, training is requested, such as connecting accountability to program evaluation and needs assessment data, providing data collection and analysis strategies, and sharing data with stakeholders.

The eighth major accomplishment of the SCLT was to sponsor a School District Director's Forum in Northern Virginia on January 15, 2004. The Virginia school counseling specialist spoke to school counseling directors about "The State of School Counseling in Virginia." Thirty directors of school counseling programs and supervisors, representing the five major Northern Virginia school districts, attended. They voiced their appreciation for the opportunity to have their questions addressed, to express their concerns, and to hear from the VDOE school counseling specialist on specific subjects relating to school counseling and school counseling programs.

FUTURE DIRECTIONS

The School Counseling Leadership Team continues to meet on a regular basis responding to local, regional, and state-level counseling issues. Currently, the SCLT is discussing the importance of gathering data about the role of school counselors in the state and is supporting the Virginia School Counseling Association (VSCA) in its efforts to gather information about the role and function of school counselors in Virginia and to determine the professional development needs of school counselors.

Closing the achievement gap and helping all students be successful in the academic, personal/social, and career domains are the main reasons that school counseling leadership is needed. The SCLT is actively involved in training practicing school counselors and school counseling students in the use of accountability measures (Stone & Dahir, 2004) so that they can contribute to student success. Members of the SCLT are working directly with district school counselors to use accountability strategies to understand educational problems and identify barriers to student success.

The SCLT also realizes there is significant work to be done to educate three distinct groups--superintendents, local and state school board members, and principals (Stone & Clark, 2001)--about the role and responsibilities of the professional school counselor, and it is considering ways to reach out to these three groups. What started as an effort to strengthen the relationship between a counselor education program and local school districts became a force that influenced local and state policies and programs. In just a few short years, the SCLT has demonstrated the power of communication and collaboration, fostering multiple changes in Virginia.

BENEFITS OF THE SCHOOL COUNSELING LEADERSHIP TEAM

The benefits of participating in a School Counseling Leadership Team are numerous. The primary advantage is that counselor educators, school counseling supervisors, and leaders of the state school counseling organizations meet regularly to discuss and address a variety of local, regional, and state-level issues pertinent to school counselors. This is an extraordinary benefit. The overall positive impact on school counseling programs and counselor education programs resulting from decisions and activities made by the SCLT far outweighs the extra time and logistical challenges of scheduling and attending regular SCLT meetings.

The increased communication within the team has benefited counselor education programs, especially pertaining to pre-service training of school counseling students. Several counselor education courses have been revised based on the collaborative input from counselor educators and school counseling supervisors on the SCLT. Additionally, the quality of the field experience placements has improved and supervision training has been developed and offered on a regular basis--again, due to the collaborative communication within the SCLT. As a result of the regular SCLT meetings, district counseling programs and counselor education programs have been strengthened. Concurrently, a number of similar leadership teams have been formed in Virginia.

Another outcome of the SCLT is that the four counselor education programs located in Northern Virginia now collaborate on ways to effectively educate and prepare counselors about the transformed role of professional school counselors using the latest research on counselor preparation and by infusing the ASCA National Model (2005) into the curriculum. The networking that has resulted from these meetings has led to many formal and informal connections. Counselor educators have been asked to provide in-service training to practicing professional school counselors, while district supervisors of school counseling programs have included school counseling students in district training workshops and job fairs. Furthermore, VSCA has participated in and supported local summits.

Overall, Virginia counselor educators are working more closely with school counselor supervisors to prepare students to be effective in local schools. Practicum and internship experiences have been enhanced by increased preparation of site supervisors and there is greater awareness on the part of the counselor educators of local issues and needs. Training of site supervisors is conducted every semester that includes a discussion about supervision models, expectations of site supervisors, and a review of the ASCA National Model (2005).

Another benefit is the opportunity for the members of such teams to make significant contributions to the school counseling profession. As a result of participation on the SCLT, each member of the team has demonstrated increased awareness of the importance of school counseling leadership and has sought other regional, state, and national leadership opportunities. Two of the SCLT members are serving on a College Board School Counseling Advisory Board. Four members have assumed leadership roles in the state school counseling organization. One team member is a consultant with the Education Trust Center for Transforming School Counseling, and all of the team members are active in ASCA.

Local collaborative efforts also have influenced state policy and practices. As a result of the development of the SCLT, as previously mentioned, other teams have been formed throughout the state. These regional teams all work differently and respond to the particular needs of their region. A state model of school counseling has been initiated as a result of the ASCA National Model and the increased communication throughout the state.

GUIDELINES FOR FORMING COLLABORATIVE TEAMS

The formation of leadership teams responding to local, regional, and state issues is an effective way to advocate for the role and function of professional school counselors and to transform counselor preparation programs. While each leadership team will be unique in that it will be composed of local stakeholders, and will address unique local, regional, and state issues, the following are some general guidelines for the formation of leadership teams.

Membership

Membership on the team can consist of a number of stakeholders including district counseling supervisors, directors of counseling programs, leaders from state and regional professional organizations, counselor educators, administrators, parents, students, and the state specialist for school counseling. This type of integrated team from representative stakeholders in the school counseling profession offers greater power and a stronger voice for change.

Leadership

It is important at the outset to identify leadership for the team. The leader will convene the meetings, set the agenda, be a spokesperson for the team, mediate differences, and balance the interests of all members of the team. The leadership can be shared, depending on the team's decisions.

Start-Up Meetings

Counselor educators are a logical choice to initiate the formation of the team. A good way to begin is to invite local district counseling supervisors to a meeting at the university to discuss common issues and concerns, develop an agenda, and become familiar with respective needs and issues. Inviting stakeholders to a meeting at the university and providing a time to network offers an invaluable opportunity to develop as a group with potential influence on policy, training, and practice.

Focusing on Short-Term and Long-Term Goals 

Develop a short-term and a long-term agenda for each meeting. The agenda should represent concerns expressed by all members of the team. Prioritizing the items on the agenda should be the shared responsibility of all team members. It is important that discussions designate tasks to be accomplished and workload responsibilities.

Providing Training and Workshops

Spreading the word is essential to contribute to the transformation of school counseling. One way this can be done is for the SCLT to provide training and workshops, focused on the target issue of transforming and advocating for school counselors. This can be done through local school districts, statewide training and summits, and hosting events that celebrate accomplishments. All the stakeholders should be invited to such events.

Evaluation and Self-Assessment

It is important to develop an internal evaluation process for the team (Stone & Dahir, 2004). This should be done regularly at meetings, as well as more formally (within the group) on an annual basis. Time to reflect on the team's process and accomplishments provides invaluable information that will guide the team's work in the future. Periodic needs assessments can be used to determine future goals for the team. In addition, both the results data and qualitative data from workshops and training sessions can be analyzed and used to inform the work of the team.

CONCLUSION

It is an exciting but challenging time to be a professional school counselor. As a result of the leadership of counseling associations, such as ASCA, and advocates for educational reform, such as the Education Trust, professional school counselors have a vision and the tools to transform their school counseling program and clarify their role. Translating the vision to how school counselors actually work at the district and state levels, how to more effectively link counselor training programs with practice, and how to influence and better align policies with practice and training is the work that is before us as a profession.

The SCLT is an example of how a statewide model, facilitating the transformed role of school counselors, can be replicated in other states throughout the United States. The work of transforming school counseling programs and clarifying the role of school counselors has begun, but challenges remain. The collaborative leadership of teams such as the Northern Virginia school counseling team, working at the local, regional, and state levels, will be critical in more effectively realizing the vision and continued viability of modern-day school counselors.

References

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Stone, C. B., & Clark, M. A. (2001). School counselors and principals: Partners in support of academic achievement. NASSP Bulletin, 85(624), 46-53.

Stone, C. B., & Dahir, C. A. (2004). School counselor accountability: A MEASURE of student success. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall.

Virginia Department of Education. (2004). Standards for school counseling programs in Virginia public schools. Retrieved April 27, 2004, from http://www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/studentsrvcs/counselingstandards.pdf

Virginia General Assembly. (2002). Legislative information system. HB 1136 Standards of quality: Elementary school guidance counselors. Retrieved February 20, 2004, from http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?021+sum+HB1136

Carol J. Kaffenberger, Ph.D., and Sally Murphy, Ph.D., are assistant professors and Fred Bemak, Ed.D., is a professor with the Counseling & Development Program, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA. E-mail: [e-mail]