What are School Counselors Expected to Do? Alignment between Professional School Counselor Evaluations and Performance Standards

• Main Author: Nebe, Mary Bayly
• Other Authors: Bennett, Jeffrey V.
• Language: EN
• Published: The University of Arizona. 2010
• Subjects: administrators; ASCA National Model; evaluations; performance standards; professional school counselors; role expectations
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10150/194177

This study examines the alignment between Arizona public high school Administrators' expectations of professional school counselors, the ASCA National Model (2005), and the instruments used in Arizona to evaluate professional school counselors. Participants included ten principals and assistant principals, and 103 of the 111 public school districts with at least one high school in Arizona. Data was obtained through semistructured interviews, document, and content analysis. Organizational Role Theory and Leader-Member Exchange Theory guided the qualitative and quantitative analysis. Findings indicate that administrators' expectations of professional school counselors align 62% with the ASCA National Model, while the instruments used in Arizona to evaluate professional school counselors align 13% with administrators' expectations of professional school counselors and 21% with the ASCA National Model. The best predictor of alignment was school district use of a school counselor-specific evaluation instrument. Recommendations focused on the need for clearer communication of role expectations between administrators and counselors, and for more meaningful evaluation practices that align with counseling standards.