There are many pathways to a successful career, and every student should have access to postsecondary education and career opportunities and support to allow them to pursue degrees and certificates that align with their interests and career aspirations and see the steps needed to reach their goals. Yet, because of the quickly changing labor…

The present study examined African American high school students' perceptions of their development and use of self-determination skills (e.g., goal setting, choice/decision making, self-advocacy, etc.) in school. The term "development" refers to the cultivation of self-determination skills through various means (e.g., structured learning…

Using a directed form of qualitative research proposed by Mayring, this qualitative study applied Ajzen's Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to examine the efforts of nine self-identified school counselor advocates to advocate for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) students. This study is warranted because LGBTQ…

There is a growing emphasis to improve underserved students' academic, social-emotional, and career development as schools strive to deliver comprehensive student services. The purpose of this study is to explore urban high school students' perspectives on improving academic and counseling services. The results and implications for educational…

The invitation to write a brief summary highlighting Belin-Blank Center partnerships that support talent development in youth led my mind to channel the 1946 Frank Capra movie, "It's a Wonderful Life." The existential storyline from that classic film reveals the merit of relationships when considered from the vantage of nonexistence. The…

English as a Second Language (ESL) students constitute the fastest growing student population in the U.S. K-12 education system (National Education Association, 2020). They represent an array of diversity related to their linguistic, cultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds. In addition, ESL students embody their unique lived experiences,…

The purpose of this study was to provide insight to the lived advocacy experiences of principals and school counselors who received state and/or national recognition for their work on behalf of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students. I identified three themes and related subthemes regarding the meaning derived across the…

Diversity and inclusion are popular, yet often challenging, topics for youth in schools. A common approach to address the issues is to invite outside speakers to discuss ways to "celebrate diversity." After being invited to give such a talk, I created and enacted a presentation at an affluent high school on this topic that is grounded in…

Although TESOL educators often incorporate autobiographical narrative as pedagogy to develop language and literacy among language learners, research has paid little attention to how immigrant youths' personal stories relate to advocacy and social justice. This article addresses this gap by investigating and theorizing how student advocacy…

This landscape review includes a document and policy review of policies and programs across the City of Richmond, West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD), The California Endowment, and other local community organizations. Additionally, the review encompasses: (1) 15 PLUS projects from 2008-2018 for 4 clients: City of Richmond, WCCUSD,…

School counselors play an integral role in supporting students academically, socially, and emotionally. However, due to various demands, school counselors often face time constraints that limit them from providing social and emotional support to students at the secondary level. In this case study, an analysis of qualitative interviews with 13 high…

Traditional literacy practices using print-based texts exclude students with complex support needs from the full range of literacy activities provided to peers without disabilities, which may limit them to low-level literacy skills or functional skills. By contrast, by including various forms of representation and text, multiliteracies are…

Advocacy has always been an integral component of effective school counseling (Field & Baker, 2004), however now more than ever, due to a growing diversified society and the specific needs of students who are considered marginalized, school counselors have been identified as key persons to serve as social justice advocates for all students.…

The Youth Enjoy Science -Teach To Beat Cancer program funded by the National Cancer Institute utilizes the resources of the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and Case Comprehensive Cancer Center to provide experiences and training for grade 6-12 teachers so that they are expertly equipped to develop curricular approaches to take…

The transition from high school to adulthood is difficult for youth with autism spectrum disorder and their families. Recognizing these challenges, there is a small but emerging body of literature testing interventions to improve the transition process. But there are many challenges in performing intervention research that have yet to be fully…