Feelings of empowerment among students are crucial prerequisites to their participation in change agency in both educational and non-educational settings. Educators notice a compelling correlation between student empowerment and academic achievement and other positive outcomes in K-12 educational environments. School counselors are optimally…

In this qualitative study, 10 White school counselors were interviewed after they completed a 7-week affinity group designed to address their racial identity development, cultural humility, and antiracist school counseling practice. We conducted two semistructured interviews with each participant and analyzed them using interpretive…

English language learners (ELLs) experience higher barriers to education than non-ELLs. School counselors are uniquely positioned to identify and respond to the needs of these students. This phenomenological study explored the advocacy efforts of 14 school counselors working with ELLs. Major themes included creating space for culture and context,…

School counselors completed measures of school counselor activity and role beliefs; competence with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, and intersex (LGBTQQI) issues; and school-based LGBTQQI advocacy and awareness. Hierarchical multiple regression identified that LGBTQQI clinical skill predicts school counselor LGBTQQI…

Empirical scholarship exploring the Recognized ASCA Model Program (RAMP) process in rural school communities is notably lacking. In response to this gap, we conducted a phenomenological study with eight rural school counselors who successfully navigated the RAMP process. Participants shared influential reasons for pursuing RAMP, supporting factors…

This conceptual article explains how school counselors can increase awareness of size discrimination and address sizeist attitudes and biases in U.S. schools. Sizeism can begin in early childhood and continue into young adulthood, with damaging effects on student wellness. Sizeist biases in society are reflected in school systems. We suggest…

The purpose of this study was to develop the School Counselor Transgender Intersex Advocacy Competence Scale (SCTIACS). The SCTIACS is a training tool to use in teaching school counselors and other school stakeholders to advocate for gender minority students. Development of the SCTIACS involved a three-step process: generating items, reducing…

Professional advocacy in the field of school counseling is critical to promote the profession and ensure that school counselors are engaged in appropriate roles that are aligned with the American School Counselor Association (ASCA). To better understand how they are engaging in this important work, we interviewed and surveyed school counselors…

The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) encourages school counselors to promote equity experiences for all students through leadership, advocacy, and collaboration. School counselors and school administrators (e.g., principals, assistant principals) are uniquely positioned to combine their social capital in an effort to create a positive…

Researchers conducted a qualitative, phenomenological investigation of the lived experiences of a sample of 10 school counselors in current or recent RAMP (Recognized ASCA [American School Counselor Association] Model Program) schools that also implemented positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) with high fidelity. Researchers found…

This Delphi study engaged a panel of 14 school counselor educators and school counselors in a critical discourse to generate school counseling strategies to deconstruct educational heteronormativity. This study resulted in 51 school counseling strategies that school counselors can employ to deconstruct educational heteronormativity. This article…

This study examined the factor structure of the School Counselor Leadership Survey (SCLS). Survey development was a threefold process that resulted in a 39-item survey of 801 school counselors and school counselor supervisors. The exploratory factor analysis indicated a five-factor structure that revealed five key dimensions of school counselor…

This phenomenological study explored the experiences of rural school counselors as social justice advocates. The first author interviewed seven participants in their respective communities and identified five themes, including both positive and negative elements: the stability of place, community promise, mutual reliance, professional and personal…

The recent endorsement of the advocacy competencies by the American Counseling Association signals their relevance to the school counseling profession. This article outlines the importance of being a social change agent, the value of advocacy in K-12 schools, and how school counselors can use the advocacy competencies as a framework for promoting…

The school-age population is very much at risk of being affected by AIDS. As a result, school counselors must become active participants in the war against AIDS. In order to accomplish this goal, counselors need current information about the illness. Article provides a thorough knowledge base concerning HIV/AIDS and makes counselors aware of…