This comprehensive, graduate-level text prepares readers to handle the problems and responsibilities they'll face as professional school counselors, from preschool through high school. It covers a wide range of topics in-depth, including effective interventions for racism and bullying, addressing the continuing score gap between ethnic groups, playing a leadership role in implementing school-based action research, and advocating for, and providing services to, children with disabilities. Packed with real-life examples and case descriptions, the book provides strategies for preventing and responding to social and emotional problems, improving educational outcomes, and helping children score at optimum levels on high-stakes tests.
Key Features
The book's focus on the consultative role of the school counselor includes ideas for developing a consulting practice within the school, for overcoming resistance, and for developing the flexibility to move to different school counseling venues, such as counseling in a virtual school.
A solid grounding in measurement and research helps readers develop the ability to interpret, evaluate, and explain standardized test scores and other data to colleagues, students, and parents. It also empowers the school counselor to take a leadership role in school-based action research and program evaluation.
Multicultural techniques for counselors, drawn from both current literature and the author's own experience growing up and later teaching in an inner-city environment, are included, along with techniques for assisting children with undocumented and language-minority parents.
In-text learning aids include chapter-opening introductions; chapter-ending summaries and discussion questions; chapter objectives; cartoons, photos, and tables; a complete glossary; and 39 Case in Point features that provide problematic counseling scenarios and resolutions.
The ASCA statement of Ethical Standards for School Counselors is reprinted inside the front and back of the book to provide a quick reference for counselors as they establish their school-based practices. These ethical principles are imbued throughout the book's narrative.
Industry Reviews
"[This] is a highly engaging book for those preparing to become school counselors. Faced with thought-provoking cases, discussion questions and recommended readings, this book provides a practical overview of school counseling from pre-K through high school settings. Wright does an excellent job describing ASCA's recommended best practices for school counselors, as well as highlighting other duties that may be required by building administrators, job descriptions or local school boards. His understanding of current school counseling is evident in the relevance and breadth of scenarios and real-world examples. [This book] illuminates the challenges faced in schools today. [It] is an informative introductory text or a valuable addition to a reference shelf for professional school counselors." -- Donna Dockery * Counseling Today * "It seems evident to me that the author has worked in schools and has firsthand experience of the challenges facing school counselors and the varied areas in which they need knowledge and expertise. Also the text is correlated to CACREP and ASCA standards, which is essential." -- Sue A. Stickel "(This book is) ABSOLUTELY beneficial to students. It seems to address some of the key issues (NCLB and Parental involvement in education) missing from current school counseling textbooks." -- Delila Owens "I believe the text addresses the contemporary issues of today and the challenges faced by the New Professional School Counselor. I was really happy to see coverage on law and case laws, theories and techniques and individual chapters on all school levels." -- Audrey A. Lucas, Ph.D. "The broad perspective the author takes on types of education is a new perspective from pervious or existing works. Attaching standards to the ASCA Model is an important piece that brings a level of professionalization critical in today's environment. Addressing all the CACREP standards also helps instructors include all important and relevant aspects to the learners. It addresses each level of school counseling which is important for programs that have only one course for school counseling. I also like the use of the term framework from which to work, leaving possibilities for school counselors to be creative in how they implement their programs." -- Carolyn W. Kern, PhD
