proving our effectiveness

When it comes to assessments, school counselors, and professionals alike should all really be held to the same standards and keep each other accountable.  In the article by Studer, Oberman, and Womack, (2006), there was a lot of focus on how school counselors will prove that we are being effective. While I do not disagree that we do need to be making sure our methods and practices are effective, the school system as a whole needs to operate as a functional unit. Unfortunately, since we work so closely with other school officials and have guidelines placed upon us by the department of education, school counselors cannot be the only ones that are expected to be accountable. Lack of accountability across the board will affect many aspects of education, our jobs included. 

               As a previous graduate assistant for the department of Housing here at Millersville, there unfortunately was a lack of consistency and accountability which has given me some first- hand knowledge of the difficulties this can sometimes create. I am actually working through an example of this at this current time. It was brought to my attention by fellow, still current, graduate assistants that at a GA staff meeting only, my supervisors wife made some unprofessional and sarcastic comments about me last Wednesday. Its not so much what she said but that even after writing the letter I am currently crafting about this unprofessional business, most likely, nothing will be done about this. These types of situations where there is no accountability by supervisors makes the structure itself weak. 

               I think that Studer et al (2006) make some valid points. The most poignant of which being that we, did not heed the warnings and make appropriate changes to prove our value early on and as a result were assigned non-counseling duties. I think any active school counselor who finds themselves administering PSSA’s or any of the other non-counseling duties can agree that we still struggle with being seen for what our true purpose is today.  I love that this program will prepare us to fight this stigma that we aren’t really useful for a lot of things by having us create a presentation for interviews about what we are prepared to implement. I think that more aggressive strategies like this are paramount to changing how we as future school counselors are seen and respected in the field.

Studer, J.R., Oberman, A.H., and Womack, R.H. (2006). Producing Evidence to Show Counseling                Effectiveness in the Schools.  Professional School Counseling, 9 (5).