Current deficits in school counseling and college advising research negatively impact practice, policy, and funding and may also lead to misaligned standards and credentialing, as well as a general lack of accountability in the school counseling field.
Review of existing studies indicates the fields of school counseling and college advising significantly lag behind other fields such as teaching and administration in both research quantity and quality. When research is found, dichotomies of findings are unveiled. Some authors have focused on deficits, noting that role confusion combined with assignment of other duties, high student to school counselor ratios, fiscal constraints, lack of preparation, and inadequate expertise in college admission procedures prevent school counselors from fulfilling the college counseling role. Other authors have shown that underserved populations have the greatest need for support, yet they are often the least likely to meet with a school counselor for postsecondary planning and guidance. Some more recent studies indicate when school counselors are available, trained, and able to provide assistance to students and families, college enrollment rates increase and opportunity gaps close; especially for underserved populations.
The NCSCPS believes that it is essential to use common metrics aligned with student level postsecondary outcomes to more fully identify and evaluate the impact of school counselor and college advising practices, standards and credentialing, pre-service and in-service training, and polices on student post-secondary outcomes.