Utilizing school counselors to increase the number of rural high achieving low-income students at selective colleges: an evaluation study

2018-04-16Undermatching is a problem in many low-income school districts, where students apply to and enroll at colleges below their academic capabilities. Universities have tried to reduce undermatching in urban areas, but have done less in rural areas; students are too geographically dispersed for programming to be cost-effective. Because programming is poorly focused on rural areas, this study analyzed the role of rural school counselors in reducing undermatching. An evaluation of “Border School District”, a large rural district in the Rio Grande Valley, Texas was conducted to understand the knowledge, motivation, and organizational factors influencing counselors’ effectiveness. An explanatory mixed methods approach was used to assess these influences in middle and high school counselors through surveys, interviews, and document analysis. The study showed that counselors were motivated and had significant knowledge about college advising but were deficient in knowledge about out-of-state colleges and selective colleges. The fact that only 2% of students attended colleges out-of-state suggested a potential relationship between counselor knowledge and student behavior. A review of counselor case logs revealed less than 1% of their time was dedicated to college advising. This was a result of high student to counselor ratios, counselors balancing too many responsibilities, and a lack of guidance from supervisors on how to prioritize responsibilities. The study recommended that the district’s counseling department re-align its vision and strategic priorities, and eventually align its organizational structure to maximize counselor effectiveness. A comprehensive counselor professional development program was also recommended to further improve counselor knowledge and motivation