Teacher perceptions of the professional school counselor role: Value, effectiveness, and collaborative willingness

The ASCA National Model represents a developmental, comprehensive counseling program that focuses on program foundation, delivery, management, and accountability (Campbell & Dahir, 1997). The ASCA National Model is believed to be dependent on collaborative relationships with other stakeholders. Teachers represent a powerful group of stakeholders, as they can influence the effectiveness of the school counseling program. In a national survey, high school teachers (n=401) were asked about their perceptions of school counselors. The focus of this research study was to ascertain: (a) the value teachers place on the appropriate role responsibilities and inappropriate role activities as described in the ASCA Executive Summary; (b) their perception of school counselor engagement in the appropriate responsibilities and inappropriate activities as described in the ASCA Executive Summary; (c) teacher willingness to collaborate with school counselors; and (d) their perception of school counselor willingness to collaborate with other stakeholders including teachers. This research revealed that there is still a need: (a) to increase teacher awareness on the role of the school counselor; (b) for school counselors to demonstrate their effectiveness; and (c) for school counselors to pursue collaborative relationships with teachers.