Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Professional Development Workshop to Increase School Counselors’ use of Data: The Role of Technology

The use of data by school counselors has grown increasingly important over the past few years, and has a prominent place in the American School Counselor Association‟s National Model for School Counseling Programs. This study examines the effectiveness of four variations of a workshop designed to improve school counselors‟ data use skills. The workshops were designed to vary along two dimensions; the amount of conceptual knowledge participants were exposed to, and the amount of a technology application (EZAnalyze) participants were exposed to. The quantitative results of the study indicate that being exposed to technology did not have a statistically significant impact on data use. The qualitative results indicate lack of time and knowledge were the most prominent barriers to applying what was learned during the workshop, and technology and access to useful data were the most prominent facilitators of data use. While the design of the study may provide a useful model to evaluate the impact of professional development over time, the results of the current study are best viewed as exploratory in nature

Student Preferences for College and Career Information

This study examined the preferences of high school seniors (N = 2901) for receiving college and career information, an area not well-studied previously. Key findings are: Parents and peers are rated to be very helpful sources of college and career information; school counselors are a helpful source of information for first-generation and low-income students; and the internet is a helpful source of information, but email and one-on-one are more preferred sources of information. The findings of this study are useful for K-12 education, college access, and higher education professionals to consider when developing policies and programs to provide college and career information to students

Supporting Interethnic and Interracial Friendships Among Youth to Reduce Prejudice and Racism in Schools: The Role of the School Counselor

Supporting interethnic and interracial friendships in schools among children and adolescents is an important part of a progressive educational agenda informed in equity, social justice frameworks, and critical multicultural education that leads to a reduction in racial prejudice. Positive intergroup contact is a necessary condition in prejudice reduction and the development of positive racial attitudes among ethnically and racially diverse groups of children and adolescents. School counseling initiatives focused on promoting interethnic and interracial friendships can have significant individual and systemic consequences such as: improving social, emotional, and cultural competence among youth; prejudice reduction; and the creation of equitable educational spaces informed in multicultural and social justice worldviews

Promoting Success for First-Generation Students of Color: The Importance of Academic, Transitional Adjustment, and Mental Health Supports

Nearly 1 in 3 college students (30%) are first-generation students of color (FGSOC), possessing the intersectional identity of being both a first-generation college student and a racial minority. FGSOC face increased psychological and social difficulties in college when compared to students in other groups, resulting from cultural differences, lack of academic preparedness, stigma surrounding socioeconomic status, racial discrimination, and marginalization. This article summarizes peer-reviewed literature related to three types of supports that can improve the college experience and promote the academic success of FGSOC: academic supports, transitional adjustment supports, and mental health supports. The reviewed literature is framed by a social justice perspective. Implications for future research, policy, and practice by educators, administrators, and staff working with this population of students are discussed

Changes Over Time in Masters Level School Counselor Education Programs

A national survey regarding the preparation of entry-level school counseling students was conducted to assess changes over time that may have occurred in the credit hours, screening methods, faculty experiences, course content, fieldwork requirements, and importance of The Education Trust concepts. Key findings include increases in the number of faculty with school counseling experience and the number of programs requiring practicum and internship to be completed in a school setting, and decreases in the number of courses designed specifically for school counseling students and the importance of supervision

Increasing Access to Postsecondary Education for Students with Intellectual Disabilities

Students with intellectual disabilities (ID) are increasingly seeking postsecondary education (PSE) opportunities. High school to college transition presents its challenges for all students, and school counselors are uniquely positioned to assist students with ID throughout the PSE process. This article provides a review of the literature on PSE and specifically explores the different types of PSE programming available and strategies high school counselors can employ to effectively assist students with ID in PSE planning

Changes Over Time in Masters Level School Counselor Education Programs

A national survey regarding the preparation of entry-level school counseling students was conducted to assess changes over time that may have occurred in the credit hours, screening methods, faculty experiences, course content, fieldwork requirements, and importance of The Education Trust concepts. Key findings include increases in the number of faculty with school counseling experience and the number of programs requiring practicum and internship to be completed in a school setting, and decreases in the number of courses designed specifically for school counseling students and the importance of supervision

The Importance and Implementation of Eight Components of College and Career Readiness Counseling in School Counselor Education Programs

School counselor education program administrators (N = 131) responded to an online questionnaire where the importance and extent of implementation of The College Board’s National Office of School Counselor Advocacy (NOSCA) Eight Components of College and Career Readiness in their school counselor education program were assessed. The mean importance of the components was rated between ‘moderately important’ and ‘very important’ by participants, and the components were ‘usually’ implemented in the curriculum of their programs. Implications of this study include the need for increased attention in graduate-level school counselor training programs on equity-focused college and career readiness counseling and knowledge of current national initiatives

Molecular mechanisms of toxicity of silver nanoparticles in zebrafish embryos.

addresses: Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Geoffrey Pope Building, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, UK. [email protected]: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tThis is an open access article that is freely available in ORE or from the publisher's web site. http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es401758d. Please cite the published version© 2013 American Chemical SocietySupporting Information: Further details on the methodology and results for the characterization of the silver particles used for the exposures, mortality curves, sequencing analysis, and a number of supporting figures and tables. This material is available free of charge via the Internet at http://pubs.acs.org.Silver nanoparticles cause toxicity in exposed organisms and are an environmental health concern. The mechanisms of silver nanoparticle toxicity, however, remain unclear. We examined the effects of exposure to silver in nano-, bulk-, and ionic forms on zebrafish embryos (Danio rerio) using a Next Generation Sequencing approach in an Illumina platform (High-Throughput SuperSAGE). Significant alterations in gene expression were found for all treatments and many of the gene pathways affected, most notably those associated with oxidative phosphorylation and protein synthesis, overlapped strongly between the three treatments indicating similar mechanisms of toxicity for the three forms of silver studied. Changes in oxidative phosphorylation indicated a down-regulation of this pathway at 24 h of exposure, but with a recovery at 48 h. This finding was consistent with a dose-dependent decrease in oxygen consumption at 24 h, but not at 48 h, following exposure to silver ions. Overall, our data provide support for the hypothesis that the toxicity caused by silver nanoparticles is principally associated with bioavailable silver ions in exposed zebrafish embryos. These findings are important in the evaluation of the risk that silver particles may pose to exposed vertebrate organisms.Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)NERC Biomolecular Analysis FacilityUK Environment AgencySystems Biology Seed fund, University of Exete

Comparison Findings of School Counselor Beliefs About ASCA National Model School Counseling Program Components Using the SCPCS

The School Counseling Program Component Scale (SCPCS) was developed to measure beliefs about program components of the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Model. In 2002, results from the SCPCS indicated that “using data” was ranked as less important than other program components. The current follow-up study was conducted in 2009. Results from this study indicated that the component subscales are consistent and reliable. Notable shifts were found in “use of data for program planning” and “use of data for accountability” subscales, suggesting that school counselors may have begun to prioritize the value of using data