Principals Perceptions of School Counselors Roles (Research Paper Sample)

Principals Perceptions Of School Counselors Roles
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Abstract
The study examined principals perception on roles played by schools counselors and their opinion on the level of satisfaction in these counselling services. Although opinions varied, the overall result indicate that that principals are satisfied with services and roles played by schools counselors, there exist a lot of conflicting paradigm differences on the roles played by school counsellor and school principals. Many principals however suggested that counselling services should be harmonised to meet the up-to date education structure and reforms needed in USA schools.
Introduction
Lack of sufficient moral support and counsel to the students is among the reasons for rapid behavioural change in the United States youths associated with rampant cases of drug abuse, high prevalence rate of sexually transmitted infection such as AIDS, high level of unintended pregnancies among the students that result to abortion and increased cases of crime among the students, the role of assigning duties schools belong to schools principal whom in most occasion allocate school counsellor non-counselling duties thus interfering with their schedule and mandate, it is therefore important to focus on perception of principals on the role played by school counsellors in order to get insight on how principals contribute to this outrageous abdication of schools counsellor duties in schools.
The findings of this study is of great importance to the stakeholders in identifying how they can effectively restructure school programme in order to ensure student get the intended services of school counsellor that is paramount in ensuring moral uprightness among the student. This study will also provide valuable insights to the government, development partners and the communities on various structural challenges faced by schools administration in their co mandate to run institution in the United States .The findings will be of importance to Department of Education in that, it will be a formative evaluation of the school counselling program for improvement and in turn, the Department of Education may be in a position to analyse these challenges and establish their measures regarding the formulation of amicable solutions. The finding will be useful in documenting the issues related to counselling. The study will add to stock of knowledge in areas of Education. It will also form base for other researchers wishing to undertake a similar study.
Both the principals and counsellors are leaders in American schools mandated to enhance students’ performance and achievement in their studies and their social life (Smith, & Lemberger, 2007). While principals are the chief education accountability officer responsible to enhance student outcome and achievement, school counsellors are expected to work along principals through their contribution to schools education reform agenda (Blustein, 2013). In America schools counselors are trained to perform duties that align with the American Schools Associations National Model Programme which is designed to equip them with knowledge and skills to enable them serve their student to excel in their academic, social and personal growth as well as career planning pursuit(Blustein, 2013).
The performance of schools is measured on basis of the overall school performance as it is assumed that student performance is directly related to the significant roles played by the schools counsellor (Dollarhide et al 2007), nevertheless, there have been an on-going trend in most schools where by most counsellors are engaging in other activities of non-counselling leaving moral nurturing of the students unattended
This study focus on literature reviews on the changes on the roles played by the counsellors, an overview of schools training programs of school counsellor, how principals have been focusing on defining and determining the counsellors activities in American schools. And how principals see to it that schools counsellor perform counselling and non-counselling duties.
Literature review
Counselling professions in schools have undergone many changes throughout the history that has both helped shape the profession and at the same time has created confusion on the roles and duties of a school counsellors (Schellenberg, 2008). Time before 20th century schools counselors were teachers and had to play both duties of a vocational counsellor and a teacher. The political sociological and economical changes that took place in United States in the early 21st century had a remarkable transformation to schools counselling profession (Smith, & Lemberger, 2007). Under those transformation schools counselors were responsible for vocational guidance, academic placement, assessment and preparation for the students in the world of work (Dollarhide et al 2007).
To standardize the services offered by the schools counselors, efforts were made to include the schools counselors in the Pupils Personnel Service Model, but the model proved unsuitable to other schools other than secondary schools, the model also did not specify exactly how schools counsellor services should be scheduled in the school’s curriculum (Dollarhide et al 2007). With time duties of a counsellors have evolved to formation of the Development model which has put a lot of emphasis on holistic development on students, promoting students through academic, vocational, social and personal training, it was during this time that America Schools counsellor Association was formed (Smith, & Lemberger, 2007)
In the new transformation; various duties such as; special education services, coordination, consultation and accountability were integrated in the roles of a school counsellor, the America Schools counsellor Association also provided a framework for the development and maintenance of schools counselling programmes which enabled formation of bases and measures to govern schools counselling (Schellenberg, 2008). Despite all these transformation and efforts by the America Schools counsellor Association there is still a lot of confusion within schools on counselling roles.
It is school’s principal responsibility to administer day-to-day activities in schools, this goes without saying that it is within their duties to hire schools counselors and decide on how schools counsellor renders their services in the schools (Lazandou &Lordanides, 2011). Within the schools administration context principals are very powerful in influencing day-to-day activities and behaviours of schools personals (Dollarhide et al 2007). With such influence principals can initiate or impede change in a school. When the schools system happen to be inefficient and ineffective leading to lack of progress the accusation is laid upon the schools principals (Schellenberg, 2008). Many counsellors have reported role confusions with regard to principal’s expectations on their duties they are trained and supposed to deliver, this confusion is related to the evolution of the schools counselling profession and a lack of clarity on regards to roles and functions of the school counsellor (Dollarhide et al 2007).
In the United States schools, there exist philosophical differences between principals and counsellors on the roles that should be played by the schools counselors, goals and purpose that their interactions both principals and counsellors have in the schools setting. These differences have resulted to paradigm differences which govern their actions (Dollarhide et al 2007). Among the paradigm differences between the principals and counsellors are issues related to advocacy, discipline and confidentiality. These differences can be tracked back to the training of both parties.
Some of the most potential sources of the differences in day-to-day running of the school emanates from principals approving to the point that they should know everything that is run in the schools which on the other hand violate confidentiality code of ethics that goes hand in hand with counselling (Dollarhide et al 2007). As such one of the key concern for the principals is to obtain information on rules breakers so that they can punish them, on the converse schools counselors are supposed to maintain trust in their relationships with students by maintaining confidentiality (Moos & Johansson, 2011). This paradigm differences is justifiable for any of the profession and cannot be interfered with under any profession, however the situation worsens when conflict arises in schools between the school principal and the school counsellor (Moos & Johansson, 2011).
Another paradigm difference occur as a result of the responsibilities of both parties; principals are mandated on a duty of improving student performance, on the other hand counsellors are focused on mental health of these students essential to improve their academic, personal and career decision (Smith, & Lemberger, 2007). This creates a lot of bias to many principals who perceive counsellors as people who work with student to create skills that have a direct effects on how the school work and perform. From principals perspectives counsellors work does not does not give visible results, this lead them to assigning counsellors other duties(Moos & Johansson, 2011).
School counsellors see discipline as an opportunity to learn appropriat...