Counseling versus Noncounseling Duties: Examining the Past and Present in School Counseling.

This study reexamined published research on school counseling in Alabama to consider the ongoing issues with role ambiguity in the field. In addition, baseline data were collected to determine and to report the status of school counseling (i.e., in regard to counseling versus noncounseling activities and duties) after the implementation of the revised 2003 Alabama Comprehensive Counseling and Guidance State Model for Alabama’s Public Schools (State Plan) and the ASCA National Model ® (American School Counselor Association, 2003, 2005). Currently, Alabama school counselors experience the same challenges as counselors across the nation (i.e., increased diversity, a growing English Second Language (ESL) population, poverty, school and community violence, terrorism threats, education reform, standards-based testing). Even though school counseling concerns and problems have an ebb and flow, one issue that has been persistent over time has been role ambiguity. Because of the ambiguous origins of school counseling, many assigned responsibilities began as tasks for the convenience of others (e.g., administrators). Since the beginning of school counseling, written established guidelines for appropriate responsibilities have lagged behind and, consequently, many inappropriate duties have become entrenched as part of the school counselor’s identity. School Counseling Role Issues for Thirty Years in Alabama The issue of role ambiguity among Alabama school counselors has been raised by educators across Alabama through the decades (Anderson, 1983; Barron, 2002; Burnham & Jackson, 2000; Carrington, 1977; Cecil & Cecil, 1984; Cecil & Cobia, 1991; Cecil & Comas, 1985; Childress, Davis & Manning, 1986; Cooley, Johnson & McCullers, 1986; Jarrell, 1980, King, 2003; Manning, 1984; Mason, Dyal & Meadows, 1999; Parker, 1977). Overall, there is a consensus that Alabama school counselors have been assigned and have accepted inappropriate noncounseling duties for too long. Over 20 years ago, Cecil and Cecil (1984) pinpointed the problem as the “inability of school counselors to adopt a coherent role, free of unrelated quasiadministrative and clerical tasks” (p. 4). Unfortunately, Cecil and Cecil’s words are still relevant today. During the past three decades, at least 15 publications relating to the roles of school counselors have been conducted in Alabama (e.g., Anderson, 1983; Barron, 2002; Burnham & Jackson, 2000; Carrington, 1977; Cecil & Cecil, 1984; Cecil & Cobia, 1991; Cecil & Comas, 1985; Childress, Davis & Manning, 1986; Cooley, Johnson & Counseling Versus Noncounseling McCullers, 1986; Jarrell, 1980, Johnson, 1977; King, 2003; Manning, 1984; Mason, Dyal & Meadows, 1999; Parker, 1977). A few studies from each decade (i.e., 1970s to the twenty-first century) will be reexamined before considering the current status of school counseling in Alabama. It is the authors’ view that we need to learn from past issues, trends, and problems related specifically to school counseling roles in Alabama in order to have change and success in the future. Some issues from thirty years ago have been resolved; yet, some linger, as will be clear in the following review. The 1970s. Johnson (1977) examined the school counselor’s role as perceived by counselors, principals, and counselor educators and discussed the controversy related to counselors’ roles. Overall, findings suggested that counselors believed that they were more involved in administration than the principals contended and that the “ideal” counseling roles were not in full agreement with what principals assumed as “ideal. ” For example, school counselors hoped to decrease their scheduling and administrative duties, while principals had no reason to believe a decrease in such duties was needed. In another study that considered roles, Parker (1977) surveyed 145 Alabama elementary school counselors. The study identified typical activities performed, perceptions of identified activities, and influences on the counselor’s role. Counselors identified counseling, interpreting, and administering tests as appropriate functions. The inappropriate school counseling duties included such duties as substitute teaching, administering discipline, caring for ill students, and administrative work. In contrast to today’s school counseling perspective, Parker found that some counselors included facilitating teacher in-services and curriculum development as noncounseling duties in the study. Today, these duties are promoted by current counselor training guidelines as appropriate functions for school counselors. The example illustrates the impact of lingering influences on attitudes about appropriate and inappropriate duties (i.e., testing as appropriate; curriculum involvement as inappropriate). The 1980s. Numerous researchers conducted studies and discussed role ambiguity in school counseling in Alabama in the 1980s. For example, Cecil and Cecil (1984) stated that noncounseling duties “. diffuse professional identity and to prevent the accumulation of relevant program outcomes data that could support the continuation and expansion of school guidance programs. ” (p. 4), while Cecil and Comas (1985) noted the shortage of trained school counselors in Alabama. A year later, Childress, Davis, and Manning (1986) responded to results of a statewide survey of school superintendents by stating that the counselor’s role should be defined as going beyond the analysis of test results and placement of students in courses. Jarrell (1980) investigated perceptions of elementary school counselors, elementary principals, and counselor educators in Alabama concerning ideal and actual counseling, consulting, and coordinating functions of school counselors. Results indicated that the three groups differed, although, counselors and principals were closer in their views than either group was with counselor educators. Jarrell concluded that role functions varied among Alabama elementary schools as in other states and that elementary counselor training was not in step with actual demands of the position. The Alabama Counseling Association Journal, Volume 34, Number 1, Spring 2008 45 Counseling Ver us Noncounseling Counseling Versus Noncounseling The 1990s. In 1991, Cecil and Cobia discussed a major school counseling issue in Alabama. They reviewed the shortage of trained school counselors in Alabama and posited that the limited number of school counselors (Cecil & Comas, 1985) resulted in a number of emergency certificates granted to personnel who were not properly trained in school counseling functions. The authors concluded that this practice perpetuated further role confusion. In another study in the 1990s, Mason et al. (1999) considered what counseling functions were of most importance to secondary school counselors. The results showed that counselors believed that such services as “counseling, developmental/career guidance, evaluation and assessment, and program development” were most important, while “consulting and administrative duties” were of “least importance” to the school counselors (p. 8). This study made it clear that “secondary school counselors wanted a role grounded in counseling activities, rather than administrative tasks” (Mason et al., p. 8). The Twenty-First Century. Within the early years of the 21st century, three Alabama studies were published on role issues and perceptions. Even though the studies were different, each highlighted concern and confusion related to roles and services of Alabama school counselors. In a study of Alabama and Georgia school counselors, Burnham and Jackson (2000) reported typical daily activities that were subsequently compared with recommended activities from respected comprehensive school counseling programs. The results indicated that a majority of the counselors were overusing individual counseling, misusing small group counseling, guidance activities and consultation, and were overburdened with noncounseling activities and test coordination. Approximately onehalf of the respondents reported that between 13% and 40% of their time was dedicated to noncounseling duties, while 10% of counselors reported as much as 50% to 88% went to inappropriate activities. Two years later, Barron (2002) surveyed 428 school counselors in Alabama about their awareness of the 1996 Comprehensive Counseling and Guidance State Model for Alabama’s Public Schools and the extent to which they had implemented the State Plan. Of the 259 counselors who responded, 72% indicated they were implementing the standards, although the range varied from 40% to 90%. For example, only 41% of counselors reported being evaluated on duties associated with the 1996 State Plan, indicating that their actual duties varied from the ideal. Less than one-half (44%) indicated that 100% of their day was spent on State Plan activities. Barriers to implementation were identified as time constraints due to noncounseling responsibilities (89%) and lack of administrative support (41%). Barron concluded that successful implementation required the elimination of noncounseling duties. Barron also recommended future research into the relationship of the Alabama Professional Education Personnel Evaluation (PEPE) Program for Counselors (Alabama State Department of Education, 2002) and state guidelines for school counseling programs as outlined in the State Plan. The counselor version of PEPE is the document used for the evaluation of performance of Alabama school counselors and does not include indicators related to noncounseling activities. In another study, King (2003) explored the perceptions of Alabama counselors and principals about various school counselor The Alabama Counseling Association Journal, Volume 34, Number 1, Spring 2008 Counseling Versus Noncounseling 46 Counseling Versus Noncounseling activities. The results varied greatly. For example, 53% of counselors and 9% of principals reported that counselors were assigned no