School Counselors' Professional Development Needs for Preparing Diverse Learners for College

School Counselors’ Professional Development Needs for Preparing Diverse Learners for College by Natalie White MS, Texas A&M University-Commerce, 2008 BS, Texas A&M University-Commerce, 2002 Project Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education Walden University October 2019 Abstract Prevalent literature about school counselors’ professional development (PD) needs to prepare diverse learners for college is in short supply. Simultaneously, school counselors oftentimes encounter role confusion due to misperceptions of their job responsibilities by educational leaders. This discrepancy has led to the completion of noncounseling assignments, thus prohibiting counselors in this study from appropriate training and adhering to college readiness mandates for all students. This study explored high school counselors’ attitudes about their PD needs to prepare diverse students for college in an urban populated school district located in southern Texas. The conceptual framework that guided this study defines school counselors’ motivation to improve college access for diverse students when counselors learn information that is practical to their job activities. A qualitative case study was used to answer the question of how counselors perceive their PD needs to prepare diverse learners for college. Data were collected from 8 high school counselors through semistructured interviews and documents of counselors’ PD profiles that were analyzed and coded to develop themes. Results established that participants had not received PD about college readiness, and they had not taken the initiative to advocate this need for themselves. Notably, counselors in the study indicated that developing a professional learning community with local colleges would be an effective approach to their professional growth. Although this study immediately benefits counselors in the participating school district, this study also provides information that may expand college enrollment for diverse students. Findings from this study not only will help close the gap between diverse students and their counterparts, but findings from this study may also help enhance PD for school counselors in surrounding school districts.Prevalent literature about school counselors’ professional development (PD) needs to prepare diverse learners for college is in short supply. Simultaneously, school counselors oftentimes encounter role confusion due to misperceptions of their job responsibilities by educational leaders. This discrepancy has led to the completion of noncounseling assignments, thus prohibiting counselors in this study from appropriate training and adhering to college readiness mandates for all students. This study explored high school counselors’ attitudes about their PD needs to prepare diverse students for college in an urban populated school district located in southern Texas. The conceptual framework that guided this study defines school counselors’ motivation to improve college access for diverse students when counselors learn information that is practical to their job activities. A qualitative case study was used to answer the question of how counselors perceive their PD needs to prepare diverse learners for college. Data were collected from 8 high school counselors through semistructured interviews and documents of counselors’ PD profiles that were analyzed and coded to develop themes. Results established that participants had not received PD about college readiness, and they had not taken the initiative to advocate this need for themselves. Notably, counselors in the study indicated that developing a professional learning community with local colleges would be an effective approach to their professional growth. Although this study immediately benefits counselors in the participating school district, this study also provides information that may expand college enrollment for diverse students. Findings from this study not only will help close the gap between diverse students and their counterparts, but findings from this study may also help enhance PD for school counselors in surrounding school districts. School Counselors’ Professional Development Needs for Preparing Diverse Learners for College by Natalie White MS, Texas A&M University-Commerce, 2008 BS, Texas A&M University-Commerce, 2002 Project Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education Walden University October 2019 Dedication This project study is dedicated to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ; you are the one who gave me the strength and courage to keep going. Without you Lord, this study would not have been possible. This study is also dedicated to the memory of my father, the late Reverend James C. White, a prayer warrior who exemplified the word “fighter”. My father fought a good fight, finished his course, and he kept the faith (2 Timothy 4:7). By my father’s example, I was empowered to fight through long hours of research and finish this study. It is my desire to stay driven and strive for excellence through continuous learning. Acknowledgements I would like to thank my closest friend, Sabrina Jordan, for believing in me and sending me encouraging words throughout my day. Your warm felt words and calls to tell me to “break away” for a minute, gave me the extra push I needed to recharge and continue writing. I would also like to thank my mother, Mae Lois White, for instilling in me the importance of education. You have modeled what it means to love education through 48 years of teaching. I cannot believe you are still in the classroom shining your light. You are a true example of what it means to be an educator, one who has no fear of learning or teaching because you set high expectations for yourself and your students. I am grateful to work with supportive school counselors, and to have a supervisor, Valerie Mayad, who understood the importance of this study. I knew all of you were rooting for me. Thank you for your wiliness to contribute to this study with enthusiasm. Finally, I would like to thank my committee chair, committee member, and URR, Dr. Joanna Karet, Dr. Earl Thomas, and Dr. Dimitrios Vlachopoulos, for listening to my concerns and giving me suggestions on how to enhance my study.