Accountability Practices of School Counselors

Abstract

The purpose of this dissertation was to examine the extent to which school counselors in Alabama are engaged in accountability practices consistent with the ASCA National Model and other contemporary views of the school counselors’ roles and responsibilities. This study includes a sample of 420 professional school counselors. Participants completed the School Counselor Accountability Practices Questionnaire (SCAPQ). A cross sectional survey design was used to examine how school counselors are collecting, analyzing, and using achievement and achievement related data, what data driven initiatives school counselors in Alabama are implementing, and what assistance school counselors in Alabama need to analyze, collect, and share accountability data about their school counseling programs. v Results indicate that most professional school counselors (59%) do not participate in accountability activities. Additionally, the open-ended responses offers information about data driven initiatives school counselors in Alabama are implementing and what assistance counselors in Alabama need to analyze, collect, and share accountability about their school counseling programs. Implications for the findings are discussed, along with recommendations for future research in school counseling.