School Counselors' Time: Where Does It Go?.

Abstract

Do counselors really have to Since the beginning of do any counseling? is asked frequently counseling, the role and function of the by prospective counseling students. counselor have been examined, Parents, teachers, students, and adcritiqued, debated, and reexamined ministrators are heard to comment that (Podemski & Childers, 1987; Wilgus and counselors spend most of their Shelley, 1988). All of this discourse has yet scheduling, testing, and shuffling papers. to result in a clear consensus on the In an era of increased demand for accountcounselor's role or function. In comparing ability, boards, administrators, and counselors', teachers', and principals' state legislatures want assurance that ratings of ideal and actual roles of coun resources are being used wisely in acselors,Suzan (1979) found a significant dif tivities that will make a difference. The ference between what counselors actually concern that counselors must devote large do and what they perceive as their ideal amounts of to noncounseling funcroles, but principals saw little inconsisten tions has led several state legislatures to Cy between the counselors' actual and mandate a minimum percentage (typically ideal activities. Research by Bonebrake 60% to 75%) of counselors' to and Bergers (1984) revealed little disagree be devoted to direct student services. For ment between eiementary counselors and example, legislation enacted by the state inci ls as to the d of emphasis of Florida specifies that school counselors that should be laœd Qn 15 different CQun_ shall spend at least 75% of work , .. ... c , /mo? j r> . _.r . , selor activities. Saeedpour (1986) and Par providing direct counseling related to stu.. /innm r j . .,. .j , , „ , ° tin (1990) found no significant differences dents, and shall devote not more than 25% u . . . , , , . . , . . . ... between principals and counselors on of work to administrative activities. .tl . , , , . . m j j ,i , , _. • ■ • i L L Lv either ideal or actual counselor roles, provided that such activities relate to the ^ . i i ,, i , . j • // /T-i • j Counselors are seldom able to completely provision of guidance services (Florida . . . , ,, f State Legislature, 1987). SPend ,their Ume as ^ would Prfefer ^ . «.v_ • ^ £ Barry (1984) reported that 58% of the Recognizing the importance of , , f . ., . , f ». y, i / ..i secondary counselors said they do safeguarding the counselor s time, the , . y1 tJ1 a o ? i /i a . L, develop class schedules, but only 26% American School Counselor Association s ... r. . , , , . J role statement (ASCA, 1981) stipulates that bell6Ved they should d° S0 Kameen' it is the counselor's responsibility to the profession to use time and skills in an