Publication Date

2004

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Tollerud, Toni R.||Wickman, Scott A.

Degree Name

Ed.D. (Doctor of Education)

Legacy Department

Department of Counseling, Adult and Higher Education

LCSH

Student counselors--Standards--Illinois--Attitudes

Abstract

This dissertation described Illinois secondary school counselors' perceptions and attitudes toward their new state standards and explained what Illinois professional secondary school counselors perceived they would need to design and implement comprehensive counseling programs representing the new state standards. This study was conducted in two phases, the second building on the first. In phase one, 102 professional secondary school counselors responded to a survey instrument. In phase two, eleven of the phase one participants participated in in-depth, structured interviews. Data analysis in both phases was conducted according to guidelines set forth for analyzing qualitative data in a phenomenological study. In phase one, the majority of professional secondary school counselors had a mixed or positive reaction to the standards. Participants who expressed a positive or mixed reaction had received their training within the past five years or had engaged in professional development activities. Conversely, participants who expressed a negative or neutral reaction had been in the field for over five years and had not participated in professional development. Concerns over administrator support and continued learning opportunities led to a change in attitude for a small number of participants. In phase two, school counselors with a positive attitude perceived the standards as having the potential to positively influence the role of the school counselor by helping to improve the professional identity of school counselors, and leading to more accurate measures of accountability and evaluation. School counselors believed standards would help move the school counseling program toward a more fully implemented comprehensive developmental counseling program and increase collaboration with fellow educators, parents, and community members. At the state level, school counselors believed standards would add credibility to the profession, help integrate school counseling into the educational system, garner administrative support, define school counselors' role, and move programs in a developmental direction. In order to design and implement comprehensive counseling programs representing the new state standards, school counselors perceived they would need administrative support, professional development opportunities, and financial backing.

Comments

Includes bibliographical references (pages [144]-152).

Extent

vi, 188 pages

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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