Outcomes Research on
School Counseling
Interventions and Programs
CHAPTER 6
Introduction
 Although
professional school counselors may
believe certain approaches are effective, others,
such as school board members, administrators,
parents, and legislators, want documented
evidence of the effectiveness of school
counseling.
 Many
of these individuals not only want confirmation
that school counseling services are beneficial to
students, but also that these services are cost
effective.
Introduction
 The
U.S. Department of Education made it a
goal to transform education into an
evidence-based field.
 Outcome research in professional school
counseling analyzes whether school
counseling programs or components of a
program result in positive outcomes for
students.
Introduction
 Counselors
are ethically bound to provide
effective services to their clients, and
without thorough knowledge of the
research, counselors will not know what has
been shown to be the “best.”
Is Professional School Counseling
Effective?




School counseling outcomes research is generally based on
qualitative reviews and meta-analytic techniques.
Results from qualitative reviews are generally supportive about
the effectiveness of school counseling.
 Substantial impact on educational and personal development.
If results from meta-analytic results are coalesced there is
support that school counseling interventions are moderately to
highly effective.
Results from both qualitative and meta-analytic techniques are
based on a limited number of studies.
Which students benefit from school
counseling interventions?



Effectiveness of school counseling at different school levels is
somewhat mixed and is probably related to differences in
interventions used at different levels.
Who uses school-based counseling services most often?
 African American students
 Students who display early onset mental health and
educational problems
 Students who possess externalizing or educational difficulties
African American males were more likely to seek school
counseling to help with academic achievement than White
students.
Which students benefit?
 It
is less important to figure out who
benefits than how professional school
counselors can deliver a school counseling
program effectively to all students.
What Are Effective Methods for Delivering
School Counseling Programs?
 Professional
school counselors must
implement a comprehensive school
counseling program for all students that is a
systematic component of the larger school’s
purpose and mission.
School Counseling Core Curriculum
 Although
much of the research is on
elementary guidance curriculum, it seems
middle school students benefited most from
guidance curriculum offerings with an effect
size of .46.
 High school students benefited with an effect
size of .39.
 Elementary students benefited with an effect
size of .31.
School Counseling Core Curriculum
Elementary counselors primarily used the guidance
curriculum to address personal/affective needs.
 Elementary guidance lessons which focused on
improving self-esteem and self-concept had limited
impact on students’ self-esteem.
 Schlossberg, Morris, and Lieberman (2001) found that
counselor-led, developmental guidance units
presented in 9th grade classrooms have the potential
to improve students' expressed behavior and general
school attitudes, while also addressing student
developmental needs.

Individual Student Planning
 Only
10 studies of individual planning have
been conducted, mostly with high school
students.
 Overall
weighted effect size was statistically
significant.
 Professional
school counselors often design
individual planning around educational and
career/vocational planning.
Individual Student Planning
Parents and students indicate that they would like
more emphasis on career guidance and development
activities.
 Meta-analyses differ somewhat on the degree to
which career interventions are effective.

 The
first meta-analysis (Oliver & Spokane, 1988) indicated
career interventions were highly effective, whereas the
meta-analysis of more current research (Whiston et al.,
1998) found career interventions to be moderately
effective.
Individual Student Planning

A recent study found that “counselor-free”
interventions are not effective, and interventions
that involve a counselor are significantly more
efficacious (Whiston, Brecheisen, & Stephens,
2003).

Whiston et al. (1998) found that career
interventions were more effective at the junior/high
middle school level than at the high school level.

Career development activities seem to be generally
effective.
Responsive Services

It seems elementary children, in particular, benefit
from responsive services.

Few findings have been conducted with
adolescents.
Individual and Group Counseling



Group interventions seemed to be more effective than
individual counseling, however few studies have been
conducted of the effectiveness of individual counseling in
schools.
Littrell, Malia, and Vanderwood (1995) concluded that three
approaches to brief individual counseling were effective
with secondary students.
In a meta-analysis of the effects of school-based programs
on aggressive behavior, Wilson, Lipsey, and Derson (2003)
found that behavioral counseling approaches showed the
largest effects.
Individual and Group Counseling

A substantial number of studies verified the
positive effects of group counseling interventions.

Support for group counseling was mostly found
with elementary students.

Much more research needs to be conducted with
secondary students.
Bullying and Violence Prevention
Programs



In recent studies of the Olweus Bullying Prevention
Program, Olweus (2005) found reductions in bullying
behavior which approached around 50%.
Some of the initial studies of the implementation of the
Bullybusters program found a 20% reduction in the number
of bullying incidents reported in the first year.
In a study of the effectiveness of the PeaceBuilders
program, Flannery et al. noted significantly higher ratings
of social competence among K-2 students who received the
intervention and moderately higher levels of social
competence for students receiving the intervention in
grades 3-5.
School- Based Alcohol and Drug Programs

The National Registry of Effective Prevention
Programs (NREPP) is a list of over 150 substance
abuse programs recommended by the Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Studies on school-based substance abuse prevention
programs have shown important criteria to include:
community components and peer leaders.
Suicide Prevention

Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death among
young people (NIMH, 2012)

Studies have shown that students who participate in
suicide prevention and intervention programs, such
as Signs of Suicide (SOS), to report 40% fewer suicide
attempts.

“Gatekeepers” trained in QPR reported a significant
increase (14%) in questioning youth about suicide.
Peer Mediation
Although many studies indicated that those who
participated in peer mediation programs have
substantial knowledge of the program, they did not
indicate the effectiveness on reducing conflict.
 Wilson et al. (2003) found that peer mediation
programs had a small impact on reducing aggressive
behavior.


There does not seem to be conclusive empirical
support for peer mediation programs.
Parent Education and Family Counseling
Many studies indicate that parent and educational
family counseling is extremely effective.
 There is some evidence that with low achieving and
underachieving students, the effectiveness of
counseling is significantly related to the amount of
parental involvement in the process.
 This is an important time for professional school
counselors to take a role in parent education and
family counseling.

System Support
 There
is growing empirical support for the
effectiveness of consultation activities.
 Consultation
can lead to more students
being referred for school counseling.
Does a Fully Implemented School Counseling
Program Make a Difference?


According to Lapan, Gysbers, and Sun (1997),students from
schools with more fully implemented programs were more
likely to report that:
 (a) they had earned higher grades;
 (b) their education better prepared them for the future;
 (c) they had more career and college information available
to them; and
 (d) their schools had a more positive environment.
Many other studies showed consistent results.
Does a Fully Implemented School Counseling
Program Make a Difference?
 Schools
with higher counselor-to-student ratios
were more likely to have higher numbers of
students with recurring disciplinary problems.
 There
is increasing research that demonstrates
that lower professional school counselor-tostudent ratios positively influence a number of
student outcomes.
Conclusion
 Reviews
of outcome research in professional
school counseling generally indicate that
school counseling activities have a positive
effect on students.
 More
research needs to be conducted about
the effectiveness of professional school
counseling.