Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

This study aimed to develop and validate the ASCA-Informed Student Needs Assessment—High School Version, an ASCA-informed and practitioner-friendly instrument that high school counselors can administer to students to identify pressing student needs. The results revealed a four-factor model consisting of the following dimensions: (a) school connectedness and prosocial skills, (b) social/emotional support, (c) academic and career development, and (d) relationships and emotional regulation. The study’s findings suggest suitable reliability and validity. This article discusses implications and areas for future research.

Keywords

data high school instrument needs assessment

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Ahnert

Milatz

Kappler

Schneiderwind

Fischer

(2013). The impact of teacher-child relationships on child cognitive performance as explored by a priming paradigm. Developmental Psychology, 49(3), 554–567. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0031283.

Alam

M. M.

(2013). A study of test anxiety, self-esteem and academic performance among adolescents. IUP Journal of Organizational Behavior, 12(4), 33–43. https://ssrn.com/abstract=2458799.

American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). American Psychiatric Association.

American School Counselor Association (2016a). ASCA ethical standards for school counselors. American School Counselor Association. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/f041cbd0-7004-47a5-ba01-3a5d657c6743/Ethical-Standards.pdf.

American School Counselor Association (2016b). The school counselor and trauma-informed practice. ASCA position statements. American School Counselor Association. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/Standards-Positions/Position-Statements/ASCA-Position-Statements/The-School-Counselor-and-Trauma-Informed-Practice.

American School Counselor Association (2017a). The school counselor and academic development. ASCA position statements. American School Counselor Association. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/Standards-Positions/Position-Statements/ASCA-Position-Statements/The-School-Counselor-and-Academic-Development.

American School Counselor Association (2017b). The school counselor and career development. ASCA position statements. American School Counselor Association. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/Standards-Positions/Position-Statements/ASCA-Position-Statements/The-School-Counselor-and-Career-Development.

American School Counselor Association (2017c). The school counselor and high-stakes testing. ASCA position statements. American School Counselor Association. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/Standards-Positions/Position-Statements/ASCA-Position-Statements/The-School-Counselor-and-High-Stakes-Testing.

American School Counselor Association (2017d). The school counselor and social/emotional development. ASCA position statements. American School Counselor Association. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/Standards-Positions/Position-Statements/ASCA-Position-Statements/The-School-Counselor-and-Social-Emotional-Developm.

10.

American School Counselor Association (2019b). The essential role of high school counselors. American School Counselor Association. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/2a38ea99-5595-4e6d-b9af-2ac3a00fa8c3/Why-High-School.pdf.

11.

American School Counselor Association (2019a). ASCA national model: A framework for school counseling programs (4th ed.). American School Counselor Association.

12.

American School Counselor Association (2020). The school counselor and student mental healthASCA position statements. American School Counselor Association. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/Standards-Positions/Position-Statements/ASCA-Position-Statements/The-School-Counselor-and-Student-Mental-Health.

13.

American School Counselor Association (2021). ASCA student standards: Mindsets & behaviors for student success: K-12 college-, career- and life-readiness standards for every student. American School Counselor Association. https://schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/7428a787-a452-4abb-afec-d78ec77870cd/Mindsets-Behaviors.pdf.

14.

Amrai

Motlagh

S. E.

Zalani

H. A.

Parhon

(2011). The relationship between academic motivation and academic achievement students. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 15, 399–402. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.03.111.

15.

Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (2016). ESSA and accountability. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. https://files.ascd.org/staticfiles/ascd/pdf/siteASCD/policy/ESSA-Accountability-FAQ_May112016.pdf.

16.

Astramovich

Coker

Hoskins

(2005). Training school counselors in program evaluation. Professional School Counseling, 9(1), 49–54. https://doi.org/10.1177/2156759X0500900102.

17.

Astramovich

R. L.

Hoskins

W. J.

Coker

J. K.

(2013). Organizing and evaluating data-driven school counseling programs (2nd ed.). Kendall Hunt.

18.

Bardhoshi

Swanston

Kivlighan

D. M.

(2020). Social–behavioral stories in the kindergarten classroom: An app-based counseling intervention for increasing social skills. Professional School Counseling, 23(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/2156759X20919374.

19.

Bear

G. G.

Gaskins

Blank

Chen

F. F.

(2011). Delaware School Climate Survey-Student: Its factor structure, concurrent validity, and reliability. Journal of School Psychology, 49(2), 157–174. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2011.01.001.

20.

Beavers

A. A.

Lounsbury

J. W.

Richards

J. K.

Huck

S. W.

Skolits

G. J.

Esquivel

S. L.

(2013). Practical considerations for using exploratory factor analysis in educational research. Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation, 18(5/6), 1–13. https://doi.org10.7275/qv2q-rk76.

21.

Bemak

Willians

Chung

R. C.-Y.

(2014). Four critical domains of accountability for school counselors. Professional School Counseling, 18(1), 100–110. https://doi.org/10.1177/2156759X0001800101.

22.

Blum

R. W.

Libbey

H. P.

(2004). Executive summary. The Journal of School Health, 74(7), 231–232. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1746-1561.2004.tb08278.x.

23.

Boulden

(2021). Developing 21st-century skills through restorative practices. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 94(5), 205–215. https://doi.org/10.1080/00098655.2021.1915740.

24.

Boulden

Stone

Ali Raisa

(2021). Supporting the College and Career Needs of Gifted and Talented Learners in Rural Elementary Schools: Strategies for School Counselors. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 94(5), 223–235. https://doi.org/10.1080/00098655.2021.1939248.

25.

Bradshaw

C. P.

Waasdorp

T. E.

Debnam

K. J.

Johnson

S. L.

(2014). Measuring school climate in high schools: A focus on safety, engagement, and the environment. The Journal of School Health, 84(9), 593–604. https://doi.org10.1111/josh.12186.

26.

Bryan

Farmer-Hinton

Rawls

Woods

C. S.

(2017). Social capital and college-going culture in high schools: The effects of college expectations and college talk on students’ postsecondary attendance. Professional School Counseling, 21(1), 95–107. https://doi.org10.5330/1096-2409-21.1.95.

27.

Buss

K. A.

Davis

E. L.

Kiel

E. J.

Brooker

R. J.

Beekman

Early

M. C.

(2013). Dysregulated fear predicts social wariness and social anxiety symptoms during kindergarten. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 42(5), 603–616. https://doi.org10.1080/15374416.2013.769170.

28.

Campbell

Anderson

C. M.

(2011). Check-in/check-out: A systematic evaluation and component analysis. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 44(2), 315–326. https://doi.org/10.1901/jaba.2011.44-315.

29.

Carey

Dimmitt

Hatch

Lapan

Whiston

(2008). Report of the national panel for evidence-based school counseling: Outcome research coding protocol and evaluation of Student Success Skills and Second Step. Professional School Counseling, 11(3), 197–206. https://doi.org/10.1177/2156759X0801100306.

30.

CDC . (2021a). Facts about suicide. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/facts/index.html.

31.

Center for Disease Control and Prevention . (n.d.). Youth behavior survey: Data suary & trends report 20098-2019. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/YRBSDataSummaryTrendsReport2019-508.pdf.

32.

Center for Promise (2015). Don’t quit on me: What young people who left school say about the power of relationships. America’s Promise Alliance.

33.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . (2021b). Data and statistics on children’s mental health. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/data.html.

34.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2009). School connectedness: Strategies for increasing protective factors among youth. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/protective/pdf/connectedness.pdf.

35.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2018a). Mental health in the workplace. https://www.cdc.gov/workplacehealthpromotion/tools-resources/pdfs/WHRC-Mental-Health-and-Stress-in-the-Workplac-Issue-Brief-H.pdf.

36.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2018b). School connectedness. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/protective/school_connectedness.htm.

37.

Cole

P. M.

(2014). Moving ahead in the study of the development of emotion regulation. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 38(2), 203–207. https://doi.org/10.1177/0165025414522170.

38.

Colston

Thomas

Ley

M. T.

Ivey

Utley

(2017). Collaborating for Early‐Age Career Awareness: A Comparison of Three Instructional Formats. Journal of Engineering Education, 106(2), 326–344. https://doi.org/10.1002/jee.20166.

39.

Compare

Zarbo

Shonin

Van Gordon

Marconi

(2014). Emotional regulation and depression: A potential mediator between heart and mind. Cardiovascular Psychiatry and Neurology, 2014(324274), 324374. https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/324374.

40.

Cortina

J. M.

(1993). What is coefficient alpha? An examination of theory and applications. Journal of Applied Psychology, 78(1), 98–104. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.78.1.98.

41.

Dahir

C. A.

(2020). Closing the gap to postsecondary success: A high school and university partnership. Professional School Counseling, 23(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/2156759X19899180. (part 2).

42.

Djambazova-Popordanoska

(2016). Implications of emotion regulation on young children's emotional wellbeing and educational achievement. Educational Review, 68(4), 497–515. https://doi.org10.1080/00131911.2016.1144559.

43.

Eisenberg

Sulik

M. J.

(2012). Emotion-related self-regulation in children. Teaching of Psychology, 39(1), 77–83. https://doi.org/10.1177/0098628311430172.

44.

Erford

B. T.

(Ed) (2016). Professional school counseling: A handbook of theories, programs, and practices. PRO-, ED.

45.

Ernestus

S. M.

Prelow

H. M.

Ramrattan

M. E.

Wilson

S. A.

(2014). Self-system processes as a mediator of school connectedness and depressive symptomatology in African American and European American adolescents. School Mental Health, 6(3), 175–183. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-014-9122-z.

46.

Ford

Parker

Salim

Goodman

Logan

Henley

(2018). The relationship between exclusion from school and mental health: A secondary analysis of the British child and adolescent mental health surveys 2004 and 2007. Psychological Medicine, 48(4), 629–641. https://doi.org/10.1017/S003329171700215X.

47.

Fuller

E. J.

Hollingworth

Pendola

(2017). The Every Student Succeeds Act, state efforts to improve access to effective educators, and the importance of school leadership. Educational Administration Quarterly, 53(5), 727–756. https://doi.org10.1177/0013161X17711481.

48.

Furlong

M. J.

You

Renshaw

T. L.

Smith

D. C.

O’Malley

M. D.

(2014). Preliminary development and validation of the Social and Emotional Health Survey for secondary school students. Social Indicators Research, 117(3), 1011–1032. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-013-0373-0.

49.

Gibson

E. M.

Sandifer

M. C.

Bedford

(2019). A sense of mattering: A group intervention for African American boys. Professional School Counseling, 22(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/2156759X19867336.

50.

Gysbers

N. C.

(2010). School counseling principles: Remembering the past, shaping the future: A history of school counseling. American School Counselor Association.

51.

Hahn

Chattopadhyay

(2019). Linking studies to assess the life expectancy associated with eighth grade school achievement. Preventive Medicine Reports, 16(2019), 100980–100985. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2019.100980.

52.

Hatch

(2014). The use of data in school counseling: Hatching results for students, programs, and the profession. Corwin.

53.

Hawken

L. S.

Horner

R. H.

(2003). Evaluation of a targeted intervention within a schoolwide system of behavior support. Journal of Behavioral Education, 12(3), 225–240. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025512411930.

54.

Henry

K. L.

Knight

K. E.

Thornberry

T. P.

(2012). School disengagement as a predictor of dropout, delinquency, and problem substance use during adolescence and early adulthood. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 41(2012), 156–166. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-011-9665-3.

55.

Hjorth

Bilgrav

Frandsen

Overgaard

Torp-Pedersen

Nielsen

Bøggild

(2016). Mental health and school dropout across educational levels and genders: A 4.8-year follow-up study. BMC Public Health, 16(1), 976–1012. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-016-3622-8.

56.

Holcomb-McCoy

Gonzalez

Johnston

(2009). School counselor dispositions as predictors of data usage. Professional School Counseling, 12(5), 343–351. https://doi.org/10.1177/2156759X0901200504.

57.

Horn

J. L.

(1965). A rationale and test for the number of factors in factor analysis. Psychometrika, 30(2), 179–185. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02289447.

58.

Jones

S. M.

Bailey

Barnes

S. P.

Partee

(2016). Executive function mapping project: Untangling the terms and skills related to executive function and self-regulation in early childhood (OPRE Report # 2016-88). Office of planning, research and evaluation, administration for children and families. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

59.

Kaffenberger

Young

(2013). Making data work (3rd ed.). American School Counselor Association.

60.

Kahn

J. H.

(2006). Factor Analysis in Counseling Psychology Research, Training, and Practice. The Counseling Psychologist, 34(5), 684–718. https://doi.org10.1177/0011000006286347.

61.

Kamrath

Brooker

(2017). Improved attitude and achievement: A case study of an elementary school academic advisement intervention. Professional School Counseling, 21(1), 60–69. https://doi.org/10.5330/1096-2409-21.1.60.

62.

Kerns

K. A.

Brumariu

L. E.

(2014). Is insecure parent-child attachment a risk factor for the development of anxiety in childhood or adolescence? Child Development Perspectives, 8(1), 12–17. https://doi.org10.1111/cdep.12054.

63.

Kessler

R. C.

Berglund

Demler

Jin

Merikangas

K. R.

Walters

E. E.

(2005). Lifetime prevalence and age-of-onset distributions of DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Archives of General Psychiatry, 62(6), 593–602. https://doi.org10.1001/archpsyc.62.6.593.

64.

Kiel

E. J.

Buss

K. A.

(2014). Dysregulated Fear in Toddlerhood Predicts Kindergarten Social Withdrawal through Protective Parenting. Infant and Child Development, 23(3), 304–313. https://doi.org10.1002/icd.1855.

65.

Kiel

E. J.

Kalomiris

A. E.

(2015). Current themes in understanding children's emotion regulation as developing from within the parent-child relationship. Current Opinion in Psychology, 3, 11–16. https://doi.org/10.106/j.copsyc.2015.01.006.

66.

Kopp

C. B.

(1989). Regulation of distress and negative emotions: A developmental view. Developmental Psychology, 25(3), 343–354. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.25.3.343.

67.

Kopp

C. B.

Neufeld

S. J.

(2003). Emotional development during infancy. In Davidson

Scherer

K. R.

Goldsmith

H. H.

(Eds), Handbook of affective sciences (pp. 347–374). Oxford University.

68.

Kullik

Petermann

(2013). Attachment to parents and peers as a risk factor for adolescent depressive disorders: The mediating role of emotion regulation. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 44, 537–548. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-012-0347-5.

69.

Lawrence

Dawson

Houghton

Goodsell

Sawyer

M. G.

(2019). Impact of mental disorders on attendance at school. Australian Journal of Education, 63(1), 5–21. https://doi.org/10.1177/0004944118823576.

70.

Lopes

P. N.

Mestre

J. M.

Guil

Kremenitzer

J. P.

Salovey

(2012). The Role of Knowledge and Skills for Managing Emotions in Adaptation to School. American Educational Research Journal, 49(4), 710–742. https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831212443077.

71.

Mayo Clinic (2018). Self-injury/cutting. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/self-injury/symptoms-causes/syc-20350950.

72.

McFarland

Murray

Phillipson

(2016). Student-teacher relationships and student self-concept: Relations with teacher and student gender. Australian Journal of Education, 60(1), 5–25. https://doi.org/10.1177/0004944115626426.

73.

McLaughlin

K. A.

Hatzenbuehler

M. L.

Mennin

D. S.

Nolen-Hoeksema

(2011). Emotion dysregulation and adolescent psychopathology: A prospective study. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 49(9), 544–554. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2011.06.003.

74.

Mental Health America (2020). Addressing the youth mental health crisis: The urgent need for more education, services, and supports. Mental Health America. https://mhanational.org/sites/default/files/FINAL%20MHA%20Report%20-%20Addressing%20Youth%20Mental%20Health%20Crisis%20-%20July%202021.pdf.

75.

Mestre

Núñez-Lozano

Gómez-Molinero

Zayas

Guil

(2017). Emotion regulation ability and resilience in a sample of adolescents from a suburban area. Frontiers in Psychology, 8(2017), 1980–2013. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01980.

76.

Millings

Buck

Montgomery

Spears

Stallard

(2012). School connectedness, peer attachment, and self-esteem as predictors of adolescent depression. Journal of Adolescence, 35(4), 1061–1067. https://doi.org10.1016/j.adolescence.2012.02.015.

77.

Mvududu

N. H.

Sink

C. A.

(2013). Factor analysis in counseling research and practice. Counseling Outcome Research and Evaluation, 4(2), 75–98. https://doi.org/10.1177/2150137813494766.

78.

National Council for Mental Wellbeing (n.d.). Mental health first aid for youth. https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/population-focused-modules/youth/.

79.

Nguyen

D. T.

Wright

E. P.

Dedding

Pham

T. T.

Bunders

(2019). Low self-esteem and its association with anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation in Vietnamese secondary school students: A cross-sectional study. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 10, 698. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00698.

80.

No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (2002), Pub. L. No. 107-110, § 115, Stat. 1425.

81.

Perdrix

Stauffer

Masdonati

Massoudi

Rossier

(2012). Effectiveness of career counseling: A one-year follow-up. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 80(2), 565–578. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2011.08.011.

82.

Perera-Diltz

D. M.

Mason

K. L.

(2010). An exploration of accountability practices of school counselors: A national study. Journal of Professional Counseling: Practice, Theory & Research, 38(1), 52–70. https://doi.org/10.1080/15566382.2010.12033866.

83.

Portilla

Ballard

Adler

Boyce

Obradović

(2014). An integrative view of school functioning: Transactions between self-regulation, school engagement, and teacher-child relationship quality. Child Development, 85(5), 1915–1931. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12259.

84.

Poynton

T. A.

Lapan

R. T.

(2017). Aspirations, Achievement, and School Counselors' Impact on the College Transition. Journal of Counseling & Development, 95(4), 369–377. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcad.12152.

85.

Rumsey

A. D.

Milsom

(2019). Supporting school engagement and high school completion through trauma-informed school counseling. Professional School Counseling, 22(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/2156759X19867254.

86.

Salinas

K. Z.

Venta

(2021). Testing the role of emotion dysregulation as a predictor of juvenile recidivism. European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education, 11(1), 83–95. https://doi.org/10.3390/ejihpe11010007.

87.

Sanders

Lane

J. J.

Losinski

Nelson

Asiri

Holloway

S. M.

Rogers

(2019). An implementation of a computerized cognitive behavioral treatment program to address student mental health needs: A pilot study in an after-school program. Professional School Counseling, 22(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/2156759X19838462.

88.

Shi

Goings

(2018). What do African American ninth graders discuss during individual school counseling sessions? A national study. Professional School Counseling, 21(1). https://doi.org10.2307/90023536.

89.

Siener

Kerns

K. A.

(2012). Emotion regulation and depressive symptoms in preadolescence. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 43(3), 414–430. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-011-0274-x.

90.

Sink

C. A.

Adkins

Cooney

Garverick

(2019). An exploratory study of online software to support accountability practices. Professional School Counseling, 22(1b). https://doi.org/10.1177/2156759X19834443.

91.

Stewart

Wall

Marciniec

(2016). Mixed signals: Do college graduates have the soft skills that employers want? Competition Forum, 14(2), 276–282.

92.

Todd

A. W.

Campbell

A. L.

Meyer

G. G.

Horner

R. H.

(2008). The effects of a targeted intervention to reduce problem behaviors. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 10(1), 46–55. https://doi.org/10.1177/1098300707311369.

93.

Topdemir

C. M.

(2013). School counselors’ beliefs about accountability. The Practitioner Scholar: Journal of Counseling and Professional Psychology, 2(1), 12–22. https://thepractitionerscholar.com/article/view/10899/7823.

94.

Troop-Gordon

Kuntz

K. J.

(2013). The unique and interactive contributions of peer victimization and teacher-child relationships to children's school adjustment. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 41(8), 1191–1202. https://doi.org10.1007/s10802-013-9776-2.

95.

Understood . (n.d.). Trouble with self-regulation: What you need to know. https://www.understood.org/articles/en/trouble-with-self-regulation-what-you-need-to-know

96.

U.S. Department of Education (2010). Office of planning, evaluation, and PolicyESEA blueprint for reform. U.S. Department of Education. http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/blueprint/blueprint.pdf.

97.

U.S. Department of Education (2012). The condition of education 2012 (NCES 2012-045). U.S. Department of Education. http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=16.

98.

Volungis

A. M.

Goodman

(2017). School violence prevention: Teachers establishing relationships with students using counseling strategies. SAGE Open, 7(1), 1–11. https://doi.org10.1177/2158244017700460.

99.

Walston

Redford

Bhatt

M. P.

(2017). Workshop on survey methods in education research: Facilitator’s guide and resources (REL 2017–214). U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Regional Educational Laboratory Midwest. http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs.

100.

Whitaker

Shapiro

V. B.

Shields

J. P.

(2016). School-based protective factors related to suicide for lesbian, gay, and bisexual adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Health, 58(1), 63–68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2015.09.008.

101.

Whitney

D. G.

Peterson

M. D.

(2019). US national and state-level prevalence of mental health disorders and disparities of mental health care use in children. JAMA Pediatrics, 173(4), 389–391. https://doi.org10.1001/jamapediatrics.2018.5399.

102.

Young

Kaffenberger

(2011). The beliefs and practices of school counselors who use data to implement comprehensive school counseling programs. Professional School Counseling, 15(2), 67–76. https://doi.org/10.1177/2156759X1101500204.

Initial Validation of the ASCA-Informed Student Needs Assessment—High School Version

Abstract

Keywords

Get full access to this article

References