The extant literature documents the importance of school counselors’ roles in school–family–community partnerships, yet no model exists to guide school counselors through the process of building partnerships. The authors propose a model to help school counselors navigate the process and principles of partnerships. They define partnerships; discuss the principles of democratic collaboration, empowerment, social justice, and strengths focus that should infuse partnerships; enumerate a partnership process model; and discuss implications for practice and research.
When school counselors team and collaborate with school personnel, families, and community members to foster strengths-based partnerships, they are able to implement classroom, schoolwide, and community-based programs and interventions that support and empower children and families. Strengths-based partnerships utilize the assets found in schools, families, and communities to create strengths-enhancing environments, promote caring and positive adult-child relationships, strengthen children's social support networks, foster academic success, and empower children with a sense of purpose. This article describes a case example of a strengths-based approach to school-family-community partnerships that a school counselor in a Title I elementary school is implementing to empower low-income children and families of color.
School counselors play critical roles in partnerships with faith-based organizations that provide valuable programs for students with economic challenges. This study evaluated the effects of a counselor-led, faith-based, school-family-community partnership on student reading achievement in a high-poverty elementary school. Results indicated significantly higher reading gains for 3rd-through 5th-grade students when compared with a control school without the partnership. Students in adopted classrooms experienced higher reading gains than did comparison samples. Gaps in reading achievement were closed between mentored and nonmentored students.Los consejeros escolares juegan un papel crítico en las colaboraciones con organizaciones de carácter religioso que proporcionan programas valiosos para estudiantes con dificultades económicas. Este estudio evaluó los efectos de una colaboración de carácter religioso, dirigida por un consejero, entre escuelafamilia-comunidad, enfocada en el desarrollo de la lectura en una escuela primaria con niveles altos de pobreza. Los resultados indicaron unos logros en lectura significativamente más altos en estudiantes de 3° a 5° grado comparados con los de una escuela de control sin esta colaboración. Los estudiantes en las clases que adoptaron la colaboración experimentaron unos mayores logros en lectura que las muestras de comparación. Las brechas en los logros de lectura se cerraron entre estudiantes que recibieron mentorización y estudiantes sin mentorización.
This article discusses school counselors’ multifaceted role as educator–counselor–leader–collaborator, inextricably linked roles so necessary to build strengths-based school–family–community partnerships. We examined the effects of one such partnership on 20 elementary school students, using photo elicitation and interviews to explore students’ satisfactions and experiences about the Just Love partnership. Thematic analysis of the data revealed six categories: (a) perceptions of Just Love, (b) positive feelings, (c) positive relationships and connectedness, (d) classroom and school climate, (e) experiences, and (f) support and resources. Each category comprised themes aligned with protective factors and developmental assets that help students thrive.
This article examines the challenges faced by nontraditional college students who are coparents as a result of divorce. The need for college counseling centers to have counseling options designed to assist this special population in successfully completing their academic pursuits is presented. Conflict resolution techniques based on the Parenting Coordination model are offered to help these students deal with the challenges of coparenting responsibilities.
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