“Doing Everything on My Own”: Examining African American, Latina/o, and Biracial Students’ Experiences With School Counselors in Promoting Academic and College Readiness

Abstract

We examined the high school experiences of 133 African American, Latina/o, and biracial college students through employing a mixed methods concurrent nested design, including survey analysis and qualitative content analysis, to identify themes and the extent school counselors provided assistance with promoting academic and college readiness. The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Model and Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies (MSJCC) were used as a conceptual framework to guide the study. Findings included the need for greater support from school counselors, to strengthen collaborative efforts across school community members and access to academic resources. Implications for counseling practice in urban schools are provided.

A Group Intervention for Prospective First-Generation College Students: Application With an Urban, African American Population

“…This sense of isolation and lack of support in the college application and preparatory process has been echoed by firstgeneration college students in prior studies (Cook et al, 2018;Hatfield & Falco, 2010). Consequently, these findings suggest the importance and effectiveness of small groups in fostering peer support for students as they apply for and prepare to enter college.…”

“…This study also highlights the value of school counselors teaching prospective first-generation college students how to identify and access college-going resources and respond to potential challenges and dilemmas common in academic settings for underrepresented youth (Cook et al, 2018;White, 2015). Beyond naming such resources, school counselors can overtly give youth permission to seek out those services and/or support systems and can model their own experiences in doing so as former college students.…”

“…Finally, a prospective first-generation college student group intervention, while promising in its potential for positive impacts, is in no way an adequate replacement for the important work necessary for all educators, school counselors included, in redressing the racial inequities embedded across America's educational systems (Cook et al, 2018). We also recognize that the bulk of the literature on first-generation college students has assumed a deficit or assimilationist perspective of these youth, rather than recognizing that the unique traits and experiences of first-generation students could serve to reshape more inclusive higher education policies and practices for all (Ives & Castillo-Montoya, 2020).…”

“…In spite of these directives, college preparatory supports are lacking for students most vulnerable to school dropout, including those who are the first in their family to graduate from college (Cook et al, 2018;Havlik et al, 2017). Defined as individuals whose parents did not complete a postsecondary education (Ishitani, 2006), first-generation college students encompass 34% (or three of 10) of all college attendees.…”

“…Operationalizing this directive, ASCA’s (2014) college- and career-readiness standards define the need to prepare all students for postsecondary opportunities by addressing their career, academic, and social/emotional development. In turn, scholars and national organizations alike have asserted the important role of school counselor collaboration across organizations to increase postsecondary attainment rates, particularly for underserved and underrepresented student populations (ASCA, 2017; Cook et al, 2018).…”