Framework of anti‐racist school counseling competencies: A Delphi study

Abstract

The current sociopolitical climate of the United States has heightened awareness around the need for school counselors to engage in anti‐racist practices in order to address racism within schools; however, there is a lack of guidance around anti‐racist counseling competency. The purpose of this Delphi research study was to develop an initial list of empirically based anti‐racist school counseling competencies to support school counseling professionals. An expert panel of school counselors, directors, and counselor educators reached a consensus on 180 items across 5 categories including specific aspects of awareness, attitudes, knowledge, characteristics, and behaviors needed to dismantle racism and promote equity in schools. Considerations for school counselors, supervisors, and counselor educators are discussed.

Examining Ecological Factors that Predict School Counselors’ Engagement in Leadership Practices

“…To approach leadership of their school counseling programs from a culturally informed, collaborative lens and to combat bias, oppression, and discrimination in schools, school counselors can employ a multitude of strategies. For example, school counselors can assess and adapt their school counseling program’s mission and vision statements to include explicit verbiage around antiracism and equity and to ensure that their program’s actions are grounded in such philosophies (Stickl Haugen et al, 2022). School counselors also can serve as cultural brokers and take steps to forge partnerships with families and community members so that their programmatic decision making is more closely aligned with the needs of the broader community, particularly those who are historically marginalized (Bryan et al, 2017).…”

Coregulation Effects of a School Counselor Consultation Intervention on Middle School Teacher–Student Relationships, Curiosity, and Teacher Stress

“…The school counseling literature has a burgeoning focus concerned with social justice practices (Holcomb-McCoy, 2022; Stickl Haugen et al, 2022). Social justice in schools includes, at least in part, how adult educators interface with students (Dover, 2009).…”

“…Negative teacher-student relationships can have enduring consequences for teachers and students. For teachers, negative relationships with students can compromise physical and psychological health, resulting in experiences of harmful stress and professional dissatisfaction (Spilt et al, 2011;von der Embse et al, 2016). For students, perceptions of supportive teachers are associated with various constructive classroom behaviors and academic performance (Frenzel et al, 2018;Tao et al, 2022), whereas negative perceptions of teachers are associated with a litany of deleterious outcomes in and beyond school (Rudasill et al, 2010).…”

Using an Antiracist Lens in School Counseling Research

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It is important for school counselors to learn more about antiracism and to incorporate antiracist concepts into their practice more consistently (Holcomb-McCoy, 2021;Mayes & Byrd, 2022;Stickl Haugen et al, 2022). Operating from a critical political standpoint perspective (Cushman, 1995;Prilleltensky, 1994), namely, critical race theory (CRT), we offer a conceptual framework for helping school counselors and counselor educators develop an antiracist lens that guides and informs their research agendas and researchinformed practices.

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“…Recent scholarship has also addressed the importance of school counselors learning more about the concept of antiracism and incorporating antiracist concepts and practices into their practice more consistently (Holcomb-McCoy, 2021;Mayes & Byrd, 2022;Stickl Haugen et al, 2022). The current conversations about the importance of antiracist school counseling practices reflect and extend a legacy of multicultural and social justice competencies within the larger counseling literature (Ratts et al, 2016) and the school counseling literature base more specifically (Ratts & Greenleaf, 2017).…”