The Impacts of School Counselor Ratios on Student Outcomes: A Multistate Study

Abstract

This study examined student access to school counselors and the link between school counselor-to-student (SC-S) ratios and student outcomes in six states in the United States. Access to school counselors was often greater for White students, but less for Asian students, English learners, or those in larger schools. In the two states with the lowest SC-S ratios among the states studied, schools with more counselors per student (a) had higher English SAT scores and more students with postsecondary enrollment (i.e., New Hampshire), and (b) had more students enrolled in postsecondary studies (i.e., Maine). In the two states with the highest SC-S ratios of the six studied, schools with more counselors per student (a) had lower overall learning outcomes and graduation rates (i.e., Arizona), and (b) had worse academic outcomes in English, math, or science (i.e., Idaho). Schools with higher SC-S ratios showed more suspensions (i.e., New Hampshire) and more chronic absenteeism (i.e., Arizona, Missouri, and Rhode Island). We discuss implications for legislative advocacy, intentional school counselor caseload assignments, and future research.

Student-To-School-Counselor Ratios, School-Level Factors, and Leadership Practices of School Counselors: A National Investigation

“…Scholars have asserted that budget constraints may prevent lawmakers from instituting more manageable caseload sizes, and that the states that do have mandated ratios have policies based on grade levels served (Savitz-Romer et al, 2023). In other words, despite research showing that students from marginalized backgrounds especially benefit from access to school counselors, these students often attend schools with the highest student-to-schoolcounselor ratios (Donohue et al, 2022;Gagnon & Mattingly, 2016). Furthermore, these school funding disparities (EdBuild, 2019;Education Trust, n.d.) seem to be consistent with the extant school counseling literature that underscores inequities between school counselor caseloads and student demographics such as racial/ethnic makeup and language background (Donohue et al, 2022;National Office for School and Counselor Advocacy, 2012).…”

“…School counselors design and deliver comprehensive school counseling programs aimed at maximizing students’ academic, socioemotional, and postsecondary success and development (American School Counselor Association [ASCA], 2019). Students’ access to a school counselor, with the condition of lower student-to-school-counselor ratios, is positively associated with achievement (e.g., graduation and SAT scores), and achievement-related outcomes (e.g., attendance and discipline; e.g., Brown & Knight, 2023; Donohue et al, 2022; Kearney et al, 2021). In other words, school counselors’ caseload sizes may inhibit or facilitate their access to students and ability to position themselves to promote positive student outcomes.…”

“…A growing body of literature demonstrates the positive impact of lower student-to-school-counselor ratios both on student outcomes (e.g., Brown & Knight, 2023; Carey et al, 2012; Goodman-Scott et al, 2018; Lapan et al, 2012) and school counselors’ overall well-being (Mullen et al, 2021). Conversely, a small body of literature suggests that increase in student loads for school counselors has minimal or insignificant impact on student outcomes (e.g., Kearney et al, 2021; Reback, 2010) and school counselor practices (Fairchild and Zins, 1986; Scarborough & Culbreth, 2008).…”

“…Several studies have indicated that lower student-to-school-counselor ratios were correlated with decreases in disciplinary referrals (Lapan et al, 2012), increases in attendance (Carey et al, 2012; Kearney et al, 2021) and grade-point average (Goodman-Scott et al, 2018), and improved standardized test performance (Donohue et al, 2022) and graduation rates (Lapan et al, 2012). For instance, Kearney and colleagues (2021) employed a meta-analytic review of student-to-school-counselor ratios and student-level outcomes.…”

Staffing Schools to Support the Classroom: Examining Student-to-School-Counselor Ratios and Academic Student Outcomes in Texas

“…Policymakers and educational leaders do not have sufficient evidence related to how larger or smaller student-to-school-counselor ratios shape the nature of school counselors’ work or their impact on student outcomes (Goodman-Scott et al, 2018). Although previous studies have examined the influence of school counselor ratios on student outcomes for various states (e.g., Donohue et al, 2022), research that examines both academic achievement and attainment over an extended period is lacking. And no prior studies of school counselor ratios have focused on schools in Texas.…”