“The single fish in the sea”: Exploring the Lived Experiences of Rural School Counselors Earning RAMP

Abstract

Empirical scholarship exploring the Recognized ASCA Model Program (RAMP) process in rural school communities is notably lacking. In response to this gap, we conducted a phenomenological study with eight rural school counselors who successfully navigated the RAMP process. Participants shared influential reasons for pursuing RAMP, supporting factors in that work, obstacles that occurred during their RAMP pursuit, and outcomes related to earning the distinction. The findings support the need for RAMP resources geared toward school counselors working in rural settings. We discuss further implications in the article.

A Phenomenological Investigation of Rural School Counselors’ Experiences Providing Career Development

“…School counselors are leaders and advocates for social justice in rural communities and often use their close relationships with partners to advocate for students’ needs (Grimes et al, 2013). However, like most rural educators, rural school counselors are often required to assume numerous duties variably aligned with contemporary school counseling best practices, and this can adversely impact the development of a comprehensive school counseling program (Boulden et al, 2022; Boulden & Schimmel, 2022; Grimes, 2020). The ongoing youth mental health crisis has disproportionately impacted rural America (U.S.…”

A Rural Ecological School Counseling Framework

“…Rural students have lower college attendance rates despite having higher graduation rates, fewer opportunities for dual enrollment or advanced placement courses, and fewer mental health resources due to a lack of funding and resources (Griffin et al, 2011; Hill, 2016; Lavalley, 2018; Wood & Kaszubowski, 2008). Rural schools and school counselors report increasing mental health issues, particularly regarding trauma related to childhood poverty (Anderson-Butcher et al, 2017; Boulden & Brown, 2022). Rural youth can experience challenges related to being a youth activist (Kitzmiller & Burton, 2021), issues related to higher incidences of substance use (Pruitt, 2009), and differing levels of self-esteem and optimism by gender (Puskar et al, 2010).…”

“…Role ambiguity can be exacerbated by difficulties in implementing comprehensive school counseling programs (Boulden et al, 2022; Monteiro-Leitner et al, 2006). Comprehensive programs, as recommended by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), require time, support, advocacy, and funding, which can be difficult due to funding and personnel limitations in rural school systems (Monteiro-Leitner et al, 2006).…”

“…Rural schools are also less likely to have a Recognized ASCA Model Program (RAMP) designation, which are more likely to be earned by programs in larger, affluent suburban districts (Mullen et al, 2019). In a study by Boulden and colleagues (2022) on the experiences of rural school counselors achieving RAMP, participants reported how isolating the process can be due to lack of support from the school, community, and the larger profession. Further, rural school counselors reported struggling with lack of time due to having both more noncounseling and counseling duties than urban school counselors (Boulden et al, 2022; Chandler et al, 2018).…”

“…Further, rural school counselors can promote student success and reduce the number of additional noncounseling duties by strengthening their relationship with school administrators through frequent meetings (Amatea et al, 2004; Duslak & Geier, 2016; Waalkes et al, 2019). During these meetings, school counselors can consult with administrators on the needs of the students, counselor(s), and school, while promoting a mutual understanding of their role in the school through the use of annual agreements, templates provided through ASCA, and data to support appropriate counseling duties (Boulden et al, 2022).…”