Blog 7

            I think accountability is one of the most important aspects to the ASCA National model because of the demand that school counselors must prove themselves.  Some school counselors might think it is silly that we have to prove what we do, like the example in the book did, but how are other people going to know what we do and the results that come from that (Dollarhide & Saginak 2012)?  If we do not record the data then how will others know what we are good for?  Many positions at the school level have to fight for their jobs every day, because the government determines what is important and what is not.  From this prospective, I don’t think it is right for the government to make that call because they do not have a background in what is good for students to learn.  I could be wrong as their might be a person advising them who could have knowledge of the subject however, I think the government does not know what is good for our students based on standardized testing and cutting programs like art and music while they are giving more money for prisons.  Sorry for the rant, but the point of it was that we as future school counselors need to cover our butts to keep our jobs because we know we are very much needed in the school.  Students need us.  We need to be able to prove this to people who do not know anything about what school counselors do.  We need to be using achievement data, attainment or access data, and school culture and climate data to the fullest to provide the best information for others to read and recognized the importance (Dollarhide & Saginak 2012).

            Gysbers (2004) have shown that throughout the many years of school counseling that there is much empirical evidence that what school counselors do is a positive influence in the school.  My question is if there is so much evidence out there on what school counselors do is good, then why do we always need to prove ourselves?  It might be because from era to era people change in some way and people’s interests change.  If they change then we need to always be evaluating to see if our interventions and preventions work for the students in this particular era.  I think Gysbers (2004) gave many good reasons as to why we as school counselors need to be accountable.  One of the main parts he talks about is being responsible for the data that is collected to benefit oneself to make the school and its students better (Gysbers, 2004).  Accountability is important and needs to be done not only to protect ones job, but most importantly to improve the school and its students.

Dollarhide, C.T., & Saginak, K.A. (2012). Comprehensive school counseling programs (2^nd Ed.). New York: Pearson

Gysbers, N. C. (2004). Comprehensive guidance and counseling programs: The evolution of accountability. Professional School Counseling, 8, 1-14.