Education Commons^™

Teachers’ Referral Practices: Opportunities For School Counselor Advocacy, Maggie Parker, Alex Ostrander, Emily Decker, Sarah Ray

Journal of School-Based Counseling Policy and Evaluation

Using Consensual Qualitative Research, researchers examined teachers’ experiences in the student referral process, specifically how they determined when and to whom a referral should be made. Results indicate that teachers actively work to engage students and families in strong relationships to avoid referrals and that certain behaviors are more likely to result in specific referrals (e.g., externalizing to discipline). Implications for school counselors and school counseling advocacy and limitations of this study are discussed.