Student Counseling and Personnel Services Commons^™

Rural School Counselors Supporting Queer Students In The Southeastern United States, Harley Devon Locklear, Damaris Bates

Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education

This article aims to explore the storied experiences of school counselors who actively, overtly and covertly resist the oppression of queer students within rural schools throughout the Southeastern United States. Narrative Inquiry was the research methodology utilized to collect, interpret, and reconstruct these stories, culminating in the synthesization of six overarching themes capturing the factors contributing to and limiting the advocacy efforts of rural school counselors: View of Role, Counselor Self-Efficacy, Stakeholder Push-back, Services Offered, Advocacy Efforts, and Training and University Support. Implications for school counselors, counselor education program, and school administers are also discussed in relation to improving …

Bridging The Gap: Strategic Leadership For Student-Centered Advising And Retention At A Community College, Dina Abdul Rahman, Wenjun Chi, Katelynn Jarrells, Janet Ping

Doctor of Education Capstones

Community colleges serve as the most accessible gateway to higher education for millions of Americans, yet persistent dropout rates continue to undermine both student opportunity and institutional mission, particularly for first-generation students, students of color, adult learners, working students, and those experiencing financial precarity. This dissertation in practice examined high dropout rates at Delaware County Community College (DCCC), a multi-campus institution serving diverse communities across Delaware and Chester Counties in Pennsylvania. Guided by improvement science and grounded in critical pragmatism, Team RISE partnered with DCCC's Student Affairs division to investigate the systemic roots of student attrition and retention to develop …

The Development And Initial Validation Of A Measure Of Professional Mentoring Engagement Among School Counselors, Emily Kitching

Theses and Dissertations

This study describes the development and initial validation of the Mentoring Engagement Scale (MES), a self-report instrument designed to measure a person’s level of engagement in professional mentoring. Despite emerging evidence that professional mentoring may serve as a protective factor against the burnout and stress associated with school counselors’ roles and responsibilities, existing measures of mentoring are limited by weak documentation of development procedures, mixed psychometric support, and limited practical applicability. In two phases, the present study aimed to (1) evaluate content validity and systematically refine items grounded in Kahn’s (1990) theory of engagement and (2) investigate the preliminary psychometric …

“Science Belongs Everywhere”: Outlooks On Post-Secondary Stem Education For Correctional Centers In Virginia, Shelita R. Augustus

Division of Strategic Enrollment Management and Student Success Publications

Virginia has an incarceration rate of 679 per 100,000 residents, the highest among independent democratic nations. This scoping review examines perspectives on post-secondary STEM education to promote STEM education within Virginia's correctional facilities, assesses programs to improve rehabilitation, reduce recidivism, and address systemic inequalities by developing the scientific potential of incarcerated individuals. The review finds that while STEM education in correctional facilities faces limitations, its potential benefits are being realized nationwide. Virginia has made strides through initiatives like House Bill 2158, which aims to expand higher education access for incarcerated individuals. Examples such as the programs at J. Sargeant Reynolds …

Lived Experiences Of School Counselors’ Facilitation Of Small Group Counseling In Public High Schools, Joshua D. Hurley

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to explore the lived experiences of school counselors’ facilitation of small group counseling in public high schools. Prior research has shown that high school counselors utilize small group counseling at a lower rate than their elementary school counterparts. Researchers have identified two primary barriers that school counselors face in the implementation of small group counseling in schools to include time and internal fear and anxiety. This study investigated the lived experiences of 11 school counselors in their facilitation of small group counseling in the public high school setting. Through data analysis, three …

Sealing The Deal: A Case Study Of A Private, Southeastern, Regional College’S Student Onboarding Practices, Alicia R. Gaston, Kristen Meyer, Tyler Ogden, Jennifer Perkinson, Casey Yocum Michaels

Doctor of Education Capstones

Each year, higher education institutions offer support to new, incoming students through an onboarding process that requires dedication and collaboration across multiple departments. Offering streamlined guidance and clear communication throughout the onboarding process is essential to ensure incoming students understand action steps without becoming overwhelmed with new terminology, processes, and environments. This explanatory case study is set to understand the current communication practices and technology use across onboarding departments at Brightside College – also referred to as Brightside or BC (pseudonym). The research team aimed to understand Brightside's onboarding staff's perspective of current processes and practices. With emphasis on the …

Block Schedules In Virginia Schools: Purposes, Outcomes, And Policy Considerations, David Naff, Meleah Ellison, Jamelle Simmons, Xun Liu, Martin Darby, Crystal R. Bell, Shelby Garofalo, Obed Boateng, Wendy Rodgers, Audrina Farrar, Karli Johansen, Mysia Perry, Maggie Szydlowski, Fatemah A. Khawaji, Katherine Urban

MERC Publications

When schools and divisions choose a daily schedule structure to follow, it is important to consider its purpose and potential impacts on students, educators, and families. The purpose of this MERC research and policy brief is to inform the work of school division leaders and school board members making decisions about whether to adopt or continue the use of block scheduling in middle and high schools. It explores the following questions:

1. What are block schedules and where are they used?

2. How are school schedules related to student outcomes and educator quality?

3. What policies at the federal, state, …

Supporting Students In Transition To And From Elementary School, Meleah Ellison, Jamelle Simmons, David B. Naff, Taryn G. Traylor, Meredith Dean, Sooyeon Moon, Jia Jia Liu, Latonja Y. Wright, Cameron Parkins, Jennifer Locasale-Crouch, Dana V. Yarbrough, Audrina Farrar, Obed Amoakoh Boateng

MERC Publications

This report is part of a two-part series focused on supporting students in transition across PK-12 education. Specifically, it explores transitions into and out of elementary school. The report includes a synthesis of recent peer-reviewed literature, analysis of publicly available data (with a specific focus on Virginia and the metropolitan Richmond region), and summary of relevant federal, state, and school division-level policies. It answers the following questions:

1. What are key considerations for supporting students in transition to and from elementary school in the MERC region?

2. How do federal, state, and division policies guide support for student transitions to …

An Exploration Of The Relationship Between School Counselor Access And Latine Students’ College-Going Behaviors, Kristen Tuxbury

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the relationships between school counselor access and Latine students’ college-going behaviors using data from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09). The study was guided by critical race theory and Yosso’s community cultural wealth model (2005). Binary logistic regression models, Chi-square tests of independence, and descriptive statistics were used to explore the associations between school counselor access, Latine student college-going behaviors, and caregiver expectations. The findings show stronger associations between caregiver expectations and Latine student college-going behaviors than school counselor access. Additionally, findings provide evidence that experiences of oppression are likely barriers to Bachelor’s degree programs …

Supporting Students In Transition To And From High School, David Naff, Jamelle Simmons, Meleah Ellison, Shelby Garofalo, Laura Thoene, Kim Dupre, Sooyeon Moon, Karli Johanson, Paul Harris, Martin Darby, William L. Parker, Tracy Booker, Janel Miley, Mysia Perry, Xun Liu, Maggie Szydlowski, Ahmed Abbas

MERC Publications

This report is part of a two-part series focused on supporting students in transition across PK-12 education. Specifically, it explores transitions into and out of high school school. The report includes a synthesis of recent peer-reviewed literature, analysis of publicly available data (with a specific focus on Virginia and the metropolitan Richmond region), and summary of relevant federal, state, and school division-level policies. It answers the following questions:

1. What are key considerations for supporting students in transition to and from high school in the MERC region?

2. How do federal, state, and division policies guide support for student transitions …

Factors That Inhibit And Support The Work Of School-Based Mental Health Providers, David B. Naff, Jennifer Murphy, Alexandra Javna, Wyatt Aldrich, Erin Standish, Jeen Joy, Ciana Cross, Sandra Saji

MERC Publications

This research brief comes from the MERC Supporting Mental Health in Schools study. Launched in 2021 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, this study explores research-based strategies for supporting mental health in PK-12 school settings, as well as the emotional and professional capacity of PK-12 faculty and staff in the MERC region to support the social and emotional wellness of their students. This brief shares takeaways from a systematic literature review that highlight the factors that inhibit and support the work of school-based mental health providers, including school counselors, school social workers, and school psychologists. It outlines the roles …

Pk-12 Faculty And Staff Capacity To Support Student Mental Health, Chin-Chih Chen, David B. Naff, Xun Liu, Jennifer Murphy, Margaret Wallace, Sunny Shin, Kade Goldin, Shenita Williams, Caleb Armwood, Riley Jenkins, Marlene Gooding

MERC Publications

This report from the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium (MERC) depicts findings from a regional survey of PK-12 faculty and staff exploring their professional capacity to meet the mental health needs of their students. Based on responses from approximately 1,000 educators in the MERC region, there were six dimensions of capacity: mental health knowledge, mental health training and confidence, multi-tiered systems of support, positive mental health culture, supportive policies and practices, and responsibility and impact. Findings in the report include position comparisons along these six dimensions as well as an exploration of how capacity varies by school size and demographic composition. …

Trends, Challenges, And Evidence-Based Strategies For School Dropout Prevention In Virginia, David B. Naff, Thea Racelis, Regina Frazier, Meleah Ellison, Christina Tillery, Andy Bristow, Audra P. Lancaster, Sabrina Evans, Leah Wiedenhoft, Dina Abdul Rahman, Sharrie Merritte, Karli Johansen, Sooyeon Moon, Jean Samuel, Tara Davison

MERC Publications

This MERC research and policy brief explores school dropout prevention by focusing on recent trends and research. It addresses the following questions:

1) What are recent trends in school dropout?
2) What factors contribute to school dropout?
3) What are the consequences and implications of school dropout?
4) What are evidence-based strategies for school dropout prevention?
5) What are federal, state, and division-level policies related to school dropout prevention in the MERC region?

It concludes with a series of key takeaways and recommendations.

Stereotypes Of A Black Man Misunderstood: The Experiences And Development Of Black Men With Bipolar Disorder On College Campuses, Gerron Scott

Theses and Dissertations

Black men graduate from universities at a lower rate compared to other groups. Students with disabilities also graduate at a lower rate. When the two groups intersect, the results can be disastrous. Black men with bipolar disorder face a host of problems on college campuses. From a lack of sense of belonging to trouble in class, they struggle to stay afloat in college. The purpose of this study was to document the experiences and development of Black men with bipolar disorder on college campuses. A grounded theory approach was used in this study. Grounded theory was chosen because it leads …

Exploring Perceptions Of Advanced Coursework Enrollment Practices: A Multiple Case Study, Tomika Ferguson, David B. Naff, Jenna Lenhardt, Amy E. Jefferson, Isaiah Moore, Andrea Herndon, Richard Ashburn, Jessica Harris, Jenna Conlee, Courtney Forstmann

MERC Publications

This report from the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium highlights findings from a multiple case study exploring enrollment practices related to advanced coursework matriculation in a suburban middle school and rural high school. In connection with the MERC Equitable Access and Support for Advanced Coursework study, this multiple case study included perspectives from students, parents, and educators as they reflected on the factors that support and inhibit access for advanced courses in their schools.

School Division Policies Related To Suicide Prevention And Response, David Naff, Fatemah A. Khawaji, Morgan Meadowes, Jill Flynn, Meg Sheriff, Lauren Powell, Lisa Gwyn, Tameka Burroughs, Jean Samuel

MERC Publications

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death among youth age 10-19, and is an increasing concern in the wake of COVID-19. K-12 schools are crucial spaces for offering mental health support to students, and can implement policies to help prevent suicidal thoughts and behaviors. This MERC research and policy brief focuses on education policy related to suicide prevention and response. It is structured to answer five questions: 1) What are recent trends in youth suicide? 2) What does research show about school division policies that are effective in suicide prevention and response? 3) What policies in Virginia and …

Adolescent Thc Usage In Virginia: Post-Legalization Challenges And Strategies For Schools, David Naff, Meg Sheriff, Jill Flynn, Marzia Farhana, Kris Herakovich-Curtis, Gerron Scott, Fred Gatty, Priyadarshini Pattath, Diane Williams, Kiana Bradford, Reena Desai, Lauren Powell, Lisa Gwyn

MERC Publications

Recreational marijuana was legalized for anyone over the age of 21 in Virginia in 2021. This research and policy brief explores evidence of the impact of such legalization on Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) usage in PK-12 aged youth, including smoking, vaping, edibles, and dabbing. It addresses the following questions: 1) What are the recent trends in marijuana usage among PK-12 aged youth? 2) What are the impacts of THC usage in schools, particularly after legalization? 3) How can schools and school systems effectively respond to THC usage? 4) What are relevant federal, state, and school division policies that guide responses to youth …

The Landscape Of Advanced Coursework Participation: Understanding Disparities And Intersectionality, Chin-Chih Chen, Chris Parthemos, David Naff, Erica Ross, Virginia Palencia, Beth Fowler, Andrea Herndon, Beverly Fludd-Flanagan

MERC Publications

This population-based study explored students' participation in advanced coursework in elementary schools (gifted/talented programs), middle schools (Algebra I+), and high schools (Advanced Placement) to address enrollment equity. The study identified demographic disparities and the intersectionality of multiple identities to achieve two research aims: 1) to explore how advanced course-taking varies by student demographics, and 2) to understand how disparities in advanced course-taking vary by student demographics and intersectional identities. The findings indicate that disparities in advanced course-taking are related to students’ race, ethnicity, disability status, English learner (EL) status, socioeconomic status, as well as the intersection of these variables. The …

Addressing School Bullying Since The Onset Of Covid-19: A Merc Research And Policy Brief, David Naff, Morgan Meadowes, Kim Dupre, Alicia Gaston, Fatemah A. Khawaji, Christina Tillery, Makeba Lindsay D'Abreu, Lauren Powell, Deanna Fierro

MERC Publications

Among the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic is a shift in the nature and intensity of school bullying, perhaps symptomatic of the rapid changes and stressors that PK-12 students have endured since 2020. In this MERC research and policy brief, we explore how school bullying has changed since the onset of COVID-19 as well as research-based strategies for how educators and division leaders can best respond to it. The brief answers the following questions: 1) What is the nature of school bullying since the onset of COVID-19? 2) Which students have been particularly impacted by bullying since the pandemic? …

Who Takes Dual Enrollment Classes? A Research Brief, David Naff

MERC Publications

This research brief from the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium (MERC) explores three questions: 1) What are Dual Enrollment classes? 2) Who takes Dual Enrollment classes? and 3) What strategies promote greater access to Dual Enrollment? An accompanying podcast episode is linked in the research brief.

The Lived Experiences Of Higher Education Academic Advisors With Counseling Degrees In Addressing Their Role In Student Success, Shajuana Isom-Payne

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to examine the lived experiences of academic advisors with a counseling degree in addressing their role in student success. If student retention rates are not addressed, higher education institutions are at risk of losing students, which is costly to the institution and the student (Himes, 2014). Most college students are in a state of change and need academic advising support to achieve success during a college transition (Tinto, 2012). Academic advisors can assist students in finding the right career for students’ specific strengths. Academic advisors with counseling degrees address advising through the lens …

Bringing Swipe Out Hunger To Vcu: Identifying Best Practices And Analyzing Administrative Policies For Future Reform, Jackie Stephens, Anjali Ta

Undergraduate Research Posters

At first glance, a college campus might look like a place of equal opportunity– communal dorms, shared dining halls, and similar course loads. However, arriving on campus is not where the college access conversation ends if students’ basic needs are not met. Food insecure students are at elevated risk of poor academic performance and delayed degree completion, with first-generation students being particularly vulnerable. Swipe Out Hunger is an organization that partners with colleges to reduce food insecurity among students by allowing those with extra dining hall meal swipes to donate them to food insecure peers. If implemented at VCU, Swipe …

Analyzing Advanced Placement (Ap): Making The Nation's Most Prominent College Preparatory Program More Equitable, David Naff, Mitchell Parry, Tomika Ferguson, Virginia Palencia, Jenna Lenhardt, Elisa Tedona, Antionette Stroter, Theodore Stripling, Zoey Lu, Elizabeth Baber

MERC Publications

This report from the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium (MERC) explores research related to Advanced Placement (AP) courses through an equity lens. It answers five questions: 1) What are AP classes? 2) Who enrolls and succeeds in AP classes? 3) Why do disparities in AP matter? 4) What factors contribute to disparities in AP participation and performance? 5) What policies and practices help to address disparities in AP access, enrollment, and performance? The report comes from the MERC Equitable Access and Support for Advanced Coursework study.

From Kindergarten Classrooms To Phd Pursuits: Academic Narratives That Influence Career Decisions In Black Women Counselor Education And Supervision Doctoral Students, Erin Hanley

Theses and Dissertations

Though Black women continue to receive advanced degrees at increased rates, this attainment is not reflected in the number of Black women serving as faculty members in academia. The field of counselor education encourages the recruitment and retention of diverse students and educators, though the literature outlining the reality of the experiences of Black women in counselor education has been limited. This qualitative interpretive phenomenological analysis uncovered the academic experiences of Black women doctoral students from kindergarten to their current doctoral programs, and how these experiences have influenced their career decision making. Guided by Black feminist thought and career human …

Supporting Student Mental Health During And After Covid-19, David Bryant Naff, Shenita Williams, Jenna Furman, Melissa Lee

MERC Publications

This report by the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium (MERC) in the VCU School of Education offers a rapid review of research about supporting student mental health as they return to school during COVID-19. It pulls from literature on natural disasters like hurricane Katrina, the psychological impacts of quarantine, and emergent research on the mental health impacts of the Coronavirus. The report is structured to answer three overarching questions: 1) Why is it important to address the mental health needs of students in schools? 2) How can we expect COVID-19 to impact the mental health of students? 3) What are some …

“It’S Supposed To Be Super Easy And It’S Not”: Black And Latinx Student Experiences In The Doctor Of Physical Therapy Admissions Process, Melissa Yeung

Theses and Dissertations

Data provided by the Physical Therapy Central Application System (PTCAS) suggests that despite the large numbers of applicants to Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) programs on an annual basis, a gap remains between the number of White and Black and Latinx applicants who are offered admission to DPT programs. Efforts made by DPT programs to increase the diversity of their incoming cohorts include the use of holistic review processes and enrichment programs to recruit more diverse classes. However, research suggests that the undergraduate experiences of students of color have an impact on their aspirations to graduate and professional schools, and …

Can School Be A Source Of Trauma? Assessing Academic Traumatic Stress As A Mechanism Underlying The Health Outcomes Of Black Undergraduate Students, Ebony A. Lambert

Theses and Dissertations

Research examining Black students’ school experiences demonstrates that exposure to oppressive power dynamics in schools may lead to adverse physiological and psychological consequences. Recent conceptualizations in public discourse further posit that traumatic educational experiences, operationalized here as academic trauma or the cumulative toll of adverse and oppressive experiences in academic settings, may influence Black students’ wellbeing even after they have graduated. However, academic trauma has yet to be investigated empirically, and the health contributions of such educational harm remain unstudied. Moreover, little is known about how culturally-relevant personal characteristics (e.g., emotion regulation strategies) influence Black students’ reactivity to academic trauma. …

A Longitudinal Study Of The Influence Of A Stem Career Planning Course And Perceived Stress On Career Search Self-Efficacy And Retention In Engineering Undergraduate Students, Autumn Randell

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated a) the influence of a STEM career planning course on undergraduate engineering students’ career search self-efficacy, b) the influence of perceived stress on building students’ career search self-efficacy, and c) the relationship career search self-efficacy had in predicting students’ odds of persistence in an engineering major. The researcher analyzed students’ week 1, week 6, and week 14 scores of career search self-efficacy and perceived stress. Data were collected from the Spring 2019 and Fall 2019 cohorts of a STEM career planning. As a result, the analysis included (N = 286) undergraduate engineering students. Repeated measures multilevel …

An Intervention Study On Mindfulness Meditation And Mindfulness, Stress, Flourishing, And Academic Achievement In A First-Year Experience Seminar, Elizabeth S. Bambacus

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the two research questions, 1) what are the relationships among the pretest latent variables mindfulness, stress, and flourishing and the manifest variables GPA and retention in first-year college students in a first-year experience seminar and 2) will there be differences in mindfulness, stress, flourishing, GPA, and retention between groups of students in a first-year experience seminar who received a brief mindfulness intervention and those who did not? To answer these questions, the author analyzed secondary data collected from 373 first-year college students at a large public research university who took Introduction to the University (UNIV 101).

The …

The Experiences Of School Counseling Directors In Relation To Job Satisfaction And Leadership, Robyn Walsh

Theses and Dissertations

The current literature on school counselor job satisfaction does not address the experiences of school counseling directors. This is a unique set of counselors due to their role as leaders and supervisors in the building. Therefore, this study sought to better understand the experiences of school counseling directors in relation to job satisfaction and leadership. The researcher collected data through 10 interviews with participants having met the criteria of serving as a school counseling director of a middle or high school, supervising a department of at least two counselors, and working in the role for at least two years. Data …