Counselor Educators

VP: Denelle Wallace

Welcome

Happy New Year
What are counselor educators most looking forward to in 2012? How will the counseling field be impacted by Governor McDonnell’s proposals, the 2012 presidential campaign, and the return of troops from the Middle East? Please feel free to contact me with information about the topics that interest you and events that you wish to make known to others. You may contact me at dlwallace@nsu.edu. I hope to hear from fellow counselor educators soon.



Denelle Wallace, VSCA Counselor Educator VP

Hot Topics

Accountability and the Professional School Counselor
How well do professional school counselors understand the importance of accountability? In a time where every role in the school system is being examined for its impact on the academic progress of students, what does the school counselor need to know about utilizing data to show his/her impact on the lives of the students within the school district. In Virginia the evaluation instruments for teachers and administrators are being reviewed and revised.  Several school districts continue to use a teacher evaluation instrument to determine the effectiveness of the school counselor, but as the role of the professional school counselor is better understood, school systems are moving toward the development of an instrument that better assesses the impact professional school counselors have on academic achievement in the schools. Kaffenberger and Davis (2009) explain that school counselors “must know WHY collecting data and using it is critical and they must know HOW to gather and interpret the data collected. “
 As counselor educators, we provide the foundation for understanding why data collection is important along with experiences to properly gather and interpret various forms of collected data. However, we also need to advocate for our future school counselors at the local and state level as evaluation instruments are being developed to assess their professional performance.  Counselor educators are in a perfect position to provide instrument developers with a better understanding of the ASCA National Model and offer the research-based information needed to support the incorporation of certain components into the evaluation instrument.

What are we researching?

Let me know what you are researching at your universities and colleges. This is a wonderful way to connect with one another, to bounce ideas off one another, to collaborate on research projects, and to provide assistance whenever possible. Share your knowledge, expertise, and interests with others. 
 

Current research in the field of counseling:

VSCA Celebrates 50 Years!!!! The 2012 Virginia School Counselor Association Conference will be a celebration of the organization’s 50th year.  This would be a wonderful time for counselor educators to come together and showcase their research.  If you are interested in presenting your research to your colleagues during the Counselor Educator session, please contact your Counselor Educator VP by February 29, 2012 (dlwallace@nsu.edu).

Check It Out: Articles, Books, Materials, and Workshops

Lee, W., Blando, J., Mizelle, N., & Orozco, G. (2007). Introduction to multicultural counseling for helping professionals (2nd ed.).  New York: Routledge.
Counselors throughout Virginia are going to experience growing diversity among their clientele as the demographics of the state continue to change. Counselors within schools and agencies are finding that the client/counselor relationship is impacted by culture. In an effort to assist counselors in developing an understanding of their diverse clientele and strengthen their counseling skills and techniques, the authors of this text provide an insightful look at meeting the needs of clients from various backgrounds. The text includes historical information, useful case vignettes, possible counseling issues that may occur, and applicable cultural resources. The text is easy to utilize as the main course text or as a recommended text to be utilized independently by students preparing to enter the counseling field.