About the Book

Create conditions that lead to success for ALL students and confront conditions that create opportunity gaps

School counselors can play a powerful role in closing opportunity gaps and addressing the social, emotional, and academic needs of students. This new edition of a groundbreaking bestseller shows school counselors how to incorporate principles of social justice, antiracism, equity, and advocacy into their practice.

Written by Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy, university professor and advocate of transformational change in school counseling, this book addresses the reasons why some students are more likely to encounter challenges at school due to racism, sexism, heterosexism, and classism. It includes:

• Vignettes, strategies, activities, and reflective individual and group study questions
• A framework for how school counselors can mitigate the impact of negative factors that hamper academic performance and healthy development, especially among students of color
• Six functions of school counselors that move schools toward more just practices and, ultimately, to higher test scores and increased student achievement

Written for both preservice and in-service school counselors and those who support them, this essential guide prepares readers to take an active role in creating equitable conditions for success for all students.

Table of Contents:
Foreword Preface Acknowledgments About The Author Chapter 1: Opportunity Gaps: Our Ultimate Challenge School Counseling and Education Disparities Identity Labels Where We Have Been, Where We Are, and Where We Are Headed The Power of School Counselors Opportunity Gaps versus Achievement Gaps A Closer Look at the Gaps What Do We Know About Closing Opportunity Gaps? Chapter 2: School Counseling Within the Context of Social Justice and Antiracism Redefining School Counseling to Serve Diverse Groups Focusing on Antiracism and Social Justice Key Functions of School Counseling Based on Social Justice and an Antiracist Approach Chapter 3: Counseling and Intervention Planning Critical Factors That Affect School Counseling and the Counseling Relationship Antiracist and Culturally Appropriate Counseling Interventions Assessing School Counselors’ Cultural Competence The Influence of Culture and Race on Intervention Planning Chapter 4: Consultation Defining Consultation? Social Justice Considerations and the Consultation Process Consultation Strategies Questioning Domains Assessing School Culture Chapter 5: Connecting Schools and Communities Avoiding the Blame Game and Racist Narratives Equity Framework for Reciprocal Partnerships Five Principles of Effective SFC Partnerships Barriers to School–Family Collaborations Chapter 6: Collecting and Using Data What Is Accountability? Using Data to Uncover Inequities School Counseling Program Evaluation Recognized ASCA Model Program (RAMP) Developing Program Assessment Tools Chapter 7: Challenging Racism and Bias How to Be an Antiracist School Counselor Guidelines for Challenging Racism and Bias Social Justice Education in Schools Chapter 8: Coordinating Student Success and Support Collaborating With Community Organizations and Social Service Agencies Implementing Scheduling Practices That Promote Racial Equity Antiracist Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Support Systems Coordinating College Readiness and Preparation Interventions Coordinating Tutoring Services Advocating on Schoolwide Committees Chapter 9: Doing the Right Thing: Developing An Antiracist, Social Justice–Focused School Counseling Program Assessing Your Beliefs Assessing Your Skills Assessing Your Students’ Needs Vision for My School Counseling Program Concluding Remarks Resources Resource A: Assessing School Equity Resource B: School Counselor Multicultural Competence Checklist Resource C: School Culture Assessment Resource D: Assessing Beliefs About School–Family–Community Partnership Involvement Suggested Readings by Topic References Index