·        Fully implementing school counseling programs and ensuring each high school student is reached; creating a more positive school climate. 

·        Coordinating mentoring programs to help train students to deal with their peers and anger.

·        Providing leadership in prevention and intervention programs in response to the evaluation and assessment of student problem

·        Playing a key role in communicating with students, teachers, staff, administration, parents, and the community. 

Ensuring All Students have Equal Opportunities to Succeed
According to Clark and Stone, as cited by Dollarhide and Saginak, “In looking to improve the educational experience for students, school counselors need to lead in multicultural awareness efforts, pupil assistance committees, mentoring programs, student leadership development, connection with external constituencies, and political activism” 

(Dollarhide & Saginak, 2017).

High school counselors act as leaders to ensure every student has an equal opportunity to succeed. The U.S. Department of Education offers various ways school counselors can take on leadership roles by engaging in behaviors such as;

·        collaboration with teachers to review career education and curricular materials to ensure they do not create or perpetuate stereotypes or limitations based on race, color, national origin, sex, or handicap.

·        Examining data to effectively identify patterns and behaviors that impede student success 

·        Cooperate with parents and get them involved in their child’s education 

·        Implement an ongoing career guidance program to meet students' needs

·        Assist students in such activities as resume writing, job interviewing, decision making, financial aid applications, educational/career planning, and on-the-job adjustment

-When parents believe that the school values their involvement, barriers could begin to be eliminated.
Ways to Collaborate with Parents/Guardians

This is a peer-reviewed article that was retrieved from the Walden Library. This article is about a study that was performed by educators from Wichita State University. The purpose of this study was to examine the current roles of high school counselors to see if they are in alignment with the ASCA National Model. The researchers addressed three main questions:
1. What are the goals of high school counseling programs?
2. What different kinds of services do high school counselors provide, and how do counselors spend their time as they engage in these activities?
3. How do counselors’ expectations for student performance compare to those of teachers’ and administrators’?

After working with 852 school counselors from 944 different high schools across the US, they found that high school counselors are "fairly well aligned with the national models and best practices." They found that the main goal of high school counseling programs was helping students prepare for post-secondary education. The study found that most high school counselors spend their time assisting students with course selection, scheduling, and college selection and admissions.

This article is relevant because it shows how important a high school counseling program is for the future of students. This articles depicts the many tasks and roles that a high school counselor has when it comes to being leaders, advocates, and collaborators.

Citation:
Mau, W. J., Li, J., & Hoetmer, K. (2016). Transforming High School Counseling: Counselors' Roles, Practices, and Expectations for Students' Success. Administrative Issues Journal: Connecting Education, Practice, And Research, 6(2), 83-95.

A Safe School Climate: A Systemic Approach and the School Counselor
This is a peer-reviewed article retrieved from Walden University’s Library. The article surveyed school safety research and discovered that shifting the school’s climate can have a significantly positive impact on the school community and feeling of safety. The article discusses issues of school violence and its consequential interference with the learning process. In addition, effective communication, high morale among school faculty and students, positive treatment of students and feelings of belonging significantly decreased behavioral disruptions in schools. 

The article is greatly applicable to my topic because it singles out leadership qualities of a school counselor and offers various practices for school counselors to create a safe school environment.

Citation:

Hernandez, T. & Seem, S. (2004). A safe school climate: A systemic approach and the school counselor. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

The ASCA National Model: A Framework for School Counseling Programs is a guide written by the American School Counselor Association that offers extensive guidelines and procedures to design, coordinate, implement, manage, and evaluate comprehensive school counseling programs in order to promote student achievement. The guide is relevant because it provides significant focus on leadership, advocacy, collaboration, and systemic change.

Citation:
American School Counselor Association. (2012). ASCA national model: A framework for school counseling programs (3rd ed.). Alexandria, VA: Author.

Comprehensive School Counseling Programs: K-12 Systems in Action
This course text provides thorough instruction to the facets of creating and achieving a comprehensive school counseling program that considers the needs of all students. The text is relevant to the topic of leadership because it focuses on a school counselor’s ability to exude leadership qualities in order to help students achieve success.

Citation:
Dollarhide, C. T, & Saginak, K. A. (2017). Comprehensive school counseling programs: K–12 delivery systems in action (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Using Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Theory to Understand Community Partnerships: An Historical Case Study of One Urban High School
This article discussed a study of an urban high school using Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory in order to comprehend its impact on student development. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory involves studying children in multiple environments in order to understand their development. The article is relevant to this project because it is specific to high school students and discusses the beneficial impact of collaboration has on student development.

Citation:
Leonard, J. (2011). Using Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory to understand community partnerships: A historical case study of one urban high school. Urban Education, 46(5), 987–1010. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

ACA Advocacy Competencies: Social Justice Advocacy at the Client/Student Level

 The article acts as a guideline to support school counselors in their efforts to become change agents and advocates for their students. The article is applicable to this project because it offers a clear understanding of the necessity for school counselors to take on the advocacy role and expand the profession beyond the office.

Citation:
Ratts, M. J., & Hutchins, A. M. (2009). ACA advocacy competencies: Social justice advocacy at the client/student level. Journal of Counseling & Development, 87(3), 269–275. 
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

This article summarizes the roles that school counselor can utilize by demonstrating the necessary skills in the school counseling profession and how they can work towards systemic change. This article is relevant to this topic due to its framework for incorporating important fundamental ideas of leadership, advocacy and systemic change.

Citation:
McMahon, G., Mason, E.,& Paisley. P. (2009). School counselor educators as educational leaders promoting systemic change. Professional School Counseling, 13(2), 116-124. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.5330/psc.n.2010-13.116
The U.S. Department of Education
The  guide summarizes the requirements relevant to counseling practices and views policies and practices that portray school counseling qualities of leadership, advocacy, collaboration, and systemic change. The policies have been adopted by many school systems to ensure equal educational opportunity.

Citation:
U.S. Department of Education. (2015). The guidance counselor’s role in ensuring equal educational opportunity. Retrieved from https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/hq43ef.html