DIGEST - Volume 8, Issue 4-FULL

10 TPC Digest S chool counselors experience more role confusion than other professionals in education. The American School Counselor Association’s (ASCA) National Standards and National Model present an ideal framework for the role of the school counselor. The National Standards and National Model suggest professional school counselors should provide programming designed to engage students through three domains of practice (i.e., personal/ social, academic, and career development). While professional organizations suggest guidelines for school counselors’ roles and accreditation bodies dictate training standards, these efforts have not reached school- based leaders, who continue to see school counselors as “guidance counselors.” This limited view of a school counselor’s contribution has created an actual role for the school counselor that is far from the ideal role. School counselors are trained to address personal and social concerns, but they are often limited to serving as an academic counselor performing non- essential functions. Previous studies have examined the role of the school counselor and have highlighted the role confusion created by the numerous entities that inform the role of a school counselor (e.g., teachers, administrators, and parents). The purpose of this study was to propose a grounded theory that contributed to the understanding of the professional school counselor’s role at the secondary school level in working with a specific student population. In the study, the role of the professional school counselor was explored from the first-person perspective of the professional school counselor and school based leaders, defined as assistant principals and principals. Additionally, two district-level school leaders were interviewed to gain access to the perspective of key informants on the role of school counselors and students in gangs in this school district. While numerous research-based publications have devoted attention to school violence, little has been written on the leadership and preventive role professional school counselors may play in working with students in gangs. The professional literature is rich with presentations on the stages of professional development and perceived and actual roles of professional school counselors, yet it is lacking on the impact of marginalized student populations, such as gang members, on the professional development and role of the professional school counselor. In this study, the school counselor’s role, attitudes, skills, knowledge, professional training, and barriers to their work with students in gangs in the secondary school setting were explored. Data from the school counselor sample revealed a lack of attention to the personal, social, and career development needs of all students, including those students in gangs. Data from the school leader sample revealed a varied and inconsistent role for school counselors, including their work with students in gangs. Jennifer Barrow, NCC, is an assistant professor at North Carolina Central University. Stanley B. Baker is a professor at North Carolina State University. Lance D. Fusarelli is a professor at North Carolina State University. Correspondence can be addressed to Jennifer Barrow, 700 Cecil Street, Durham NC 27707, jbarrow4@nccu.edu. Jennifer Barrow, Stanley B. Baker, Lance D. Fusarelli Using Grounded Theory to Examine the Readiness of School Counselors to Serve Gang Members