TPC-Journal-V4-Issue5

The Professional Counselor \Volume 4, Issue 5 434 Table 2 Results of Hierarchical Regression of Noncounselor Duties and Other School Factors Predicting Burnout Burnout Measure Exhaustion Incompetence Negative work environment Devaluing client Deterioration in personal life Δ R 2 0.09*** 0.07** 0.43*** 0.03 0.08*** Full model R 2 0.21*** 0.09** 0.49*** 0.04 0.17*** MSE 12.73 8.68 8.82 2.84 10.12 b clerical 0.27*** 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.22* b fair share 0.12 0.07 0.09 –0.06 0.06 b administrative 0.10 0.10 0.15* –0.05 0.11 b caseload (ASCA vs 251+) 0.11 0.09 0.14* –0.01 0.09 b caseload (ASCA vs. 400+) 0.17* 0.03 0.05 –0.06 0.00 b AYP 0.12 0.05 0.10 0.02 0.16* b principal support –0.17** –0.23** –0.62*** –0.17* –-0.20** Note. Hierarchical regressions adding other school factors (caseload, AYP, and principal support) to the model with noncounselor duties. N = 206. * p < .05, ** p < .01, *** p < .001. Qualitative findings, although not AYP-specific or constituting major themes, indicated that some counselors felt stress regarding the call for data and accountability measures present in today’s school systems. One counselor described the situation as follows: I think that the fact that ASCA has swallowed the NCLB “data-all-the-time” Kool Aid, adds to my stress tremendously. It encourages counselors to become quasi-administrators and data-collectors instead of doing the job that is encapsulated by our title: COUNSEL [ sic ] individuals and groups of kids in a school setting. When we are allowed to focus on the social and emotional needs of the whole child, we are best positioned to clear away the barriers to academic achievement. Our effect on test scores is indirect. Thus, it is a red herring to go chasing after “data” that proves we belong in a school. Another participant stated, “The biggest drain and waste of time has to be, without a doubt, testing, testing, testing!” Although principal support was not a major theme in the qualitative results, participants discussed principal support when referring to a lack of organizational support and a negative work environment in their schools. Another participant’s words seemed to echo the importance of supervisor support when discussing his or her own experience of burnout: “Stress from too much work and less resources. Supervisors becoming less supportive and more disciplinary. School is not a fun place to learn. So much for positive behavior supports.” Effects of Other School Factors on Noncounseling Duties and Burnout To determine whether other school factors, like meeting AYP, caseload and principal support may increase or lessen (i.e., moderate) the effects of noncounseling duties on burnout, we ran a series of moderation tests