TPC Journal-Vol 9- Issue 2-Full-Issue

The Professional Counselor | Volume 9, Issue 2 163 Student Body Characteristics The second research question examined whether schools whose school counseling programs have achieved RAMP differ in student body characteristics when compared to schools with school counseling programs that have not achieved RAMP status. A chi-square test for independence using Yates’ continuity correction indicated a significant association between RAMP status and Title I eligibility among the schools in this study: χ 2 (1, N = 266) = 33.08, p < .001, phi = -.36. Of the schools eligible for Title I ( n = 159), 56 (35.2%) were RAMP schools and 103 (64.8%) were non-RAMP schools. Conversely, 77 (71.0%) of the schools not eligible for Title I ( n = 107) were RAMP schools, whereas 30 (28.0%) were non-RAMP schools. A Mann-Whitney U Test revealed a significant difference in the percentage of students eligible for free and reduced lunch based on RAMP ( M rank = 114.19, Mdn = 38.71, M = 42.23, SD = 26.16) and those schools that did not have RAMP ( M rank = 148.29, Mdn = 53.63, M = 54.24, SD = 26.18, U = 6,345.00, z = -3.64, p < .001, r = .23). Table 2 provides a detailed breakdown of the percentages of students’ race and ethnicity for RAMP and non-RAMP schools. The percentages were calculated by dividing the total number of students identified for each race/ethnic category by the total number of students at each school. Percentages were utilized versus total frequency counts to help understand the rates of students for each race and ethnicity category in the contexts of their schools. Of the race and ethnicity categories, one produced significant differences based on RAMP status. The RAMP schools in this study had a greater percentage of Asian students when compared to non-RAMP schools. Table 2 Breakdown of Percentages of Students’ Race/Ethnicity for RAMP and Non-RAMP Schools Percentages for Each Race/Ethnicity Classification by RAMP Status RAMP Non-RAMP Race/Ethnicity M rank M SD M rank M SD U z r White 128.90 57.96 26.92 133.50 52.64 31.47 8,243.00 -0.44 - Black 141.12 16.94 19.24 121.11 17.98 24.81 7,209.00 -2.14 - Hispanic 133.15 18.58 18.49 128.90 21.27 24.64 8,237.00 -0.45 - Asian 152.80 6.38 8.47 109.69 3.51 6.23 5,701.50 -4.62 * .29 Hawaiian Pacific Islander 137.85 1.24 8.23 124.30 0.24 0.60 7,630.00 -1.54 - American Indian 126.31 0.50 1.74 135.59 0.88 3.51 7,908.50 -1.00 - Two or more races 146.31 4.33 3.12 119.79 3.56 3.13 7,021.50 -2.81 * - Note . * = p < .001 Discussion The first research question compared school characteristics of RAMP and non-RAMP schools, and we found that RAMP schools were more likely to have a larger student enrollment and more full-time