An Investigation of School Counselors' Role in Promoting College-Going Culture in High Schools

Abstract

High school students face numerous challenges on the path to college, including aspirational barriers, and obstacles related to application and enrollment. College-going culture, which is essential for all students' success, is conceptualized in this study as consisting of the following components: beliefs and expectations of key stakeholders, specific activities and programs that exist in the schools, and measurable outcomes that exist across and amongst student populations. This study utilizes data from the High School Longitudinal Study (2009) to examine the relationship between school counselors' beliefs and behaviors, and how they relate to certain elements of college-going culture in high schools. Results from conducting Logistic Regression Analyses and Multiple Regression Analyses suggest that as school counselors' perceptions of principals' expectations of students increases, the likelihood is that counselors' expectations of students will increase. Results also indicated that school counselors' high expectations for students were a significant predictor of a college access program in schools. Furthermore, school counselors who placed top priority on assisting students with postsecondary schooling preparation were more likely to spend a greater percentage of time engaged in college readiness activities.