When the Kids Are Not Alright: School Counseling in the Time of COVID-19

Principal Investigator(s):  View help for Principal Investigator(s) Mandy Savitz-Romer, Harvard Graduate School of Educaiton; Heather Rowan-Kenyon, Boston College

Version:  View help for Version V1

Name File Type Size Last Modified
Kids Not Alright Data.zip application/zip 2.3 MB 07/21/2021 10:24:AM

Project Citation: 

Savitz-Romer, Mandy, and Rowan-Kenyon, Heather. When the Kids Are Not Alright: School Counseling in the Time of COVID-19 . Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2021-07-21. https://doi.org/10.3886/E145681V1

Project Description

Summary:  View help for Summary The unprecedented arrival of COVID-19 upended the lives of American children with rapid shifts to remote and hybrid schooling and reduced access to school-based support. Growing concerns about threats to students’ mental health and decreased numbers of students transitioning to postsecondary education suggest access to school counselors is needed more than ever.Although previous research on school counselors finds they promote positive postsecondary, social emotional, and academic outcomes for students, further studies highlight the organizational constraints, such as an overemphasis on administrative duties and unclear role expectations, that hinder their work. Drawing on survey and focus group data, our mixed methods study documents school counselors’ experiences during the COVID-19 crisis, including the opportunities and constraints facing their practice. Findings suggest there should be a concerted effort to reduce role ambiguity and conflict in counselors’ roles, so they are better able to meet students’ increased needs.

Scope of Project

Subject Terms:  View help for Subject Terms COVID-19; school counseling; role clarity; counselor role; mixed methods
Geographic Coverage:  View help for Geographic Coverage US
Time Period(s):  View help for Time Period(s) 2020 – 2021 (Summer 2020 and Winter 2021)
Data Type(s):  View help for Data Type(s) survey data; text

Methodology

Sampling:  View help for Sampling Two-pronged sampling approach to draw a nation-wide sample that allowed for intentional recruitment of urban and rural counselors.
  • We distributed the survey in May and June of 2020 via national and stateprofessional organizations’ listservs and social media outlets.
  • We also purchased contact details for counselors through MDR Education (n = 3,000) and sent those individuals a survey link directly. We oversampled rural andurban counselors specifically.
Data Source:  View help for Data Source National School Counselor Survey
Collection Mode(s):  View help for Collection Mode(s) other; web-based survey
Unit(s) of Observation:  View help for Unit(s) of Observation counselors

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Published Versions

V1 [2021-07-21]

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