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Author: Malecha, Clarissa, A.

Title: The Cultural Aptitude of School Counselors: A Review of Practical

Suggestions

The accompanying research report is submitted to the University of Wisconsin-Stout, Graduate School in partial completion of the requirements for the Graduate Degree/ Major: MS School Counseling

Research Advisor: Denise Brouillard, Ph.D.

Submission Term/Year: Spring, 2013

Number of Pages: 28

Style Manual Used: American Psychological Association, 6th

edition

I understand that this research report must be officially approved by the

Graduate School and that an electronic copy of the approved version will be made

available through the University Library website

I attest that the research report is my original work (that any copyrightable

materials have been used with the permission of the original authors), and as such,

it is automatically protected by the laws, rules, and regulations of the U.S.

Copyright Office.

My research advisor has approved the content and quality of this paper.

STUDENT: Clarissa A. Malecha

NAME DATE:

ADVISOR: Denise Brouillard, Ph.D

NAME DATE:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This section to be completed by the Graduate School This final research report has been approved by the Graduate School.

Director, Office of Graduate Studies: DATE:

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Malecha, Clarissa A. The Cultural Aptitude of School Counselors: A Review of Practical

Suggestions

Abstract

The lack of multicultural resources in education has led to school counselors that are not

prepared to lead competent school counseling programs which meet the needs of children in

Wisconsin. As Wisconsin rapidly changes in demographics, the needs of children and families

will undoubtedly change as well. This literature review contains relevant information for school

counselors in providing information regarding multicultural needs and practical implications.

Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy, a leading researcher in multiculturism and the field of school

counseling, outlined a checklist to assess the multicultural competence of school counselors.

This research paper reveals practical solutions in attaining the program competence that

Holcomb-McCoy wrote about almost ten years ago.

Social poetry, storytelling, food based experiences, and community-family-partnerships

are explored to provide practical suggestions for school counselors struggling to maintain the

ever evolving multicultural standards of a global society. The school counselor’s role in the

United States educational system continues to diversify with the increasing numbers of students

from non-Caucasian descent. School counselors are becoming viewed as experts within their

school community concerning students’ cultural and social makeup and how that affects

academic performance.

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Table of Contents

Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………………2

Chapter I: Introduction…………………………………………………………………………….4

Statement of the Problem………………………………………………………………….7

Purpose of the Study………………………………………………………………………8

Research Questions………………………………………………………………………..8

Definition of Terms………………………………………………………………………..8

Assumptions & Limitations of the Study…………………………………………………9

Chapter II: Literature Review……………………………………………………………………10

Introduction………………………………………………………………………………10

School Counselors Training and Education……………………………………………...12

Storytelling……………………………………………………………………………….12

Sociocultural Poetry……………………………………………………………………...13

Food Based Experiences…………………………………………………………………15

Partnerships………………………………………………………………………………18

Chapter III: Summary, Critical Analysis, and Recommendations……………………………….22

Introduction………………………………………………………………………………22

Summary…………………………………………………………………………………22

Critical Analysis…………………………………………………………………………22

Recommendations………………………………………………………………………..24

References………………………………………………………………………………………..26

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Chapter I: Introduction

Many educational professionals, including school counselors, possess a strong desire to

address the multicultural aspects of the student body that they serve. To fill this desire they often

have to navigate paths on their own due to the fact that their master’s degree level training has

not prepared them to do so. This literature review will reveal ways to incorporate multicultural

education into a school counselor’s repertoire. School counselors can address the cultural

differences of their students through multicultural implications like storytelling, poetry, food, and

building strong partnerships between families and schools.

In an article written for the American School Counselor’s Association (ASCA),

Holcomb-McCoy (2004) compiled a checklist for school counselor’s ability to counsel students

from diverse backgrounds. Holcomb-McCoy (2004) suggested nine areas of competence, which

she listed as “multicultural counseling, multicultural consultation, understanding racism and

student resistance, multicultural assessment, understanding racial identity development,

multicultural family counseling, social advocacy, developing school-family-community

partnerships, and understanding cross-cultural interpersonal interactions” (Holcomb-McCoy,

2004, p. 178). In her research sifting through literature pertaining to multicultural school

counseling, these nine areas were developed as strong themes in the review. Holcomb-McCoy

(2004) provided a checklist with the nine areas and a total of 51 competencies to be met in order

to maintain a comprehensive and multicultural school counseling program.

In using Holcomb-McCoy’s (2004) research as a guide, this paper will explore culturally

responsive needs of a school district through community, family engagement, and multicultural

education. This research paper will provide strategies and ideas for school counselors to help

them positively impact multicultural students and families in their school district.

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There is an increasing amount of data that suggests that the people who make up the

United States of America are changing rapidly. According to the United States Census (2010),

there has been a 43.3% increase in Asian Americans and a 12.3% increase in African Americans

since 2000. In Wisconsin alone, several counties have rich depth in their racial make-up from

the reservations of the north to the urban areas of Milwaukee and Madison. According to

Wisconsin’s Information Network for Successful Schools (WINSS) website (2012), the 2011-

2012 school year data reported that 27% of the student body in Wisconsin accounted for students

from American Indian, Asian, Black, and/ or Hispanic heritages. Of those 27%, English

Language Learners (ELL) comprised only four percent. The student body was almost equally

split in regards to gender, with 48% of students being female and the remaining 52% being male.

Students with disabilities represented 14% of the student population. Forty-one percent of

students enrolled in the 2011-2012 school year were considered economically disadvantaged

(WINSS, 2012). The percentage of students who identified with a particular sexual orientation,

religion, or homeland was not reported.

This data indicated that a large majority, if not every school district in Wisconsin, was

affected by a diverse and interesting culture that makes up their school, their community, and the

families that they serve. Aligning with Wisconsin initiatives, it is imperative that these families

are integrated into the school environment. Wisconsin has initiated several programs and models

that take culture into account with planning and implementation. The first program, called

CREATE (2012), which stands for Culturally Responsive Education for All Training and

Enhancement of Wisconsin, aims to hear and respond to all the voices of every family in the

school district. CREATE strives to address the question of why children of diverse backgrounds

don’t achieve at the same level as their peers (CREATE, 2012). Programs like CREATE are

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about bringing schools together and bridging gaps to connect culturally diverse students and their

parents. Organizations like this and the Response to Intervention (RtI) program that are part of

Wisconsin’s Department of Instruction (DPI) clearly value the cultural competency of

communities and school districts. The RtI program of Wisconsin is an initiative that provides

supports to all students in academic and behavioral areas. Xu and Drame (2007) stated that, “RtI

is a multi-tiered intervention model that involves all students and teachers rather than only

students who are at risk for a disability” (p. 306).

In recent years, Wisconsin’s RtI program has become popular in schools statewide and

the program has roots in exploring culturally-based needs. The RtI model is based upon a belief

that if change is to be expected in student’s academic and behavioral success, educators must

take into consideration the cultural background of the student. Xu and Drame (2007) found that

“children with culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds come to school with different

expectations and behaviors that are closely connected to their own culture, but schools often just

have one standard for them to follow” (p. 308). When children’s culture of home is not taken

into consideration in the planning of school activity, it is hard to attain 100% program

effectiveness. According to the Wisconsin RtI website, “culturally responsive practices account

for and adapt to the broad diversity of race, language and culture in Wisconsin schools and

prepare all students for a multicultural world” (Wisconsin RtI Center, 2012). Therefore, the RtI

model is important, because everything in the RtI model is anchored into a cultural lens.

Wisconsin’s Department of Public Instruction also recognizes the need for effective

cultural competence in education. Wisconsin’s DPI is currently collecting data regarding

cultural competence and professional development among student services personnel across the

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state of Wisconsin. The school counseling education consultant, Gregg Curtis, wrote in an

email,

Please help us get a sense of the knowledge, skill and confidence levels of student

services professionals across Wisconsin in order to connect our needs to future

professional development opportunities. The Student Services/Prevention and Wellness

team at the Department of Public Instruction asks for your participation in this survey.

(G. Curtis, educational consultant, personal email, October 23, 2012)

The survey will help the department to assess and improve the effectiveness of school counselors

in the field throughout Wisconsin.

School counselors train and practice within certain guidelines, much like any other

helping profession. School counseling abides by the American School Counselors Association’s

(ASCA) national model of practices. The model outlines ways in which school counselors

should spend their time through four parts, which are foundations, delivery, management, and

system support. The model outlines professional intentions such as advocacy, social justice, and

advisory councils. These needs must reflect the cultural makeup of the school and district for an

effective practice. In an article by Tim Grothaus for ASCA, [Grothaus (2012) explains], “…our

efforts to systematically improve multicultural relations, not just between racial or ethnic groups

but also with regard to social class, ability/disability, sexual orientation, and other cultural

identities” (p. 38) is a main goal of school counseling programs. For many school counseling

professionals this is a primary goal in practice.

Statement of the Problem

As the United States diversifies in culture, schools must respond in appropriate ways to

meet the needs of children and families. A vehicle for change within schools can be harnessed

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by school counselors with measures of more culturally responsive practices through multicultural

education, school-family-community partnerships, and improving cross-cultural interpersonal

interactions.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study is to highlight the lack of cultural competency within school

counseling and to explore the ideas, strategies, and initiatives currently working in Wisconsin

schools. This study will further highlight ways in which school counselors can implement model

programs and ideas within their schools to address the need for positive cultural engagement

within schools, families, and communities. This will be done through a literature review in the

spring of 2013.

Research Questions

There are three research questions this study will attempt to highlight. They are:

1. What do Wisconsin communities need to do to embrace every child?

2. How can Wisconsin communities bring cultures together?

3. What are some proven strategies in creating a culturally competent community in

Wisconsin school districts?

Definition of Terms

The following terms will be clarified for the purpose of this paper:

Culture. means “the ideas, customs, skills, arts, etc. of a people or group, that are

transferred, communicated, or passed along, as in or to succeeding generations” (Webster’s New

World College Dictionary, 2000, p. 353).

Family Engagement. Parental involvement and access to children’s school community.

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Multicultural / Multiculturism. In reference to Webster’s New World College

Dictionary (2000), multiculturalism means “the policy or practice of giving equal attention or

representation to the cultural needs and contributions of all the groups in a society” (p. 946).

Multicultural Family Therapy. According to Holcomb-McCoy (2004), multicultural

family therapy encompasses counseling that is “knowledgeable of the impact of culture/ethnicity

on the family counseling process and family rituals” (p. 180).

Assumptions

It is assumed that references used are accurate in their information.

Limitations

The limitations of this study are that resources may not provide a comprehensive picture

of the problem. Data from this literature review may not include large samples and

generalizability may be limited.

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Chapter II: Literature Review

This chapter will discuss several areas where cultural competence is needed in

comprehensive school counseling programs across the state of Wisconsin. The areas highlighted

in this section will include: school counselors training and education, storytelling and

sociocultural poetry in classroom guidance, using food to connect cultures, and partnerships.

The impact of these areas in cultural competence is an important issue for school counselors to

examine and include in their programs.

School Counselors Training and Education

To address, "how can school counselors increase their cultural competencies in schools?”

the research has leaned towards examining counselor education programs, professional

development opportunities, and educational pedagogy. Holcomb-McCoy (2004) reported that

the inclusion of multicultural content has been limited in counseling fields (p. 178).

School counseling as a profession is regulated by several associations, including the

American Counseling Association (ACA) and the American School Counselors Association

(ASCA), as well as the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational

Programs (CACREP) that accredits institutions where counselor education is taught. In an

article written by Cates, Schaefle, Smaby, Maddux, and LeBeauf (2007), the authors reported

that in 1999, CACREP made motions to include multicultural competencies within their

counselor educator programs across the United States. Programs were required to continually

update and report the multicultural benchmarks that they were meeting as institutions. Cates et

al. (2007) conducted a study to evaluate the multicultural measures of CACREP accredited

institutions. They found that, “students in the counselor education program who participated in

the current study had high levels of general and multicultural knowledge competency in

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comparison with national means” (2007, p. 35). What is meant by ‘national means’? Is this

compared to students in non-accredited programs? This data is very promising for the

profession, but Cates et al. (2007) suggested even more direct service with multicultural clients

in practicum and internship experiences at the graduate level was needed.

Counselor educator programs are the pinnacle of information on the school counseling

profession and are expected to stay current with major themes. In an article by Hipolito-

Delgado, Cook, Avrus, and Bonham (2011) the researchers explored improving counseling

students multicultural competence through a single cultural immersion program called the

Multicultural Action Project (MAP). Like other cultural immersion programs, MAP asked

students to directly experience a culture other than their own and document “their cognitive and

emotional reactions to the immersion experience” through weekly journal entries (Hipolito-

Delgado et al., 2011, p. 405). This type of assignment within multicultural education offers

students the experience to develop their awareness, knowledge and skills for becoming a

competent and well educated school counselor.

Within the ASCA (2012) national model, there are guidelines related to school

counseling objectives, school counselor time, and legal and ethical standards. As a professional

organization, ASCA (2012) stated that, “effective school counseling programs are a collaborative

effort between the school counselor, parents and other educators to create an environment that

promotes student achievement” (p. xii). As previously stated, school counselors tackle this

through the four parts of their national model that include: accountability, management, system

support, and foundations. School counselors are held to high objectives for meeting the needs of

their school counseling program as evidenced through the American School Counselor’s

Association (ASCA) national model.

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Storytelling

Sharing stories can be very culturally powerful in education. It is powerful because

importance sits on what types of stories are told and who tells them. If children only learn

stories through the dominant culture’s perspective they may feel that the stories that are told in

their homes or in their communities are not relevant or important. In the same token, if only

stories represented from the dominant culture are heard, children from other backgrounds might

never be heard. Jill L. Grant (2011) writes that, “storytelling in practice reflects power, as it sets

attention, expresses personal views, frames expectations, and shapes participation” (p. 408). As

mentioned earlier, the United States of America is evolving into a cultural representation of

many and no longer one. Storytelling is extremely important to many cultural groups in that it

makes up their histories and language. Voices from the Navajo Nation through music, Hmong

voices heard through story cloths, and social stories that came from enslaved African Americans

would not have been heard if not for storytelling. These experiences cannot be conveyed in

education if not present through curriculum.

Storytelling used in the classroom can create sensitivity for others when children tell

personal stories. Sermeno (2011) discussed the notion of using storytelling to build cultural

sensitivity in her work at international schools. She described cultural sensitivity as “the

capacity to respond to culturally different material in a tactful, respectful, and genuine way” (p.

11). Cultural sensitivity is an advanced skill that might not be able to be mastered in secondary

level education let alone in primary levels. However, school counselors, because of their unique

position within a school, can create opportunities for this skill to develop in their students.

Sermeno (2011) said that, “story telling festivals or simple informal sharing in a day room, can

expand our cultural sensitivity in unanticipated and powerful ways” (p.15). When educators

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allow students to develop listening skills through storytelling activities, they have encouraged

cultural empathy and sensitivity towards others. Personal storytelling among peers facilitated

through school counselors and teachers can allow for the process of building listening skills.

Sermeno (2011) went on to suggest that, “wilderness expeditions, retreats, storytelling sessions,

talent nights, art activities, and journaling can offer much needed space for connection” (p.11).

The cross-cultural connections made through these activities have a huge impact in fostering

culturally competent school counseling programs.

Storytelling not only provides a cultural context and sensitivity, but also acts in building

community. Berkowitz (2011) described work that she has done in early childhood education

telling stories instead of reading books. The act of oral storytelling is appealing because it

creates connection. Berkowitz spoke of this connection by saying that, “the children and I make

eye contact without a book between us” (p. 10). Storytelling “gives children an opportunity to

use their imagination, communicate effectively, increase their social awareness, and build

community” (p.10). As children sit together and listen to oral stories they build community

without even realizing it. This community piece of cultural competence strengthens cultural

programs and sensitivity between and within members of a school building.

Sociocultural Poetry

Ingram (2003), a counselor educator at Oregon State University, has brought the issue of

sociocultural poetry and counseling into the spotlight and how this style of poetry can penetrate

into multicultural education. Ingram (2003) described sociocultural poetry as “writings that

address the social, cultural, and racial lived experiences of members of oppressed groups” (p.

223). In this article Ingram (2003) went on to say that, “the goal of the method is to assist

individuals feel understood” (p. 224). School counselors can use sociocultural poetry to help

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students from oppressed populations feel heard and can use the piece to explore feelings,

thoughts, and personal expression.

To understand the poetry discussed, Ingram used a poem called Shelling Beans about the

experience of a young person of African American descent. From Ingram’s article (2005, p.17),

the first stanza of the poem follows:

Come son she said in a voice both nice and sweet,

Come sit here at the table

And help your ole’ mama while she still able

Chile’ what a day I’ve seen –

Grab that sack and help shell these beans!

This poem expressed the world that the young African American boy comes from

including his family relationships that are important to him, as well as a context of culture. This

writing describes the experience of a boy at a young age and how that has shaped the man he is

today. Poetry that encompasses relevant social and cultural aspects from a student’s perspective

can help school counselors in understanding the student’s self-identity in terms of race and

ethnicity. Holcomb-McCoy (2004) described the understanding of racial identity as an important

competency for school counselors to understand and meet professionally. She stated that, “a

significant challenge is for school counselors to acquire an understanding of racial/ethnic identity

development and then apply that knowledge to students’ issues and concerns” (Holcomb-

McCoy, 2004, p. 180). The development of a strong sense of self for culturally diverse students

is an important aspect gained through life experiences and expressed through sociocultural

poetry.

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In practical terms, Ingram (2005) suggested a four-step process that school counselors

could initiate in their schools to help explore some of the important aspects of students’ lives.

The steps to integrating sociocultural poetry into a school counseling curriculum are suggested

as:

1.) Select a poem that embodies the racial, cultural, and social history and experiences of

members of underrepresented and diverse populations.

2.) Employ the poem in the school counseling curriculum (e.g., guidance lessons, group

activities, individual counseling).

3.) Ask the student(s) to reflect on the life experiences of the people and/or groups

represented in the poem, including issues regarding race, culture, gender, and social history.

4.) Discuss the transformative nature of the poem in terms of motivation, social action, and

diversity awareness. (Ingram, 2005, p. 16)

Food Based Experiences

The use of food at social gatherings has always been a way to invite participants into the

group to feel welcome and appreciated. It has at times created room for conversations among

attendees. From potlucks at PTO meetings to school picnics, food has facilitated connections

between people, cultures and ideas. Culturally-based activities involving food are evidence

based practices in multicultural education. According to Sommer, Rush, and Ingene (2011),

food based assignments in multicultural counseling courses are becoming an experientially based

way to learn about the subject. The experts reported that, “research indicates that practices that

include opportunities for self-reflection and direct experience of varied cultures are especially

important in preparing counselors to demonstrate multicultural competence in an increasingly

diverse world” (Sommer et al., 2011, p. 261).

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However, as explained by Sommer et al. (2011), food-based experiences without a

context of dialogue and reflection about the cultural implications do not bring meaningful

understanding of that culture. Consuming a meal together instills the feeling of cohesiveness,

but without an educational component to the experience, the cultural awareness of the event is

lost on the members of the group. Sommer et al. (2011) found that several food based

assignments worked well in a university setting and allowed for discussion about culture and

tradition. One of the assignments asked students to, “…bring to class a food dish that they have

grown up with, or about which they feel most nostalgic” (Sommer et al., 2011, p. 269). This idea

is certainly relevant to university settings, but might be out of reach within most primary and

secondary schools in the United States due to lack of resources. School counselors can modify

the success of this assignment by using the school’s resources to create one event per semester to

educate students, teachers and staff, and the community about multicultural issues. School

counselors could work to connect the family and consumer education department of the school to

make collective meals that represent a few cultural dishes. The school’s history department

could educate students about the origins of the cultural cuisines represented. The English

department could use sociocultural poetry in their classrooms to make students explore their own

cultural backgrounds connected to food. The school counselor could also partner with relevant

community organizations to offer donations and volunteer time along with education about

specific resources in the school’s community.

Small partnerships within the school and across educational departments are seen to be

successful in numerous projects and vision that schools possess. A project in Detroit, Michigan

was examined by Ferreira, Grueber, and Yarema (2012) and described as an outdoor classroom

vision that shares, “a partnership formed between a local university, a school district, and a

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community organization in order to develop and implement outdoor classrooms and curriculum

in seven local elementary schools” (p. 49). The partnership then worked to develop curriculum

that would span content areas in the school while still focusing on the outdoors and the education

that it provides. For instance, “in language arts students can read and write about environmental

topics and issues, while in mathematics they might examine environmental data or simply

measure objects outside and use measurements to determine distances between objects or the

area and volume of such objects” (Ferreira, Grueber, and Yarema, 2012, p. 53). In creating a

multilayered system of partnerships within the school and within content areas as well as outside

of the school with local universities and organizations the school counselor has created a system

of learning experiences that create community and support. Ferreira et al. (2012) went on to say

that, “children become more motivated to write about something they are seeing and will better

remember the formulas to determine the area and volume when they practice such skills in the

context of determining how much wood or soil they will need to build plant beds for their school

gardens” (p. 60). Students from the Detroit area came together supported by their school and

community to learn in a larger way about the systems that work to make a successful school

garden.

One of the more fascinating ideas of this literature review comes from schools in the

United Kingdom. In an attempt to bring cooking skills, better nutrition, and multicultural

cohesion to secondary school children through cooking clubs, school districts found that

knowledge of the participants was increased tri-fold. According to Gatenby, Donnelly, and

Connell (2011), “multicultural after-school cooking clubs can play a key role in the development

of essential life skills and increase the knowledge and understanding of peers from different

cultural backgrounds” (p. 111). The clubs prepared dishes that reflected cultural events like the

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Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah, Chinese New Year, and the Muslim festival of Eid (Gatenby et

al., 2011, p. 110). Similar to Detroit’s idea of an outdoor classroom the experiences of

celebrating holidays with food formed partnerships within the community and taught students

more about cultural heritages that are represented in their schools.

Partnerships

Partnerships between families and schools are vital in creating cultural competence in

communities and the work of culturally competent school counselors. Holcomb-McCoy (2004)

addressed school-family-community partnerships as one of the nine multicultural competencies

for school counselors to incorporate into their programs. The collaboration between community

members, schools, and families creates safe spaces for cultural acceptance to grow. In an article

by Bryan and Henry (2012) the researchers explored the best practices for cultivating school-

family-community partnerships. They defined school-family-community partnerships as,

“collaborative initiatives and relationships among school personnel, family members, and

community members and representatives of community-based organizations such as universities,

businesses, religious organizations, libraries, and mental health and social service agencies”

(2012, p.408-409). These partnerships are crucial to culturally competent counselors being

effective in supporting students, families, school staff, and the community at large. School

counselors can use partnerships with the community to not only welcome and incorporate

diverse perspectives into their schools but also support and maintain a high level of academic

achievement among the student body.

Forming school-family-community partnerships are advantageous to school counselors

and the students that they serve, but there are a several barriers to creating partnerships that exist

in schools today. One barrier for parents not connecting with their child’s school might be the

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actual school building itself. According to Dotson-Blake, Foster, and Gressard (2009), school

counselors can help administrators with, “procedures, policies, and the physical structure of the

school to discern aspects of the environment that serve to separate parents and educators and

clearly give parents the message that they are outsiders” (2009, p. 11). School publications like

newsletters or parental permission forms, along with physical signs at school can be unclear to

families that have learned English as a second language. Language can be a second barrier to the

physical school space appearing less than inviting for culturally diverse families. Dotson-Blake

et al. (2009) discussed the effects that English only schools can have on Spanish speaking

Mexican families. Simple written instructions can cause a very intimidating experience for

families. School counselors can work to link parents who are English language learners with

parents who speak English regularly to improve their language skills and stay active in their

child’s school while offering collaboration time between two families that might not have

connected before.

School counselors have been traditionally seen, as professionals who have focused on

supporting students through increasing academic achievement, supporting

personal/emotional/social health, and preparing students for career and postsecondary planning,

and not as cultural change agents. With the adoption of the American School Counselors

Association (ASCA) national model and even in the most recent updated manual (2012), the

importance of including community partnerships is emphasized again and again as an important

role for a school counselor.

An important aspect of the ASCA national model is to include advisory councils in

school counseling management agreements. According to the ASCA national model, “an

advisory council is a representative group of stakeholders selected to review and advise on the

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implementation of the school counseling program” (2012, p. 47). Advisory councils are meant

to reflect the community that the school district resides in culturally, economically, and socially.

There should be special attention paid to the representation on the council, as well as the size,

goals, and objectives of the group. Advisory councils help to reinforce partnerships between the

school, family, and community that together are a community of voices in how children can

succeed as responsible learners.

It is very important that when forming an advisory council specific attention is made

towards how the group is formed and built. Bryan and Henry (2012) suggested, “a seven-stage

partnership model as a road map for school counselors to help navigate the process (p. 411). A

framework is needed when school counselors attempt to build a successful group of parents,

community members, and school staff to aid in partnering with the school and its programs. The

seven-stage partnership planning model includes, “(a) preparing to partner, (b) assessing needs

and strengths, (c) coming together, (d) creating shared vision and plan, (e) taking action, (f)

evaluation and celebrating progress, and (g) maintaining momentum” (2012, p. 411).

Advisory councils are one way to provide opportunities for the community to be involved

with the education of its children and the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) is another. In an

article from PTOToday, Beck wrote, “once a PTO recognizes the need for multicultural

outreach, members must identify the best approaches for their particular population” (Beck,

2009). Beck suggested strategies like using common language, including food and fun, and most

importantly celebrating diversity. Beck (2009) gathered information from several schools

including Ellsworth school in Windsor, Connecticut that used “food to break barriers” by hosting

monthly dinners sponsored by families and their national cuisine. Regionally similar ways to

include family and food have been incorporated into Wisconsin school districts. Several districts

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across the state host family nights that are sponsored by civic clubs, church groups, or university

clubs or degree programs.

Partnerships are also important in providing resources to families that school counselors

serve. Holcomb-McCoy (2004) suggested that, “school counselors should be able to direct their

students’ families to community resources that will assist not only their children but also their

families” (p. 180). A healthy repertoire of culturally relevant community resources is vital to

diverse family participation in the school counseling program. School counselors should know

about the services that their community provides and be able to link families with those services

as need arises in school districts.

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Chapter III: Critical Analysis, Summary, and Recommendations

This chapter will condense the major themes explored in the previous literature review

section. It will explain the value of the information presented specifically for school counselors

within a comprehensive school counseling program. This section will also provide

recommendations for future research surrounding the topic of multicultural competence within

counseling.

Summary

Increasing multicultural competence in school counselors and school counseling

programs across the state of Wisconsin will take quality counselor educational programs, new

and comprehensive ideas like using sociocultural poetry or food in classrooms, and partnerships

with families and the community at large. These ideas woven together have the possibility of

strengthening a foundation to fulfill the vision that Holcomb-McCoy wrote about in her 2004

assessment of the competency of school counselors within multicultural education and

counseling. School counselors need to enhance their skills in multicultural competence to

achieve a comprehensive counseling program that works for all students that they serve.

Critical Analysis

School counselors can improve their cultural competence in a variety of ways collected

from the analysis of literature. The field of school counseling needs to contain more

opportunities for school-counselors-in-training to participate in multicultural experiences

throughout the coursework. This can be achieved, as mentioned previously, through cultural

immersion projects that increase knowledge, awareness, and practical skills in students of the

school counseling program. As seen in other areas of education one simple way to infuse

students multicultural knowledge is to present opportunities across all content areas being

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studied. When school counselors-in-training are exposed to various projects with themes rooted

in multiculturalism it is easier for the students to acquire knowledge, awareness, and practical

skills in the subject matter.

When universities participate in partnerships with local schools and community

organizations all stakeholders benefit. In the Ferreira et al. (2012) article about partnerships a

community in Detroit was brought together by aiding the school in accomplishing its mission of

creating an outdoor classroom experience where elementary students could learn through

projects like the school based garden. The university students get the unique opportunity to

teach school children of diverse backgrounds about nature and the outdoors. In this example the

project can be brought much further with food based experiences that might open up

opportunities for students and families to express their cultures and ways of life through food.

As the project progresses students can write about their experiences in ways that showcase their

point of view in terms of storytelling and sociocultural poetry.

Many major practical themes were found in the research, which included sociocultural

poetry and storytelling within guidance curriculum, introducing food based experiences, and

improving relationships among parents, school staff, and community members. Sociocultural

poetry, storytelling, and food based experiences could all easily be woven into elementary and

middle school guidance curriculum. At a high school level students could participate in these

activities in a classroom based way as well with the motivation, knowledge and push from the

high school counselor. Lastly, partnerships formed among parents, school staff, and community

members are extremely important connections for the school counselor to facilitate not only for

the school counseling program, but also for the community as a whole. School counselors are

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afforded the unique position to assist collaboration between all stakeholders so that everyone’s

voice can be heard.

Recommendations

Recommendations for further research on multicultural issues in counseling will always

be needed to provide effective counseling to the ever changing cultural make-up of the United

States and world as a whole. Holcomb-McCoy (2004) wrote a checklist for school counselors

related to multicultural competence and in the nine years since her article many of the

components of the checklist still need to be addressed through research.

First and foremost, school counseling educators and CACREP accredited programs must

commit to further research on how multicultural education enhances a school counselor’s skills.

Specific learning and training experiences for counselors-in-training must reflect cultural

competence across the disciplines in school counseling degree programs. As school based

programs like Response to Intervention (RtI) expand in school spheres, school counselors need

to be prepared to fit into the cultural piece of those programs. School counselors must receive

more in depth multicultural education to understand the cultural changes in the global world.

Professionals in education look to school counselors to be knowledgeable in how race,

ethnicity, power, privilege, and gender affect populations of school children. Active school

counselors must continue to develop skills through various professional development

opportunities. Holcomb-McCoy (2004) stated that, “as school counselors work with larger

numbers of ethnic minority students, they may need to alter their perceptions, learn to effectively

counsel and consult with diverse populations, become knowledgeable of other cultures and the

manifestations of racism, and assume the role of social change agent” (p. 182). The expected

knowledge of school counselors keeps expanding to include many diverse components and

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school counselor educators must be a part of that expansion process. Holcomb-McCoy (2004)

mentioned in her article that “school counselor educators must also show a high level of

commitment to produce competent school counselors capable of working with students from

various cultural and ethnic backgrounds” (p. 182).

Secondly, the contemporary school counselor must stay active and creative in his or her

field. School counselors must branch out of their comfort zone to provide opportunities for

students that give voice to a variety of families. Holcomb-McCoy (2004) stated that “the nature

of counselor-to-student interaction can promote a positive climate for counseling wherein

students feel affirmed and respected” (p. 181). School counselors can affirm and show respect

for their students when they include their cultural heritage and voice in the curriculum. Students

are able to show pride and experience through activities that revolve around familiar settings.

Through nature based or food based experiences families can show skill and representation of

their own personal story.

Lastly, the field of school counseling needs to embrace and expand partnerships to

succeed in providing multicultural competence in schools. As mentioned previously by Ferreira

(2012) partnerships with local universities, communities, and public schools afford

comprehensive school counseling programs the resources to offer children more opportunities

for cultural awareness and sensitivity. Programs that revolve around food, poetry, and

storytelling now have a stronger chance of coming to fruition within counseling programs.

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