Solution Shop: a solution-focused counseling and study skills program for middle school

Professional School Counseling, Dec, 2003 by Jonathan B. Cook, Carol J. Kaffenberger

Central to the new vision for professional school counselors is the role of advocate. Counselors are called upon to advocate for all children, especially students of color and economically disadvantaged students (House & Hayes, 2002). Professional school counselors have the skills and training to advocate for the educational needs of all students. Students of color and economically disadvantaged students have a greater need for caring adults to advocate for them. The advocacy role is supported by the American School Counselor Association and is infused in the National Standards for School Counseling Programs (Campbell & Dahir, 1997). The role of advocate involves working proactively to remove barriers and create a climate conducive to learning (House & Martin, 1998; Scheurich, 1998). It involves providing students with the organizational, test-taking, and study skills necessary for being academically successful (House & Hayes). Most of all it involves communicating to students and their families an underlying belief that they can achieve and succeed in school.

Solution Shop provides an example of a school counseling program designed to address the academic needs of all children and is consistent with a new role for professional school counselors. Solution Shop combines all the necessary components of an exemplary school counseling program: (a) program development is based on an analysis of data; (b) the school leadership, administration, guidance and counseling department, and teachers support the development and implementation of the program; (c) the program is based on counseling theory; (d) the program advocates for underserved students; and (e) program effectiveness is continually being assessed and evaluated.

THEORETICAL ASSUMPTIONS AND CURRENT RESEARCH

The collaboration, empowerment, and respect for a child's unique resources and strengths are essential for effective counseling strategies (Murphy, 1997). When selecting a counseling intervention it is important to consider the worldview of the student. Solution-focused intervention seems particularly appropriate for the school counseling setting, given its future-oriented, positive focus and its attention to using strengths to solve problems (Kahn, 2000). A solution-focused counselor discovers competencies rather than labeling or solving problems for students, staff, or parents (Metcalf, 1995). The counselor listens attentively to the problem presented by the student to assure that the definition of the problem is clarified, but then refocuses toward solutions.

Wilson (1986) reviewed the research literature involving professional school counselor interventions with low achieving and underachieving K-12 students and identified successful strategies that were related to academic improvement. The findings of Wilson's literature review concluded that:

* Group counseling seems more effective than individual counseling.

* Structured group programs were more effective than unstructured programs.

* Group counseling programs of less than 8 weeks had positive results in only one of five programs evaluated. Programs of 9 to 11 weeks had positive results in five out of nine programs evaluated, and programs of 12 or more weeks had positive results in six out of eight programs evaluated.