Professional school counseling in urban settings: introduction to special issue

Professional School Counseling, Feb, 2005 by Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy

The public school systems of most U. S. cities and metropolitan areas are in deep trouble (Hunter & Donahoo, 2003; Jacobs, 1993; Kozol, 1991). They suffer from a growing lack of public confidence, a routine series of financial crises, low student achievement gains, and continuous conflicts with the communities they serve. As a result of increasing criticism of urban public education, educators in almost all specialty areas (e.g., special education, teacher education, school administration) agree that there is an urgent need for change in urban education policies, practice, and theory. It is disappointing, however, that school counseling has been slow to join this dialogue regarding urban school reform and education. Not since Julius Menacker (1974) published the classic text "Vitalizing Guidance in Urban Schools" has urban school counseling been highlighted as a critical topic in the profession. And, this is ironic because school counseling is the one educational specialty with uniquely urban origins.

The needs of urban students have approached crisis proportions in recent years (Rice & Roelke, 2003) and education professionals have devoted much time and funding to urban education reform (Goertz & Stiefel, 1998; Hunter, 2000; Ward, 1987). Departing from traditional practices and concepts is increasingly being recognized as the direction of urban education reform initiatives. In the same manner, school counseling professionals also have begun to recognize the disconnect between traditional practices and the needs of students. For instance, the Transforming School Counseling Initiative (TSCI), a component of the Education Trust, proposes a shift in focus from individual student interventions to a more systemic perspective. The thought is that by encouraging more flexible responses and programs to meet students' needs, school counselors will be able to address the "root" of problems rather than the symptoms. The link between the TSCI and urban schools, however, has not formally been documented in the literature. It is my hope that this special issue of Professional School Counseling will make that link for profession al school counselors and will provide a catalyst for dialogue on the issues and challenges that are germane to urban school counselors.

If counselors are to be a meaningful force in improving the education and development of urban students, they must recognize and deal with the current and emerging issues that most directly affect urban schools and students. The talented authors in this special issue all have worked in urban education settings and they present a spectrum of views and approaches on urban school counseling. The range of topics is varied, but the ideas expressed in these articles allow the reader to construct counseling strategies that are aligned with the complexities of urban education. On a more immediate level, the articles provide a foundation for understanding the unique dynamics of urban schools and they offer practical guidelines for the professional practice of counselors in urban schools.

The collection of articles begins with Lee's introduction to the urban school environment and the counseling issues that are prevalent in urban schools. This article, which surely will be a classic in our field, addresses the uniqueness of counseling in urban schools when compared to other school communities (e.g., rural, suburban). Green, Conley, and Barnett, in their article, explore the influence of urban school counselor education on the actual practice of school counselors. They offer two case scenarios that really "bring to life" the link between counselor education and urban school counselor practice. Bemak and Chung then highlight the importance of advocacy in urban school counseling and counselor education. Advocacy, an important school counselor role, often is expected of urban school counselors but little is known about how to develop those skills. Next, two research studies are presented that specifically focus on urban school counselors and students. Holcomb-McCoy and Mitchell present the results of a descriptive study that explored urban school counselors' roles and functions within the context of comprehensive and developmental school counseling models (e.g., Gysbers & Henderson, 1994; Myrick, 1993). Another article by Mitchell presents the results of a study examining the effect of generational status on the academic self-concept of urban Caribbean immigrant adolescents.

The need for family and community involvement in urban education reform has been well-documented (Ascher, 1988; Comer, Haynes, Joyner, & Ben-Avie, 1996; Valdez, 1996). The next two articles address urban school counselor practice in the context of community and parent involvement. Bryan's article reviews resiliency in urban youth and then links resiliency to school counselor roles in urban school-family-community partnerships. Continuing with this theme, Giles presents three patterns underlying the roles and relationships between urban parents and educators. She offers repertoires that urban school counselors can use to foster relationships between parents and educators.