The ASCA National School Counseling Research Center: a brief history and agenda

Professional School Counseling, June, 2006 by Russell A. Sabella

5. Providing an organizational structure to facilitate the accomplishment of the NSCRC's mission and goals.

WHO IS THE NATIONAL SCHOOL COUNSELING RESEARCH CENTER?

The NSCRC includes a steering committee that provides direction and advisement and a staff (including a Research Center director) that oversees the daily operations, forges needed collaborations, advocates, and overall ensures persistent progress toward established goals. At the heart of the NSCRC are critical collaborative parnerships with individuals, groups, and other organizations that hold common values and ambitions. In this way, ASCA's NSCRC can be considered a coordinated clearinghouse or hub of activity generated together with its partners.

THE ROAD AHEAD

Members of the counseling profession have been given the opportunity and privilege to play a significant role in the lives of children and families. As it has been said before, to whom much is given, much shall be required. The road to building a research center that networks the talent of so many individuals and groups will certainly be a challenge. However, we stand to pave the way for our profession to further become a vital and integrated part of all students' experiences, that is, to become more effective and efficient in helping students achieve and succeed. In the short term, several tasks are pressing:

1. To develop a short-term and long-term research agenda (e.g., see Dimmitt, Carey, McGannon, & Henningson, 2005)

2. To identify and collaborate with potential partners to fulfill the NSCRC's goals

3. To build on a recent school counseling meta-analysis to establish the beginnings of a database of outcome studies in the profession

4. To facilitate partnerships between counselor educators and school counselors by matching those who desire research assistance with those who have research expertise

5. To continue to build on the research track for providing relevant training at the annual conference and other professional development venues

6. To implement and report on the first State of the School Counseling Profession Survey

7. To obtain and disseminate information about funding opportunities that support school counseling research

8. To identify and conduct one relevant research project per year

9. To facilitate the development of research protocols and reliable, valid instruments to help school counselors and counselor educators in their research efforts

10. To disseminate research and evaluation findings to the profession and to local, state, and national legislators, policy personnel, and decision-makers (e.g., school boards, superintendents, principals, and taxpayers).

Taking part in research can be an invigorating way to guide and affirm our work. At the very least, it is an obligation we embrace as part of being professionals, such as described in the ASCA (2004) Ethical Standards for School Counselors:

   The professional school counselor conducts
   appropriate research and report findings in a
   manner consistent with acceptable educational
   and psychological research practices. The
   counselor advocates for the protection of the
   individual student's identity when using data
   for research or program planning. (F.l.c)