Research

The California Department of Education (CDE) statewide Report for the 2017-18 four-year adjusted cohort is based on the number of students who enter grade 9 for the first time adjusted by adding into the cohort any student who transfers in later during grade 9 or during the next three years and subtracting any student from the cohort who transfers out, emigrates to another country, transfers to a prison or juvenile facility, or dies during that same period  The report shows that out of 504,073 students who enrolled in 9th grade, 85,868 did not graduate for the above reasons.

According to the California Association of School Counselors (CASC) there has been an increase of 30% from 2013 through to 2018 in the number of school counselors working in California Schools.  However, it is still not enough, falling far short of the national and recommended averages. It would take nearly doubling the number of school counselors currently working in California schools. (Sept. 2019).  Although ASCA recommends a 250-to-1 ratio of students to school counselors, the national average is 527-to-1.   In California, the average ratio is 572-to-1 for school year 2020-2021.   

• Economists have found that hiring a school counselor was three times as cost effective in increasing academic achievement and reducing student misbehavior as hiring an additional teacher to reduce class sizes (Carrell & Hoekstra, 2014). (CASC) (Sept. 2019).

• According to the California Department of Education, the missing link in improving student’s learning is the need for more educational counselors and other  student support services.