A Comprehensive Model for Multidimensional Competencies in the Training of Secondary School Counselors

Counselor education programs throughout the country have employed competency-based objectives as part of their training programs. The utilization of behavioral objectives in defining specific counselor skills has produced numerous systems and models for the training of counselors. This article presents a multidimensional model for counselor education that uses a behavioral approach in conjunction with the more globally accepted services and functions of the secondary school counselor. The multidimensional model places the competencies in three distinct domains: (a) 10 identifiable services provided by the secondary counselor; (b) the three functions performed by the counselor; and (c) the three types of program training components commonly used in counselor education programs. The three dimensions of the model are presented in a Guilford-like cube for simplicity.     

Model Competencies for Attending Behavior

Properties of an effective competency-based training programare considered, and it is suggested that well-written competencies must be measurable, reliable, and valid. If these conditions cannot be met, then competency-based training is inappropri-ate. Eight model competencies for attending behavior are presented. The data which are presented indicate that these competencies can be measured reliably. Although these competencies were developed for use with microcounseling training, they are easily adaptable to other training programs.     

Basic Interaction Behaviors: A Microcounseling Approach for Introductory Courses

Three brief instructional programs for beginning counselors are described. Each program is for the purpose of inducing entry-level social skills that support effective counseling interaction. Design of microcounseling activities for a class-size group is detailed. Pilot data and experimental data are presented demonstrating gains in observable learner behaviors. Implications for a competency-based counselor education format are discussed.     

A National Survey of the Program and Enrollment Characteristics of Counselor Education Programs

ACES sponsored a national survey of state supervisors of guidance and counselor education institutions and of nontraditional institutions offering graduate degrees in guidance and counseling in order to secure information regarding (a) the licensure of guidance counselors, (b) the use of a competency-based approach to the certification of counselors, (c) the manpower needs for persons in guidance and personnel work, and (d) the program characteristics of counselor education institutions. Only a relatively small number of states anticipate becoming involved in the licensure of conselors in the foreseeable future; 53.6 percent of the states expect their certification of counselors to be competency-based within 2 to 5 years, and 76.1 percent of counselor education institutions have decided to make their programs competency-based but progress is slow. There is an oversupply of BA-level guidance persons, school counselors, and doctoral-level persons seeking faculty positions; there is a strong preference for ethnic minorities and women to fill counselor education positions; and abnormally high faculty/graduate ratios were reported for many institutions.     

A Competency-Based Program in Counselor Education

This article describes the evaluation of a competency-based, criterion-referenced, master's degree counselor education program. It discusses the program's philosophy, the procedures for establishing the exit competencies, the assessment of student's competencies, and the decisions based on context, input, process, and output evaluations of the program.     

Computer-Based Accountability: Implications for Training

Since the call for professional accountability in the early 1970s, counselors and counselor educators have attempted to assess counseling effectiveness, to upgrade programs as a result of assessments, and to communicate results of program assessment and change to their publics. Until recently, their efforts have been impeded by the interpersonal nature of counseling, insufficient training in research and evaluation, and available low-cost computer technology. This article addresses each of the impediments with the focus on how present computer technology, specifically computer-assisted systems, can be used to help counselors and counselor educators ethically input, store, and retrieve pertinent client and program data—data that can be used to achieve program evaluation and lead to accountable program development. The Counselor Accountability System is presented as an example of an easy-to-use computer program designed to facilitate counselor accountability.     

Competency Pay for Professionals and Managers in Business: A Review and Implications for Teachers

This article describes the use of a form of pay for knowledge and skills used for professional workers in the private sector known as competency-based pay. The definition of competencies, their assessment, and their link to pay are discussed, along with the relation of competencies to organizational performance and human resource management strategy. The relatively small amount of existing empirical research is reviewed, and two case studies of the use of competency-based pay are presented. The article concludes by summarizing lessons for education from private-sector experience, which include the need to link the competencies paid for to the capabilities the organization needs to fulfill its mission, the importance of measuring competencies in behavioral and observable terms, and the need to integrate competencies into all phases of the human resources management process, including staffing and development as well as compensation.     

Enhancing environmental educators' evaluation competencies: insights from an examination of the effectiveness of the My Environmental Education Evaluation Resource Assistant (MEERA) website

To conduct evaluations that can benefit individual programs as well as the field as a whole, environmental educators must have the necessary evaluation competencies. This exploratory study was conducted to determine to what extent a self‐directed learning resource entitled My Environmental Education Evaluation Resource Assistant (MEERA) can enhance environmental educators' evaluation competencies. The multiple case studies relied on data from eight environmental educators with limited evaluation experience who used MEERA to evaluate one of their programs. Results suggest that MEERA can (1) increase environmental educators' perceived evaluation competencies, (2) help environmental educators produce quality evaluation outputs, and (3) foster their use of evaluation results. Perceived benefits of using MEERA included obtaining evidence of program success, insights into how to improve programs, and alternative ways of thinking about programs. Perceived challenges included varying difficulties with evaluation tasks such as prioritizing evaluation questions and designing data collection instruments and, in line with this, desiring personal expert assistance for context‐specific advice and reassurance. This research contributes to expanding understanding of how to enhance environmental educators' evaluation competencies and practices.     

Responsibility for career transition preparation

Summary The continuing need and desire for assistance in planning for, entering, and progressing in a career is well-documented over the past decade. Although assistance with finding and securing a job is a part of this need, it is but one aspect of the competencies needed by students to be aware of the world of work and how this world differs from the educational world they are leaving. The ability of students to adjust and contribute to many roles in their post-high school world is crucial for a successful and lasting transition.The competencies needed by students as they prepare for and implement their transition to the occupational world can serve as the focal point of the career guidance program in the high school. Such competencies must go beyond the acquisition of occupational information and job search and interview skills. Competencies expected of students must be those that will allow them to adjust, mature, and succeed in the world of work and allow them to satisfy the multiple roles they will have throughout their careers.School counselors must become an integral part of the program to assist students to acquire and use competencies that will ensure their successful adjustment and development in the occupational world. Career guidance programs must be expanded and maintained to meet the continuing needs of students and counselors must revive or renew the competencies and the skills necessary to serve students during their transition to the world of work.Edwin A. Whitfield is Associate Director, Division of Educational Services, Ohio Department of Education, Columbus, Ohio     

A Modularized Counselor- Education Program

Counselor-education programs may be enriched through the use of modularized learning experiences. This article notes several recent articles on competency-based counselor education, the concepts of simulation and modularization, and describes the process of developing a modularized master's program at the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut. Such an approach to counselor education offers a flexibility and individualization not often available in traditional programs and integrates theory and practice. The program consists of 26 one-credit modules of 10 contact hours plus practicum. The modules include a statement of instructional experiences, resources, and performance criteria for evaluation. The modules in the program are grouped in four levels of application taken sequentially: didactic, simulation, performance, and experiential. A discussion of experiences with the program is included.     

An analysis of program evaluation course content in CSHSE–accredited human services baccalaureate programs

This study examines evaluation course content for undergraduate Human Services programs. Evaluation is not generally considered to be an undergraduate topic, and as a result, there is limited understanding of evaluation course content for undergraduate programs. The increased focus on evaluation in the human service field warrants a targeted review of the preparation and training provided to potential members of the profession, particularly at the baccalaureate degree level. This research examines syllabi for program evaluation courses in baccalaureate level Human Services Programs accredited by the Council for Standards in Human Services Education (CSHSE) to determine whether there is alignment between professional evaluation competencies and human services program evaluation course content. Content analysis of program evaluation course syllabi and cross-case analysis reveals how Human Services program evaluation course content compares with Essential Competencies for Program Evaluators (ECPE)-based standards for professional program evaluators. Implications for education, practice and future research are discussed.     

Training Counselors to Interpret Psychoeducational Evaluations: A Course Model

Evidence from the literature and from reported practice indicates that school counselors are increasingly expected to be competent in the interpretation of individually administered psychoeducational tests and reports. Systematic training in these competencies, however, is often not included as an integral part of counselor education programs. This article describes one counselor education program's response to the need for training in these interdisciplinary skills. The course model presented has been positively received by students and counseling internship supervisors.     

Training Counselors to Work With Complex Clients: Enhancing Emotional Responsiveness Through Experiential Methods

Training counselors to work effectively with complex client presentations requires a variety of methods. These methods not only need to be aimed at developing conceptual understanding but also must assist counselors in managing their own emotional reactivity when working with such clients. The author describes the curriculum and experiential training processes of a course in a transtheoretical program, which draws on psychodynamic concepts to help counselor trainees develop competencies with more disturbed clients. These competencies include alliance building and repair, understanding and working with transference and countertransference, and using an understanding of personality structure in case conceptualization.     

Development of a competency model and tailored assessment method for high school science teachers utilizing a flipped learning approach

Many professional development programs aim to improve student outcomes by enhancing teacher competencies. Effective evaluation of these programs requires a clear delineation of the competencies to be gained. A competency model was developed to evaluate the impact of a teacher professional program that aimed to improve teachers’ ability to effectively implement technologically engaged modules in a flipped classroom setting. Competencies were identified via participatory evaluation techniques and assessments were aligned to the competencies. The competency of teachers in the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed for creation and delivery of effective flipped lessons can be tracked using a radar graph to guide tailored professional development.

     

A Long Distance Approach to Evaluating Counselor Communication

This article describes an instrument, Recorded Counselee Narratives, used to collect counselor responses over the telephone and an instrument, Counselor Preference Survey, developed to evaluate such responses. Data is presented to show that nonprofessional, untrained raters can achieve sufficient reliability to make the instruments useful in studying nonprofessional evaluations of counselors. Possible uses of the instruments in evaluation of applicants for graduate counselor education programs, lay counselors, and telephone counselors are described.     

Sexual Assault Prevention Programs for College Men: An Exploratory Evaluation of the Men Against Violence Model

This article describes an exploratory evaluation of a rape prevention program targeted toward fraternity members. The program is based on the Men Against Violence (L. Hong, 2000a) model, which emphasizes the association between male role socialization and sexual aggression. Implications for college counselors who conduct rape prevention programs are provided.     

Some Impressions of Competency-Based Training Programs

This article presents some impressions gained after two years of involvement in a competency-based training program in the pupil personnel services area, and it raises questions concerning the major features of such programs. The article includes discussion of program goals, the instructional process, assessment of student progress, and student attitudes. The danger of competency-based training becoming another fad in education is considered, and possible causes of this are noted.     

ADAPT<Superscript>IT</Superscript>: Tools for training design and evaluation

This article describes a set of computerized tools that support the design and evaluation of competency-based training programs. The training of complex skills such as air traffic control and process control requires a competency-based approach that focuses on the integration and coordination of constituent skills and transfer of learning. At the heart of the training are authentic whole-task practice situations. The instructional design tools are based on van Merriënboer's 4C/ID^* methodology (1997). The article describes a training design tool (Core) that supports the analysis and design for competency-based training programs and an evaluation tool (Eval) that supports the subsequent revision of this training design.