Ecological Barriers to Comprehensive School Counseling Program Implementation

Abstract

According to the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), schools designated as Recognized American School Counselor Model Programs (RAMP) demonstrate, through evidence, an alignment with the ASCA National Model, widely recognized as the standard for comprehensive school counseling programs (CSCPs). Empirical investigations of the barriers to achieving the RAMP-designation have primarily focused on the intra- and interpersonal characteristics of the schools’ counselors, with little attention to macro-systemic factors. Grounded in McMahon et al.’s (2014) ecological school counseling framework, we investigated whether macro-systemic characteristics including region, institution type, community setting, and program funding significantly and uniquely predict RAMP-designation above and beyond school counselors’ inter- and intra-personal characteristics. Using a national sample (N = 1,497) of practicing school counselors, our results revealed that school region, institution type, and community setting significantly and uniquely predicted RAMP-designation. Implications for future research, advocacy, and policy for CSCPs and RAMP are discussed.