This timely text describes the role of program evaluation in counselor education and provides step-by-step guidance for faculty seeking to develop comprehensive Student Learning Outcome (SLO) evaluation plans to meet accountability expectations. It serves as a blueprint for demystifying the SLO process and making the switch from an input-based measure of productivity that focuses on what counseling programs do, to an outcome-based approach that concentrates on the quality of learning through evidence-based assessment of students’ knowledge and skills. The first and second parts of the book lay the foundation for the SLO process and provide practical guidance for identifying and developing direct and indirect measures of student learning. Part III offers strategies for creating measures; collecting, managing, and reporting student data; and using data to ensure competence. In Part IV, counselor educators across the country offer hands-on application through a wide variety of SLO activities and rubrics linked to each of the curricular and specialty areas of the 2016 CACREP Standards. *Requests for digital versions from the ACA can be found on wiley.com. *To request print copies, please visit the ACA website here. *Reproduction requests for material from books published by ACA should be directed to [email protected]

The age of accountability, evolving from outcome- and standards-based practices, is prevalent in the education, healthcare, and counseling fields. In regards to standards, counselor education is framed by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) for best practices in terms of content knowledge; however the assessment of competence of that knowledge is not easily defined. Furthermore, school counselors are held to the standards of the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) to practice within a certain scope of competence; however, the determination of that level is also not easily or clearly defined. This research sought to investigate credentialing exams and their relationship to competence for school counselors by examining Praxis II: School Guidance and Counseling exam results based on accreditation of participants’ graduate-level school counseling program. This study found no statistically significant effect between accreditation of the participants’ graduate-level school counseling program and results on the Praxis II exam. Likewise, no statistically significant relationship between age, gender, ethnicity, or GPA and Praxis II results was found. Further research, both quantitative and qualitative, should be conducted to investigate the relationship between accreditation and exam results. Last, alignment between counselor education program objectives, standards, and assessment should be strengthened to gain a better grasp on attaining competence.

Written for undergraduate students and other prospective counselors, A Guide to Graduate Programs in Counseling is the first of its kind to create a comprehensive, reliable means of learning about the counseling profession, entry level preparation (i.e., master's degrees in counseling specializations), and what to consider when searching for, applying to, and ultimately selecting a graduate program in counseling that is the "perfect fit." The Guide offers vital information relative to accreditation and its importance in the counseling profession with regards to obtaining licensure, certification, and even employment opportunities after graduating. As a CACREP publication, this book is the official source of information about accredited counseling programs and includes information about what counseling programs seek in candidates, what programs can offer students in terms of professional development and job placement, and guidance on personal and practical considerations for entering the counseling profession. Authored by counseling experts and featuring insights from voices in the field, A Guide to Graduate Programs in Counseling is a must-have resource for anyone interested in becoming a professional counselor. This text is an official publication of the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), the counseling profession's recognized accreditation body. The book fulfills a need for individuals considering a career in the counseling profession. Counselors comprise 37% of all helping professions, the largest of all professions that include social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, and marriage and family therapists (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 2014). The counseling profession is projected to grow 29% between 2012-2022, faster than the average for all occupations according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

"Program quality is a high priority in American higher education (Haworth & Conrad, 1997; Schuh & Upcraft, 2000). The drive by both public and private colleges and universities to enhance and evaluate program quality is partially fueled by an ever-increasing public demand for institutional accountability (Duderstadt & Womack, 2003; Suskie, 2006). As a result of this demand, two movements are occurring within American higher education -- the movement toward measuring student learning outcomes (SLOs) through outcome-based evaluation (Bogue & Aper, 2000; Schalock, 2001; Welsh & Dey, 2002) and the movement toward greater inclusion of stakeholders in program evaluation (Banta, 2002; Maki, 2004; Miller, 2007). Prior to 2009, the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) required accredited counselor education programs to include stakeholders (e.g., faculty, current students, alumni, employers) in program evaluation (CACREP, 2001). With its revised 2009 standards, CACREP began requiring accredited programs to place greater emphasis on SLOs (Cashwell, 2008; Urofsky, 2008). These practices demonstrate CACREP's commitment to quality assurance in the field of counselor education and to counseling students' growth and development (Conrad, Duren, & Haworth, 1998). The Engagement Theory of Program Quality (Haworth & Conrad, 1997) highlights many positive SLOs that result from stakeholder involvement in program evaluation within master's-level graduate programs. As such, Engagement Theory is a potentially useful quality assessment resource for CACREP-accredited programs in their efforts at enhancing and sustaining program quality. The primary purpose of this study was to examine Engagement Theory, which had not been previously tested in counselor education, within the context of CACREP-accredited programs. A total of 481 master's-level counseling students and 63 faculty members representing 68 American colleges and universities participated in the study. Findings revealed that study participants perceived Engagement Theory's 17 attributes of program quality as important indicators of program quality, thus giving validity to Engagement Theory as a potential program evaluation resource with CACREP-accredited counselor education programs. Participants' perceptions of the presence of the attributes varied, indicating that further examination of program quality within CACREP-accredited counselor education programs may be warranted."--Abstract from author supplied metadata.

Despite international students' growing presence in counseling related programs in the United States of America (U.S.), their unique difficulties and needs that merit attention, and their significant contributions in bringing global perspectives into higher education, there is a dearth of research that addresses this population's experiences and sufficiently identifies their challenges and needs leaving their voices easily neglected and unheard. A phenomenological approach to data collection and analysis was used to capture the essence of international doctoral students' training and supervisory experiences in the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)-accredited counselor education programs and understand the unique challenges they encounter. Semi-structured Skype interviews were conducted with 10 international doctoral students who were enrolled or have recently graduated from CACREP-accredited counselor education. Seven main themes along with their subthemes were identified: (a) challenges of adjusting to the host culture and acculturation processes, (b) negotiating the repertoire: Surviving in American training environment, (c) English language proficiency: Barriers for academic performance, (d) clinical experiences and supervisory process: Challenges and opportunities for growth, (e) international students' sojourn in the United States: An integrative experience, (f) multiplicity of identities: Differences in cultural backgrounds molding ISs' experiences and perspectives, and (g) recommendations for improving training practices and supervisory process. The study created an opportunity for international students to have their voices heard, enable them to express their struggles and needs. The study yielded valuable information that can inform the evaluation of training effectiveness and supervisory practices and assist counselor educators and supervisors to effectively mentor their ISs and best prepare them to contribute to the growth and development of the counseling profession in their home countries.

Practical Approaches to Applied Research and Program Evaluation for Helping Professionals is a comprehensive textbook that presents master’s-level counseling students with the skills and knowledge they need to successfully evaluate the effectiveness of mental health services and programs. Each chapter, aligned with 2016 Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) standards, guides counseling students through study design and evaluation fundamentals that will help them understand existing research and develop studies to best assess their own applied research questions. Readers will learn the basics of research concepts as applied to evaluative tasks, the art of matching evaluative methods to questions, specific considerations for practice-based evaluative tasks, and practical statistical options matched to practice-based tasks. Readers can also turn to the book’s companion website to access worksheets for practitioner and student planning exercises, spreadsheets with formulas for basic data analysis, a sample database, PowerPoint outlines , and discussion questions and activities aligned to each chapter.