This qualitative study analyzed the perceptions of public school principals and assistant principals regarding the appropriateness of school counselor duty assignments. Perceptions of the participants were compared to the recommendations published in 2005 by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) in its National Model. Further comparisons were made between the perceptions of elementary and secondary administrators. Participants (N=91) represented 15 of the 16 school districts in one south central county in Pennsylvania. A survey was used to collect data as well as subsequent interviews with 12 randomly-selected participants. Results indicated that although most participants rated themselves as only slightly familiar with the ASCA National Model, their perceptions regarding which counselor duties were important and which were not important matched the recommendations in the model. The duty ranked most differently by elementary and secondary principals was the delivery of classroom guidance lessons, which the elementary principals felt was much more important than the secondary principals. Although some non-counseling duty assignments were discovered during the data collection process, results indicated a very favorable outlook for school counselors who wish to comply with the ASCA National Model and implement an effective comprehensive guidance program for their school.

The purpose of this study was to investigate principals' perceptions of school counselor roles and responsibilities. Participants completed perception surveys prior to and following a training on state and national models of school counseling practice. Analysis of demographic data and pre- and posttest survey responses showed training on state and national models of practice impacted principal perceptions of certain school counseling tasks. Data also showed a relationship between perceptions and years of experience. Qualitative data further examined principals' perceptions of school counselor roles and comprehensive school counseling programs.

The purpose of this quantitative, cross-sectional survey study was to compare school counselors's and principal's perceptions of the frequency with which school counselors perform activities that align with the ASCA National Model (ASCA, 2005) and those activities that do not, as measured by the School Counselor Activity Rating Scale (SCARS) (Scarborough, 2005). Results indicate that the school counselors and principals that participated in the study agreed that school counselors are spending most of their time engaged in activities that align with the ASCA National Model (ASCA, 2005). Significant differences (p