A survey called “Can I Get A Little Advice Here?” by Public Agenda for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation just caught our eye. It found that six in 10 students who went on to high education gave their high school counselors low grades. Nearly half of students say they were just a face in the crowd.
• 62% rated their guidance counselors as fair or poor with helping them find ways to pay for college
• More than two-thirds gave fair or poor ratings for helping them decide which school to go to
• 60% give their high school guidance counselors fair or poor ratings for helping them think about different careers
How has YOUR experience been with your school counselor? Why not show your appreciation by nominating them for NextStepU’s Super Counselor contest?
The results of any survey can be interpreted differently, depending in part on how the questions were worded. In this particular case, I’d be willing to bet that most high school students never see their guidance counselors. Many may not even know who they are. Over the years, I have asked all three of our children about contact with their counselors, and all three just shrugged their shoulders, as though the idea had never occurred to them. The act of seeking out anyone who may be a resource requires a certain amount of forethought. The ability to think ahead is not a strength that comes to mind when I imagine the average teenager. Maybe guidance counselors need to be more aggressive in trying to grab the attention of the students.