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Joyce Ivy Foundation Report Reveals Ohio Lags In High School Counseling Resources

Releases Comprehensive Results of a Survey of More Than 630 High School Counselors in Ohio; Makes Recommendations for Improved Post-Secondary Planning

The report includes a comprehensive set of recommendations targeted at reversing the trend toward dwindling college and career advisory resources available to Ohio high school students.

Based on survey responses from more than 630 Ohio high school counselors – approximately one-third of the counselors in the State – the 27-page report explores the role of school counselors in advising students on post-secondary options, and the lack of resources available to counselors. The report finds that Ohio counselors at public schools have an average caseload of 354 students, far greater than the national average caseload of 246 students. As a result, counselors spend less than a third of their time advising students on post-secondary planning.

Furthermore, the report finds that counselors' roles are often loosely defined overflow positions, with one-third of Ohio counselors' time devoted to administrative work such as scheduling, testing management, and maintaining student records. These ancillary activities prevent counselors from spending time with students in an advisory capacity, and results in what many counselors view as inadequate counseling on post-secondary education plans. The report also outlines recommendations that will help students immediately and in the long-term.

"At a time when state and national leaders are putting a greater emphasis on improved education outcomes as an economic necessity, Ohio cannot afford to continue to lag behind the rest of the country in school counseling," said Erich Bagen, co-author of the report and the head of Ohio operations for the Joyce Ivy Foundation. "Counselors can provide critical direction and focus to help students convert 13 years of education into post-secondary adult success."

The recommendations outlined in the Report for improving college admissions counseling for high school students include: reducing individual counselor caseloads and hiring paraprofessionals to assist with non-counseling administrative responsibilities; establishing tighter role definition and accountability for counselors; and encouraging students, parents and teachers to take pro-active steps to prepare students for the college admissions process. The Foundation has formulated separate recommendations for the State of Ohio, public secondary educational institutions, Ohio colleges and universities, counselors, teachers, parents and students. Many of the recommendations do not require significant financial investment, and some call for funding through a redistribution of resources to better serve goals identified in the survey.

"We hope that this is a constructive tool to help policymakers and school leaders improve the efficacy of counseling programs," said Stephen Miller, co-author of the report. "With school budgets pressed more than ever, it is critical that every education dollar is spent wisely, and simple steps to improve counseling services can go a long way."

Copies of the report will be provided to State Legislators and the State Department of Education, and will be made available to local school boards and school leaders as well. The report will also be made available for download by the public from the Foundation's website, www.joyceivyfoundation.org.

About The Joyce Ivy Foundation

Based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, The Joyce Ivy Foundation seeks to provide exposure, encouragement, counsel, financial assistance, and employment support to young women in the Midwest who have the potential to attend or do attend Ivy League and equivalent institutions. Funding for the Joyce Ivy Foundation is provided by individuals and corporations. The Foundation has no paid staff, and all of its funds are used to directly support its programs. For more information, please visit The Foundation’s website at http://www.joyceivyfoundation.org or contact The Joyce Ivy Foundation at info@joyceivyfoundation.org. or 734-661-0229