History of school counseling

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In the United States, the school counseling profession began as a vocational guidance movement at the beginning of the 20th century. Jesse B. Davis is considered the first to provide a systematic school guidance program. In 1907, he became the principal of a high school and encouraged the school English teachers to use compositions and lessons to relate career interests, develop character, and avoid behavioral problems. Many others during this time did the same. For example, in 1908, Frank Parsons, "Father of Vocational Guidance" established the Bureau of Vocational Guidance to assist young people in making the transition from school to work.

From the 1920s to the 1930s, school counseling and guidance grew because of the rise of progressive education in schools. This movement emphasized personal, social, moral development. Many schools reacted to this movement as anti-educational, saying that schools should teach only the fundamentals of education. This, combined with the economic hardship of the Great Depression, led to a decline in school counseling and guidance. In the 1940s, the U.S. used psychologists and counselors to select, recruit, and train military personnel. This propelled the counseling movement in schools by providing ways to test students and meet their needs. Schools accepted these military tests openly. Also, Carl Rogers' emphasis on helping relationships during this time influenced the profession of school counseling. In the 1950s the government established the Guidance and Personnel Services Section in the Division of State and Local School Systems. In 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik I. Out of concern that the Russians were beating the U.S. in the space race, which had military implications, and that there were not enough scientists and mathematicians, the American government passed the National Defense Education Act, which spurred a huge growth in vocational guidance through large amounts of funding. Since the 1960s, the profession of school counseling has continued to grow as new legislation and new professional developments were established to refine and further the profession and improve education (Schmidt[1], 2003). On January 1, 2006, congress officially declared February 6-10 as National School Counseling Week.

Jesse B. Davis is considered the first person to implement a school counseling program which helped initiate the vocational guidance movement in the United States.

In Central High School in Detroit, Michigan, Jesse B. Davis worked as a guidance counselor for 11th grade boys and girls from 1898 to 1907. Davis' primary duties involved educational and vocational counseling. In 1907, he became principal of another high school in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and required all seventh-grade students to write a weekly report on occupational interests for their English class. The students would related vocational interests to curriculum subjects. Furthermore, he encouraged English teachers to use lessons and compositions to develop character, help students avoid behavioral problems, and get along with others. From 1914 to 1916, served as president of the National Vocational Guidance Association. Today, English high school and middle school classes are still used to help students learn about occupational interests, decision-making, and research.

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