| The contemporary school environment, influence by the changing society requires that the American school system focus on practices that facilitate an intercultural school atmosphere that includes the entire campus community (e.g., teachers, students, families, and communities). Although there is extensive research advocating the diversity-based reform of the American school system, there is still a gap in the research that specifies the role and impact that the school counselor has on that process. Because of tenets like the ones established by the American School Counselor Association, the school counselor should play a vital role in national school reform, especially with regard to diversity. Despite increasing awareness regarding the importance of improving students' diversity competence in the 21st century, there have been very few studies that have actually examined the effectiveness of practices that are realistic for school counselors to apply. This purpose of this mixed-methods study was to address the school counselor's role as a facilitator in the educational transformation for all students, especially diverse and minority populations. The most significant findings of the surveys and interviews indicated that exemplary practices for school counselors to facilitate diversity-based guidance programs include common factors (i.e., systemic, developmentally appropriate, person-centered, and exposure). The findings from this study have applicability for working with our nation's increasingly diverse public school population. |
