Praxis 5422 Practice Exam 1 Flashcards

Question

Self-control procedures include all of the following EXCEPT: a. Self-monitoring b. Self-punishment c. Response control d. Stimulus control

Answer 1

c. Response control Self-control procedures do not include response control. Self-control procedures include self- monitoring, self-punishment, stimulus control, and self-reinforcement. Counselors using self- monitoring encourage clients to record information about the frequency and duration of specified symptoms. Self-punishment and self-reinforcement help clients self-administer the consequences of the targeted behavior, so that it can be modified. Stimulus control includes behavior that is controlled by associated consequences. Stimulus control techniques include narrowing, cue strengthening, and fading.

Answer 2

a. There is a decreased likelihood for the Hawthorne effect. This type of observation (i.e., an informal observation) is advantageous over a formal observation because it decreases the likelihood of the Hawthorne effect. The Hawthorne effect presumes that a subject is more likely to modify their behavior based on knowing that they are being observed. Because the student was not a current client, the student lacked an awareness of being observed. Confirmation bias occurs when a counselor seeks information to confirm an initial hypothesis despite encountering information that may refute that hypothesis. Unstructured observations are at greater risk for confirmation bias than formal observations. Interrater reliability values are likely to be lower rather than higher. Likewise, threats to internal validity are not minimized.

Answer 3

d. The student’s score is above average. Stanine measurements divide a standard bell curve into nine equal groups, and a stanine score places an individual score within one of those nine groups. A stanine score of 5 is the mean, or average, with stanine 1 being far below average and stanine 9 being far above average. Stanine scores allow an individual to interpret their score in relation to the rest of the group.

Answer 4

d. Join ASCA as a student member One major benefit of ASCA membership, even for school counseling students, is the availability of professional liability insurance. University field experiences offices or local school districts may add interns to their policies, however, this varies widely. ASCA is the best option for Mr. Dean. The National Board for Certified Counselors is not an option for school counseling students who have not yet earned their degree.

Answer 5

a. An appropriate counselor-to-student ratio in accordance with ASCA recommendations Process data describes the school counseling program in terms of who was served and how. In other words, process data tells when and how often programming occurred and how many students participated. This type of data would be supportive for a counselor advocating for an appropriate student-to-counselor ratio, especially if their process data demonstrates that they are unable to reach all of the students on their caseload equally or their caseload is much larger than the recommended 250:1. Outcome and perception data is more likely to be utilized to support a request for professional development for counselors or teachers. Other types of data, such as the use-of-time assessment or published research on the training and impact of school counselors, could be used to advocate for reassignment of inappropriate duties.

Answer 6

b. Vocational counseling Frank Parsons was the author Choosing a Vocation and the leader of the vocational counseling movement. A focus on the role of the counselor in a therapeutic role did not occur until later, with Carl Rogers’ contributions to the profession. Systemic change and advocacy roles came much later with the introduction of ASCA.

Answer 7

b. Their test score may not be reliable due to their emotional state. Test reliability indicates how consistent a test is. Test validity means that the assessment measures what it is intended to measure. The SAT is a valid and reliable assessment, meaning that it measures what it is intended to measure and individual test-takers should receive the same or similar scores on repeated administrations. Individual circumstances, however, such as a recent death in the family, may mean that an individual’s test score is not reliable for that administration. If that student were to repeat the test at a later date when their emotional state was not as heightened, they may perform differently.

Answer 8

b. Perception data Pre- and post-test data is a type of perception data that is used to measure gains in knowledge or changes in perspective. Perception data measures what people think they know, believe, or can do. Because of their subjective nature, surveys are commonly used to collect perception data, but not process or outcome data. Process data measures what a school counselor does and for whom, so subjective measures such as a survey are not applicable. Outcome data measures the impact of school counseling activities and is much more objective in nature, so this information is typically pulled from the SIS.

Answer 9

d. Intelligence tests are valid across different cultures. Commonly used intelligence tests are frequently criticized for having cultural biases which impact an individual’s outcome; in addition, intelligence tests are known to measure a very limited type of intelligence. Even with these limitations, intelligence tests can be a helpful tool when utilized as a part of a broader assessment of an individual. For example, when evaluating students for special education services, a child’s score on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children may indicate relative strengths and weaknesses in different measurements of intelligence, which ca help pinpoint specific learning disabilities. It is important, however, to keep in mind the criticism of these tests for being culturally biased and understand that they may not measure intelligence in the same way across different cultures. Like most assessments, intelligence tests should not be used as a single data point for decision making.

Answer 10

c. Working/norming The working or “norming” stage of the group counseling process is where the majority of the group’s time is spent, usually about 50% of the time. This is where the majority of the group goals are addressed and the true “work” of group counseling is accomplished. The initial or “forming” stage is when the group first comes together, goals and group rules are established, and the facilitator tries to alleviate members’ anxiety about the group counseling process. The transition or “storming” stage is when the group begins to transition to the actual work of the group counseling process. This stage is characterized by conflict and group members challenging the facilitator. If conflicts are not resolved in this stage, the result can be difficult for the remainder of the group counseling session. Finally, termination or “adjourning” is the closing of the group, sometimes characterized by the grief of group members, and is focused on transferring new skills or experiences to the outside world.

Answer 11

b. Immigrant parents are oftentimes unfamiliar with American school systems. Immigrant parents have many challenges when sending their children to school in America. Oftentimes, the parents do not speak English and are unfamiliar with the American school system. While language barriers often result in parents not participating in their children’s education, a counselor can easily offer translators and other educational opportunities to overcome these barriers. However, if parents continue to be unclear about the needs and expectations of the school system, immigrant parents will continue to be inactive. This can be overcome by providing a supportive environment for both the parents and the students. Counselors in school systems with a high immigrant population will need to serve as “school-home-community liaisons” in order to promote the needs of the students and their families.

Answer 12

b. Blocking In this situation, the counselor’s goal should be to stop the inappropriate conversation. Gossiping about others who are not in the group is not helpful to the group or appropriate in the context of the group. Blocking is a strategy for stopping a hurtful behavior. Clarification, linking, and active listening would all be inappropriate choices in this scenario because they would invite the student to continue their line of discussion.

Answer 13

a. Achievement test Achievement tests measure how well the test-taker has mastered specific skills or objectives. End-of-grade or end-of-course tests, as required by many states and school districts, are examples of achievement tests because they measure a student’s mastery of the content objectives or skills that are generally expected to be taught during that grade level or course. While some schools may use data from these achievement tests to make placement decisions for future courses, that is not what these types of tests are designed for. Aptitude tests are a different type of assessment that attempts to predict the test-taker’s aptitude or future success in a specific area, while placement tests measure the test-taker’s skill level in a specific content area in order to determine their current level for course placements. Norm-referenced tests measure the individual test-taker’s or group of test-takers’ results against another group of test-takers, while criterion-referenced tests measure the individual test-taker’s results against a specific set of standards. For example, a norm-referenced test may indicate that a student’s mathematics ability is more or less advanced than a group of their same-aged peers, while a criterion-referenced test would simply indicate that a student has mastered all of their current grade-level mathematics standards.

Answer 14

c. Erikson Erikson suggests that children begin to associate with either industry or inferiority in early adolescence. Industry refers to a person’s ability to succeed and feel worthy. Typically, healthy children who receive the appropriate support and encouragement at home and at school will feel a sense of industry. This identification is important, as it can be the basis of future educational, social, and coping skills. For example, a child who has a strong sense of industry will be more likely to cope with a low grade on a test. He will understand that he may need to study harder for the next test or seek assistance. On the other hand, a child with a poor school, family, or peer support system may experience feelings of inferiority. In this case, he is likely to have insufficient coping mechanisms and not perform well in school.

Answer 15

b. Collaborating This example describes collaboration and could also be considered an example of “leaderless” collaboration, where all parties in the collaborative effort have equal leadership status. Co-counselors within the same school may also conduct each of the other roles listed independently or together. For example, counselors may frequently consult with one another on particularly difficult cases, ethical dilemmas, or areas of individual expertise. Effective counselors will also likely conduct an evaluation of their programming together. Although likely less common in a school setting due to availability of time, counselors may also at times conduct counseling together, particularly in groups.

Answer 16

d. Evaluate the previous year’s program A well-designed needs assessment can be a powerful tool for school counselors in identifying areas of need, defining goals, and planning programming. Needs assessments can also identify areas where there may be equity gaps, individual student concerns, or common student concerns that may be addressed by small-group counseling. While it may be tempting to use a needs assessment to track changes in data from year to year as a form of program evaluation, this is not the purpose for which they are designed and are unlikely to be effective for program evaluation due to changes in student enrollment or staffing from year to year and a lack of specificity within the questions to evaluate individual programs.

Answer 17

c. Delivering standards-based academic, social/emotional, and career curriculum to all students School counselors support the implementation of MTSS by providing a standards-based curriculum to all students (the intervener role). It is not appropriate for school counselors to lead the implementation of MTSS as a whole because MTSS is a team approach. Even within an MTSS framework, it is still inappropriate for a school counselor to coordinate a testing program or to provide standard individual counseling to all students in a certain tier of MTSS.

Answer 18

a. Trend A statistical trend is a method of measuring a change over time. There are a variety of methods and tests which can be utilized to analyze statistical trends. If a statistically significant trend exists within a set of data (such as graduation rates over the course of multiple years), then that trend could be understood as the overall direction of data. In the example described, there could be a trend toward increasing or decreasing graduation rates. It is also possible to have no trend within a data set. The mean is the average of the data, which is not helpful in analyzing changes over time in this example. The mode is the most common value within the data, and the standard deviation has to do with distribution along a bell curve, neither of which are helpful pieces of information for the example given.

Answer 19

a. Child development Elementary School is the time when children are learning the most and developing important motor skills and mental functions. Counselors must be able to recognize developmental delays, as well as advanced learners. School counselors will be major advocates for students who may experience developmental delays. While the other options may be important, these issues are more likely seen at the junior high and high school levels. Knowledge in continued education will be important for high school students who wish to pursue a college education; counselors with students in these age groups will need to educate students and offer assistance in applying to colleges and obtaining financial aid and scholarships. Additionally, relationship building, adjustment, and coping mechanisms are issues most often seen in junior high school, as these years are a time of many changes physically, emotionally, and educationally.

Answer 20

c. Lower anxiety levels in a group setting Small group counseling can be very beneficial for students with various anxiety disorders, and there are multiple programs and curricula available for counselors to use for this purpose. There are several benefits for both the students and the counselor in utilizing small group counseling for this purpose. A busy school counselor with a large caseload can see more students at one time in a small group setting, potentially increasing their effectiveness in reaching all students. Students in a group also benefit from peer exposure, learning from others’ experiences, practicing new skills together, and having a level of social exposure that can help build confidence in social situations. However, group members should be carefully considered because not all students with anxiety can immediately function in a small group setting. Some students with severe social anxiety may need preparatory individual counseling to be able to benefit from small group counseling. Therefore, answer choice C is correct because not all students are less likely to be anxious in a group setting.

Answer 21

d. System support The system support component of the comprehensive school counseling program utilizes a counselor’s leadership skills to support the total school environment and promote systemic change. System support activities such as professional development, committee work, and program management all provide opportunities for school counselors to demonstrate leadership and advocacy at the school level. While there could be some components of counseling curriculum, individual student planning, and responsive services that allow a counselor to demonstrate leadership, the system support or indirect services component is more strongly related to leadership roles.

Answer 22

b. Alfred Adler Alfred Adler’s theory of individual psychology focused on feelings of inferiority vs. superiority and Adlerian therapy investigates the effect of the client’s birth order on behavior. Adler was once a colleague of Sigmund Freud, but he eventually separated from Freud’s circles.

Answer 23

b. ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success The ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success outline skills and mindsets essential for student success in college and beyond. Counselors planning a classroom guidance curriculum should utilize the Mindsets & Behaviors to begin to outline learning objectives for their lessons.

Answer 24

b. Manage Development of the mission and vision statements for the counseling program establish program focus and define student outcomes, which are part of the Manage component of the ASCA

Answer 25

d. Advocating for a pay raise The program evaluation is designed to serve each of the listed purposes except for advocating for a pay raise. While school counselors advocate in general for the profession, and that may include advocating for adequate professional compensation, the individual program evaluation is not designed to serve this purpose.

Answer 26

c. Industry vs. inferiority (ages 6-12) In the industry vs. inferiority stage of development, an individual begins to compare their personal accomplishments (academic, relational, athletic, etc.) to their peers and as a result, develops either a sense of pride or a sense of inferiority in comparison to others. The autonomy vs. shame stage focuses on a developing the senses of independence and autonomy in a child who is given the opportunity to make basic decisions about their lives, or a sense of shame when the child is not given such input. In the initiative vs. guilt stage, a child learns a sense of pride when allowed to work toward a goal and practice responsibility, or a sense of guilt when they are unsuccessful in this task. Identity vs. role confusion is the stage in which adolescents grapple with the question, “Who am I?”.

Answer 27

d. The SAT Criterion-referenced assessments measure the test-taker’s mastery of specific skills or objectives; results can typically be expressed in terms such as “passing” or “proficient.” Students taking criterion-referenced assessments have either mastered the objectives or not; the abilities of other students taking the assessment have no impact on their score or test result. Norm-referenced assessments, however, compare the individual test-taker to their peers. These results are typically expressed as a percentile rank, rather than “passing” or “proficient.”

Answer 28

d. Counseling Counseling is a direct student service, while consulting, collaborating, and evaluating are all indirect services. Specifically, counseling is a responsive, direct service. Consultation and collaboration can be easily confused for direct services because they involve working directly with other professionals or stakeholders, often in “direct” response to a student need. However, direct services are defined as services provided to students.

Answer 29

c. Identifying careers that may be of interest Personality assessments, such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, can be useful tools for a variety of purposes, including self-reflection, learning coping skills, and identifying areas of academic or career interest. They are not, however, diagnostic assessments to be used for diagnosing personality disorders, evaluating for learning disabilities, or determining placement in special education or honors coursework. Personality assessments like the MBTI require an individual to be able to accurately reflect on and interpret their own thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and rate them accurately and therefore should never be utilized as a sole data point in decision making.

Answer 30

b. Accommodation When it comes to providing equal access to the curriculum via a Section 504 plan or IEP, the most common terms used are “accommodation” and “modification.” While counselors will frequently hear and use these terms in conjunction with each other, they refer to different types of strategies. Accommodations are those strategies that change the environment, time, type of output, or size of the task at hand without fundamentally changing the task, instructional level, or content that the student is learning. Accommodations allow students to access the curriculum as well as their non-disabled peers and perform the same learning tasks as their peers. Preferential seating (such as seating away from distractions or close to the teacher) is an example of environmental accommodation. Extended time is an accommodation that changes the length of time given to complete a task without changing the task itself. Modifications, however, change the task or content itself based on a child’s needs. Modifications may lower or change the learning standards expected of the student. An example of a modification would be giving a child an alternate reading passage on their reading level. Interventions are instructional strategies used to help a child learn content; an example would be small group instruction.

Answer 31

b. Sociability Researchers have studied the effects of providing social skills training to gifted and special needs students. These trainings often take a cognitive-behavioral approach to learning new behaviors. The results of these studies show that these students demonstrate a significant increase in their sociability. This includes their willingness to participate in social situations, such as on the playground. Social skills trainings often focus on listening skills, empathy, building rapport, self- disclosure, and appropriate eye contact. This training typically does not affect a student’s self-esteem or other school-related issues, such as attendance or grades.

Answer 32

d. Addressing conflict between group members Each of the first three options describes a typical, appropriate goal for the initial or “forming” stage of group counseling, which typically takes place in the first or second session. Conflict between group members typically develops in the transition or “storming” stage of the group. Later stages include working or “norming,” and termination or “adjourning.”

Answer 33

a. Installation of hope This example most directly demonstrates the idea of “installation of hope,” whereby group members can see others’ successes and feel hopeful about their own prospects for growth and improvement. The concept of universality describes the understanding that what group members are experiencing is not unusual and they are not alone in their experiences. Group cohesiveness explains the sense of belonging that group members feel when working toward a common group goal. “Imparting information” could be a tricky answer choice in this scenario. Jim is sharing his experience with the group, but not necessarily sharing new information that they could learn from. “Installation of hope” is a better fit for this situation because the information Jim shared could inspire other group members in their progress.

Answer 34

a. Generalized anxiety disorder Restlessness, difficulty concentrating, irritability, difficulty sleeping, headaches, and stomachaches persisting for more than six months are all symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder. None of the symptoms described are consistent with autism spectrum disorder. Although irritability and inability to focus could be symptoms of oppositional defiant disorder and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, the other symptoms described are not consistent with those disorders.

Answer 35

b. During an intervention Formative assessments are used to determine the effectiveness of an intervention and can be used to modify the treatment. This is an important step in the intervention process, as a student’s rate of learning is not always apparent. This type of assessment can be in the form of informal questions to determine if the student understands the topic. The goal of a formative assessment is to provide the best possible setting for the student in order to increase learning and understanding. When done at regular intervals, the counselor can determine if the goals of the intervention are being met in a timely manner. A formative assessment will also provide an indication of an ineffective intervention strategy.

Answer 36

a. Challenging the student’s irrational belief that they must be stupid if they received a failing grade on a test Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on changing irrational thoughts that lead to unwanted or negative feelings. In this scenario, the counselor would challenge the student’s belief that they received a failing grade on their math test because there is something inherently wrong with them or their intelligence. Instead, the counselor may help the student reframe their difficulty, such as by saying, “I received a failing grade on my math test because I did not prepare and study effectively.” Meanwhile, answer choice B would be a problem-focused approach, and answer choice C reflects a more solution-focused approach. Answer choice D represents a person-centered approach.

Answer 37

b. Ecological model The ecological model consists of the microsystem, macrosystem, and excosystem. The microsystem encompasses the students’ immediate family and support systems. This will include parents, siblings, extended family, and friends. The macrosystem is defined by the students’ culture. This will vary from student to student and often may include various subcultures. The exosystem refers to students’ social support systems, such as their community. Understanding these three aspects of students’ support systems will assist in developing appropriate programs and interventions, as the counselor will be able to incorporate the students’ beliefs, morals, and values into counseling programs.

Answer 38

c. Ask the student how they will know when they no longer need individual counseling As with most brief solution-focused counseling, the process of termination is similarly guided by the client’s understanding of their own goal and picturing their desired outcomes. Asking the client how they will know when they are done with their counseling sessions allows the client to visualize their desired outcome and articulate the specifics of their goal. While there is not a limit to the number of sessions in this type of therapy, the number of sessions is typically limited because clients make progress quickly. Goal progress and readiness for termination are measured by the client’s perception, not the counselor’s observation. The client may not have completely met their goal by the time they are ready to terminate their counseling sessions, but rather may have made a great deal of progress toward that goal and feel confident in their ability to continue to make progress.

Answer 39

a. Local police department Students may benefit from speaking to representatives from all of these organizations. However, a representative from the local police department would be the best option. These individuals are usually trained in drug education for school-aged children. Additionally, most police departments have drug prevention programs in place that have been proven to have positive outcomes. By bringing in individuals from the community, students get a different perspective of the issue at hand. Students will be able to ask questions and receive life experience answers from the presenter. This helps to show students the reality of the problem, as well as its consequences.

Answer 40

c. Coordinating the school’s testing program, including accommodations for students with disabilities ASCA does not support school counselors in taking on the role of schoolwide testing coordinator because this task detracts from the role of a counselor in providing academic, social/emotional, and career support to students.

Answer 41

c. Closing-the-gap action plan Closing-the-gap action plan documents are used to develop plans to address discrepancies between groups of students. In the situation described, there appears to be a discrepancy between students with disabilities and nondisabled students in the rate of high school graduation, so a closing-the-gap action plan would be appropriate. Within that plan, a counselor may identify activities for classroom guidance lessons or small group counseling, but the overall plan to address the discrepancy is the closing-the-gap action plan. In addition, the documentation of activities and evaluation methods takes place within the closing-the-gap action plan template.

Answer 42

b. Create a support team with the help of other students, teachers, and the new student’s parents Making a broad announcement about the student’s arrival is likely to embarrass the student and possibly create more alienation from the general student body. As this student does not necessarily have a problem, direct counseling and education may not beneficial. School counselors who offer the student, as well as her family, supportive services will be the most beneficial in easing the transition from one school to the next. Counselors can enlist the support and assistance from other students by providing the new student a peer guide for the first couple of days. The guide will show them around the school and make sure the student knows where her classes are. This guide can also provide information about the school, such as the various clubs and sports available and upcoming events. Additional support from the school and the community will provide the student and her family with important information about the school and the new area.

Answer 43

b. Gatekeeper The gatekeeper of a group is the member who tries to keep everyone else on task and ensure they are participating in the group. The scapegoat is the group member whom everyone else tries to blame when things go wrong. The energizer is the group member who attempts to get others excited and enthusiastic about the group, and the interrogator asks a lot of questions of the group.

Answer 44

a. Creating an on-the-job training program Counselors can be responsible for more than just the mental and emotional well-being of students. When a school offers various career development programs, students who participate gain valuable skills for the future. On-the-job training programs are an excellent way to increase job skills. Additionally, these programs often help students decide what career path to follow. These programs allow students to go to school and work while earning school credits and gaining practical business experience. Counselors must understand that cooperation and communication with the community and leaders in the business community can be the key to success for these types of programs.

Answer 45

d. Multisystemic therapy (MST) MST is an evidence-based practice (EBP) for adolescent substance abuse and associated issues. MST addresses severe behavioral issues, including community influences, school issues, and family factors. Family involvement is a critical element for adolescent substance use disorder treatment. The Incredible Years is an early childhood EBP for children with challenging behaviors, including symptoms of ADHD and ODD. The parent-implemented intervention is an EBP for children with ASD. Finally, self-help groups, including Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, are not EBPs for adolescent substance use and antisocial behaviors.

Answer 46

b. Role conflict Role conflict refers to unrealistic demands on the counselor. This often occurs when counselors do not establish appropriate boundaries between themselves and the students. In addition, not establishing boundaries with teachers can lead to unrealistic expectations of the counselor. Role conflict often leads to counselor burnout because the counselor tries to help everyone. On the other hand, role ambiguity occurs when an individual is unclear about his role within a particular occupation. Role mutations occur when counselors serve in roles not intended for those in the counseling profession, which often leads to inconsistent counseling practices and programs. Schools and counselors must be clear on the expectations and responsibilities of the school counselor in order to provide effective programs for the students.

Answer 47

a. Advocate In this situation, Mrs. Johnson primarily was advocating for her student’s legal rights under Section 504. Typically, the leadership role applies to the development and delivery of a comprehensive school counseling program, while the consultant role usually involves a third party. Convening a team meeting may involve collaboration, but the counselor’s role in that process was as an advocate for the rights of her student.

Answer 48

a. Positive reinforcement A reinforcement is an operant that increases the likelihood of the target behavior happening again. Reinforcements can be positive or negative. Positive reinforcements reward the target behavior with something pleasant or enjoyable, while negative reinforcements reward the target behavior with the removal of something unpleasant or undesirable. B.F. Skinner’s famous experiment involved rats who escaped a painful electric current by pushing a lever, which was a negative reinforcement. Punishment is the opposite of reinforcement as it decreases the likelihood of the behavior happening again. Neutral operants do not affect the frequency of the target behavior.

Answer 49

d. Offer regular reports and information on student performance, as well as school events and programs Keeping parents informed about their students’ academic progress is one important factor in the success of a student. These reports are useful in tracking a student’s progress and identifying when intervention is necessary. By including the parents in these reports, counselors can take a step in gaining the parents’ participation and cooperation if problems do arise. These reports also

Answer 50

b. Trauma-informed practices Trauma-informed practices would be the most reasonable place for this counselor to start when working with this family. The children experienced a traumatic event and are demonstrating classic effects of trauma. Family systems therapy would be conducted in a mental health setting with a trained therapist. Multi-tiered systems of support and positive behavior intervention and support may be somewhat helpful for the children, but trauma-informed practices are the best support for recovery from a traumatic experience.

Answer 51

d. Middle school boys do not experience or participate in social bullying, only girls. Social bullying is bullying that focuses on damaging or reducing a victim’s social relationships, including exclusion or spreading rumors. Social bullying is most common in female students. While middle school boys are more likely to experience or participate in physical bullying, such as hitting, kicking, or fighting, they are not immune to social bullying. Cyberbullying can be a form of social or verbal bullying, including name-calling, spreading rumors, making threats, exclusion, and other types of harassment; cyberbullying is common at the middle school level. Finally, many bullying prevention programs identify various roles students play in bullying, including the role of “bystander” or “onlooker,” a student who witnesses bullying but does nothing to stop the bully or support the victim; a student in this role is considered to be supporting the bullying behavior.

Answer 52

a. Consultation In this situation, the counselor is serving as the “resident expert” to provide information to the classroom teacher, who is seeking information to support his student. They are not working together to come up with a solution, which would be an example of collaboration; it is a one-way exchange of information. Consultation could be a method by which counselors provide professional development, such as by providing information to a large group of teachers. Although this consultation could result in an outside referral, as in choice D, the consultation itself is the best description for the meeting in this scenario.

Answer 53

d. Ms. Joseph should provide the child’s parents with a list of referrals and continue working with the child in the meantime The ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors indicate that counselors have a duty to refer when students need a higher level of support than a counselor can adequately provide. In making referrals, counselors should be careful not to endorse any specific provider and, when possible, should provide parents with a vetted list of possible counselors that is approved by the district. The duty to refer does not apply to counselors who feel that they cannot provide services to a student based on their personal or religious beliefs and, in those scenarios, counselors should seek additional training and development.

Answer 54

c. Assisting students with understanding course selections Assisting students with course selections to help students make choices that are rigorous and align with their post-secondary plans is an appropriate activity for a school counselor. Understanding appropriate and inappropriate counseling tasks is a major focus of the Management section of the ASCA National Model; this is an area that school counselors should be very familiar with in order to plan their use of time and advocate for appropriate duties. A comprehensive school counseling program designed with the ASCA National Model will focus on prevention, intervention, and advocacy, not clerical or administrative tasks. When it comes to assisting students with post- secondary plans, there are many tasks that school counselors may have done historically or may still do in some schools that are not considered appropriate activities. These include tasks such as calculating class rank or grade point average, coordinating schoolwide SAT testing, copying student records for college applications, or doing other clerical tasks related to college applications.

Answer 55

c. Develop prevention and intervention programs to address this issue Programs addressing teen pregnancy are designed to offer students education and support for various issues. As a counselor, regardless of your personal beliefs, you must be sensitive to the needs and views of your students. Prevention programs can provide education about safe sex, as well as information about the reality of being pregnant and a teenage parent. These prevention programs should be geared toward those who are not pregnant but may currently be or thinking about being sexually active. Intervention programs should be geared toward those who are currently pregnant or recently had a child. These programs should provide supportive services along with education about being a teenage parent. Whenever possible, involving the student’s parents in the programs will help increase the student’s support system.

Answer 56

c. Outcome data describing the number of students who completed each classroom guidance lesson Process data focuses on the implementation of an intervention, such as the number of students who participated or the evidence of the intervention itself. Perception data describes what the participants of an intervention believe or think they have gained as a result of the intervention. Outcome data describes the measurable impact of an intervention, such as a gain in skills or abilities or improvements toward a specific goal. Answer choice C describes process data, not outcome data.

Answer 57

b. ELL students are not eligible for special education services with an IEP. While students may not be identified for an IEP based on their language needs, it is possible for a student who is identified as an English language learner to also have a disability that qualifies them for an IEP. Each of the other statements about ELLs is true and is an important consideration for school counselors in considering the needs of their students.

Answer 58

b. The child would become conditioned to the negative response and avoid the situation. Pavlov’s theory of conditioning responses states that when a response repeatedly follows an action, the one performing the action will either continue or stop doing so depending on the response. In this case, the child continually receives a negative response from his peers. Theoretically, the child would begin to relate his actions to this negative response and cease the action. However, this is not occurring and may be an indication of developmental delays. As seen in the vignette, the child has little social support at home, and there is a clear indication of other interpersonal issues with his parents. To help this child, a counselor could explore social development delays he has and propose some type of intervention.

Answer 59

b. Collaborating Peer mediation programs train student mediators to guide their peers through a collaborative conflict resolution process. Described as a “win-win” style, this conflict resolution style attempts to find a common solution that both parties can agree on. Other styles of conflict resolution may result in both parties not agreeing on the outcome. The competing style forces one member of the conflict to “win” at the expense of others, while the accommodating style sees one member of the conflict give in to the needs of the other member over their own. The avoiding style is exactly what it sounds like, and the conflict is ignored or postponed rather than addressed.

Answer 60

d. Allowing children to practice conflict resolution strategies and communication skills Skill practice is typically not a stated goal of a support group and would not be appropriate in this situation. Skill practice would be more appropriate for an educational or therapy group.

Answer 61

c. Did the pre- and post-tests indicate an increase in knowledge related to the lesson objectives? Perception data is data that measures what participants think they know, believe, or can do. This type of data is typically measured in the form of feedback surveys or pre- and post-tests. This is not the only type of data that can be analyzed to determine the effectiveness of a classroom guidance curriculum and identify areas for improvement. Answer choices A and D represent process data, and answer choice B represents outcome data. A thorough evaluation of the classroom guidance curriculum would include each of these types of data to identify both the effectiveness of the program and any potential areas of improvement.

Answer 62

b. Mentor-mentee programs are a tier I intervention for students at risk. Mentor-mentee programs are a well-researched intervention for students at-risk. Tier I interventions are school-wide programs designed to provide quality instruction and support for all students. “At-risk” students, such as those who are failing courses, have chronic absenteeism, were retained in the previous grade level, or who have various other risk factors would most likely require a tier II or tier III intervention, typically in a small group or one-on-one setting. Therefore, a mentor-mentee program designed for at-risk students would not be a tier I intervention. Research supports mentor-mentee programs as having positive impacts on student outcomes, both academic and behavioral. Mentor-mentee programs can be found both in the community and within schools. School counselors wishing to implement mentor-mentee programs could design and manage their own program or seek out a community resource for their students; regardless of where the program is managed, counselors should ensure parent permission for students to participate, especially when volunteers from the community are serving as mentors or when mentors may seek information about their mentees’ progress in school.

Answer 63

b. Objective reports with respect to ethical guidelines Students have the right to seek confidential counseling. Counselors should inform parents of this confidentiality, as well as the roles, responsibilities, and expectations of the counselor and the student being counseled. Counselors should also work to provide parents with objective information regarding their children within the scope of confidentiality. At times, it may be necessary to inform the parents of certain issues pertaining to safety. This information will be provided only after the counselor has made a professional judgment that the client is in danger or intends to inflict harm on another and after telling the client of their intention to inform their parents. Finally, the counselor also has a responsibility to keep conversations he has with the parents confidential.

Answer 64

d. All of the above When developing a counseling program, the counselor should take a number of factors into consideration, including what the students would like to gain from the programs. One factor that students often consider is academic counseling. This type of counseling provides students with additional support as they progress through their courses, as well as support during transitional periods such as moving from high school to college. In addition to this, students are often interested in counseling programs pertaining to career and self-awareness. Many students would also like to know the availability of counselors and the frequency of planning sessions they have with the counselor. Finally, visibility of counselors and their ability and availability to answer questions and assist with problems is often listed as a student concern for counseling programs.

Answer 65

a. Disaggregated achievement data The school data profile is an important tool provided within the ASCA National Model to assist counselors in disaggregating student data. This data can be collected both short- and long- term and in a variety of areas, including achievement and behavioral data. The school data profile can be used to both manage the school counseling program (by identifying areas of focus for closing-the-gap action plans or advocating for equity issues) and evaluate the school counseling program (by analyzing long-term data to understand the impact of the program). Attainment of competencies and needs assessment data are types of perception data that can be difficult to represent in a spreadsheet, especially if the data is more qualitative in nature. Attainment of competencies data is process data that could be prepared in a spreadsheet but is not the focus of the school data profile.

Answer 66

b. A group focused on teaching parenting skills. An educational group is one that is designed to teach information and develop skills, regardless of the topic. Therefore, a group that teaches parenting skills would be considered an educational group. A group that focuses on processing a common experience of grief and loss would be an example of a support group, while the group planning a school event would be a task group. Finally, the group focused on overcoming test anxiety would be considered a counseling or therapy group.

Answer 67

c. The client’s thoughts or beliefs Cognitive behavioral therapy is rooted in the belief that a client’s emotional state is directly related to their beliefs or thoughts about their problems. Much of a client’s time within cognitive behavioral therapy is spent challenging cognitions and changing self-talk, which in turn results in changing the client’s emotional state. Don’t confuse the ABC model in cognitive behavioral therapy with the ABC behavior model often used in schools when developing behavior interventions.

Answer 68

c. The School Counselor Performance Appraisal is conducted by an administrator once a year using school, district, or state guidelines. The School Counselor Performance Appraisal is a part of the Accountability component of an ASCA National Model program. The specifics of the tools used to complete the appraisal are based on school, district, or state guidelines and processes. ASCA recommends that School Counselor Performance Appraisals include a self-evaluation component in addition to an administrative evaluation and assessment of goal attainment. Like all program evaluation tools, the School Counselor Performance Appraisal should be based on a variety of data. This tool can be utilized by the school counselor and school administrators to make program decisions and adjustments.

Answer 69

b. Asking the student what is going better since they met last week. Brief solution-focused counseling always focuses on the exception to the problem, improvements since the previous session, and progress toward the goal. Therefore, most subsequent sessions will begin with the counselor asking the client about what has improved since the previous session.

Answer 70

b. Disaggregating standardized test scores to guide programming and instructional decisions Standardized tests are a common experience and data point for schools across the country, and many schools and districts have used the results of these tests in all of the ways described in the answer choices. However, ASCA warns against placing too strong of an emphasis on individual test scores. Standardized tests provide only one data point in making decisions about curriculum, instruction, and the education of individual students. School counselors advocate for the use of multiple measures of student progress in making decisions about advanced or remedial coursework, intervention services, promotion, and retention. School counselors also advocate for the use of multiple measures in guiding school improvement, curriculum development, or instructional coaching. Standardized test scores can provide valuable information about academic achievement or school improvement, especially when the data is disaggregated by subgroup or compared to a norm-referenced group. However, this data should not be the sole or even primary data point in making decisions about students.

Answer 71

c. Mr. Golden should seek training and development in this area to help him provide comprehensive services to the student. According to the ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors, counselors should evaluate any personal biases that may prevent them from providing comprehensive services to all students. When school counselors identify biases that interfere with providing comprehensive services to all students, they should seek additional training and development rather than deny counseling services to these students based on their personal biases. School counselors should work to promote an environment that respects diversity.

Answer 72

b. Individual results report There are three types of action plans that can be created as part of a comprehensive school counseling program: curriculum action plan, small-group action plan, and closing-the-gap action plan. Therefore, the three corresponding results reports to analyze the effectiveness of these action plans are the curriculum results report, small-group results report, and closing-the-gap results report. There is not an individual counseling action plan or results report.

Answer 73

c. Continued Education While students with educated parents are not a risk factor, this is not considered a type of parent involvement. Involvement begins at the parenting level. Schools cannot tell individuals how to parent; however, they can provide information for parents about encouraging good academic practices while at home. For example, informing parents about the appropriate amount of time their child should spend on homework is one strategy. Communication is the next level of participation. Sending home progress reports and holding conferences both increase communication between schools and parents. The third level involves volunteering, which can include one-time projects or long-term participation. The last three levels include learning at home. Examples of this are providing information on the skills their children will learn throughout the school year, decision-making by encouraging participating on a school advisory board, and collaboration with the community.

Answer 74

b. Group discussions Discussion groups are effective ways to get parents and students involved in learning about cultural diversity. These discussion groups can offer participants the opportunity to talk about their particular cultures. Additionally, these groups offer a nonthreatening venue for others to ask questions and work out misunderstandings about various cultures that have been perpetuated by stereotypes. These groups also offer parents and students the chance to celebrate different cultures though activities. In addition to group discussions about participants’ cultures, discussions about various types of families and lifestyles are beneficial. For example, biracial families, families with adopted or foster children, and families with stepparents are increasingly common in American society, and education about these various types of families is just as important as learning about other cultures.

Answer 75

d. All of the above Regardless of the type of abuse a girl may experience, there will be deep psychological effects that may last much longer than the actual abuse. Oftentimes, these girls will have low self-esteem and look for ways to make themselves feel better. Additionally, those children who are abused may turn to drugs and alcohol to numb the effects of the abuse. Teenage girls who experience abuse are also more likely to become pregnant than those girls who do not experience abuse. Finally, those experiencing abuse will often lose interest in school and their futures, and counselors will see a decline in their grades. Since the idea of abuse if often thought of taboo and embarrassing, counselors should be aware of these risk factors and outcomes when assessing students.

Answer 76

d. Respect the student’s cultural identity as it is and assist her instead with the problems she brought to the attention of the counselor Counselors must respect the cultural identity of their students. Since the student is not seeing the counselor because of cultural identity issues, it would be considered professionally unethical for the counselor to address her Chinese heritage. It is, however, the counselor’s responsibility to understand this student’s cultural identity in order to develop effective interventions for this student’s presenting problem. The counselor must also have a clear understanding of her own beliefs and stereotypes in this situation that may cause bias when treating this student. Counselors who are unaware of these issues may inadvertently treat a student of another culture with negativity or less support than she would a student of her own culture.

Answer 77

a. Creating a closing-the-gap action plan Thorough data analysis, including disaggregating data by subgroup, is typically used for either creating a closing-the-gap action plan or completing a school data profile. This type of data analysis is helpful for identifying potential achievement gaps or equity issues within the school or district that the counselor can plan to address with a closing-the-gap action plan. This type of detailed, schoolwide data analysis is typically not used for creating a small-group action plan, although a small group may be utilized as a strategy within a closing-the-gap action plan. The annual agreement is a document created between a counselor and an administrator to plan for and establish goals for the upcoming school year and is focused on the counseling program itself; a needs assessment is usually in the form of a survey completed by students, staff, and/or parents to identify strengths and areas of concern in the school.

Answer 78

c. 135 students indicated they feel “very prepared” to complete high school in four years. With programs aimed at increasing graduation rates, outcome data such as the four-year graduation rate is often the primary piece of data that is highlighted; an effective counselor examines graduation rates even further by disaggregating data into student subgroups in order to identify gaps in achievement. Changes in this rate over time are also important in identifying areas of need or improvements made as a result of school counseling programs. School counselors also

Answer 79

a. Provides all-around support to the students Teacher advisors cooperate with school counselors to provide students with all-around support. These advisors help students adjust to a new school by offering orientation and support. Additionally, teacher advisors provide students with a sounding board when resolving disputes or misunderstandings with faculty members or other students. Oftentimes, advisors will initiate student work groups for various issues students may experience. These groups may focus on communication, conflict resolution, or general adjustment strategies. Overall, teacher advisors serve as advocates for students in order to make school and the educational experience both pleasant and rewarding.

Answer 80

b. Aggressive behaviors Problem-centered, structured counseling groups allow students to share their experiences and hear similar experiences from their peers in a safe environment. This type of group setting also allows students to gain the support of their peers as well as receive feedback. Counselors conducting these groups should focus on changing deviant behaviors and encouraging participants to try out new behaviors during the week. These exercises can be discussed during sessions, and students can learn how to brainstorm appropriate behaviors together by sharing their experiences. While it is possible to conduct a problem-centered group for a number of different issues, topics such as self-actualization, safety, and physiological issues are typically the focus of primary prevention groups.

Answer 81

c. Identify differences Typically, a counselor will conduct a student survey in order to gain an overall view of the student body. By collecting demographic information, the counselor can determine important differences in the student body. This information will assist in developing additional programs, activities, or interventions. When conducted as a formative assessment, demographic information can provide an indication of whether different groups of students are finding more benefit in a particular program or intervention. Again, this information will allow the counselor to modify a program or add programs to better fit the needs of all students involved.

Answer 82

a. “How are students different as a result of the school counseling program?” The ASCA National Model states the question to be answered by the program evaluation as “How are students different as a result of the school counseling program?” Within the program evaluation, data about academic achievement, progress toward stated goals and objectives, counselor use of time, and the effectiveness of program components is collected and evaluated, but the impact on students is the focus of the evaluation process. Measuring student impact allows the school counselor to understand their progress toward stated goals and to identify areas for improvement or adjustments to their counseling program.

Answer 83

d. Use-of-time action plan The use-of-time assessment is an ASCA National Model document, but it is not an action plan. The use-of-time assessment analyzes the counselor’s activities over the course of the school year and is typically done twice per year; as an assessment, it is a look backward over activities already conducted rather than a data-driven plan for future actions. Curriculum action plans, small-group action plans, and closing-the-gap action plans are all data-driven planning documents that help the counselor design interventions for the future. The curriculum action plan helps counselors create an effective plan for implementing the school counseling curriculum, and the small-group action plan is a similar document for planning small-group interventions. Closing-the-gap action plans help counselors design interventions focused on addressing discrepancies in academic or behavioral outcome data between student groups.

Answer 84

c. Obtain a list of preferred teacher advisors from the students Teacher advisors serve as advocates for students. They are respected adults whom students can turn to for support when problems arise. Therefore, it is important for students to be comfortable with their teacher advisors. While it is not practical to allow students to make a final decision on the advisor, schools should include students in the decision-making process. It is suggested that students be able to choose three to five teachers they would like to work with. Based on this information, counselors and teachers can then assign teacher advisors while keeping the student’s wishes in mind.

Answer 85

a. Conduct a brief individual interview with each of the students to determine if they have the social skills to participate in the group effectively Particularly with a group focused on social skills with students who struggle with appropriate social behavior, the individual interview is an extremely important part of the group selection process. Since all of the identified students are already known to struggle with social skills, it is necessary to interview each student to determine their current level of functioning with the skills necessary for group participation, such as active listening and turn-taking. Answer D, conducting an individual counseling session to practice group skills, may be appropriate for some group members after determining the final makeup of the group.

Answer 86

a. Strengths-based focus The recommended and most commonly used practice for academic intervention plans is a strengths-based focus. Most students needing an academic intervention plan are already aware (or their parents and teachers are aware) of the problems they are facing. The school counselor’s role in the academic intervention process is to identify the strengths the student has that may be supported in order to increase academic outcomes. The interventions designed in this type of plan are typically focused on either utilizing existing strengths or overcoming barriers. Cognitive behavioral therapy describes a method of one-on-one counseling, which at times may be a part of the plan, but it would not be the approach used to actually develop the plan. Family factors are often considered in developing academic intervention plans, but family therapy is not part of a school counselor’s duties and should not be used to develop an academic intervention plan.

Answer 87

c. Denial Denial occurs when individuals experience shock and disbelief over the loss of a loved one. The experience is so overwhelming that it cannot be experienced all at once. Denial serves as a protective or coping mechanism during the initial stage of grief and loss. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross’s five stages of grief are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Individuals in the anger stage of grief may blame others or believe that the circumstances surrounding the death were unfair, whereas individuals in the bargaining stage may try to make a deal with a higher power to have a better or different outcome. The depression stage of grief involves profound sadness and loss before finally reaching the acceptance stage in which the individual accepts the permanently altered reality and readjusts to live life beyond the loss.

Answer 88

b. The student did not want to share his own thoughts and wanted to get the assessment done as quickly as possible. Although using this type of assessment may result in more neutral responses, most individuals will provide their true thoughts. Receiving an assessment with all neutral responses should be considered as an outlier. Depending on the purpose of the assessment, the counselor may consider disregarding it in the results and providing an explanation in any required report. Depending on the nature of the assessment, the counselor can conduct additional assessments with the student to determine any difficulties this student may be having. Regardless, when giving students surveys, it must be indicated that all responses are confidential, and the students should respond as honestly as possible.

Answer 89

a. IDEA IDEA, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, provides for the education of children with disabilities by requiring schools to provide a free, appropriate public instruction through an individualized education plan (IEP) to children with disabilities in one of thirteen categories. These categories include: autism, deaf-blind, developmental delay, emotional disturbance, hearing impairments (including deafness), intellectual disability, multiple disabilities, orthopedic impairments, other health impairments, specific learning disabilities, speech or language impairments, traumatic brain injury, and visual impairments (including blindness). Therefore, the school counselor would refer to the provisions of this law as well as school policies under IDEA to provide information to Hanna’s parents. The other laws named in answer choices include Section 504, Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), and Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Section 504 is also a disability-related law, but Section 504 addresses how a school will provide accommodations and modifications to remove the barriers a child’s disability may create for accessing curriculum; an IEP outlines a specific educational plan including specialized instruction. FERPA has to do with the privacy of student records, and ESSA is a federal law guiding K-12 public education policy.

Answer 90

b. Having students complete a survey to determine their personality type Psychological career theory, also known as personality career theory, focuses on an individual’s personality type and the types of careers that best fit that personality type. A psychological or personality approach will always begin with a Self-Directed Search to determine the individual’s personality type. Researching careers that students are already interested in or learning about the skills and abilities needed in those careers are common activities in many schools, but these do not fit the psychological career theory whereby individuals are matched to potential careers based on their personality type. Before researching careers, students would need to take the personality survey to determine which types of careers are best suited for their personality type. A field trip to visit a real-life work setting would be more aligned with a social learning career theory, such as the approach developed by John Krumboltz. A social learning career theory is based on the concept that interests are learned, so exposure to a variety of careers and work sites gives an individual more learning and experiences from which to develop their interests.

Answer 91

b. Provide the students’ parents with a release of information form which, once signed, will permit the counselor and case manager to share certain information with each other. Although FERPA permits sharing academic information within the school for staff with a “legitimate educational interest,” outside agencies do not qualify for this permission. Although sharing this information with the case manager would probably directly benefit the student by assisting the tutoring program with identifying areas of need, the counselor must have parental consent to share this information with any outside agency. Having the student choose whether to provide this information is not appropriate, especially if they are a minor.

Answer 92

b. The mean is greater than the median. Generally speaking, the mean is less than the median in distributions with data skewed to the left. The mean, median, and mode (i.e., measures of central tendency) are all the same values in a normal distribution. When distributions are skewed to the right, the mode is the lowest value. In distributions skewed right (i.e., positive distributions), the mode is less than the median and the median is less than the mean.

Answer 93

b. Electronic communication between school officials about an individual student can create an official school record under FERPA. Any form of electronic communication between the school counselor and other school officials can create an official school record that needs to be treated appropriately under FERPA, even if student names are not used. All forms of electronic communication should adhere to the ethical standards, and special care should be taken to protect confidentiality by utilizing accepted security standards. The ASCA Ethical Standards encourage counselors to take care in purging electronic sole-possession case notes, similar to hard-copy sole possession case notes.

Answer 94

a. Prevention Generally speaking, classroom guidance is a preventative activity; it is systematically delivered to all students. Intervention activities take place when an issue or problem is identified, therefore an activity that is systematically delivered to all students is not an intervention activity. Outreach involves literally “reaching out” of the school and into the community, and classroom guidance obviously does not fit this description. While classroom guidance may be focused on academic topics, “academic” is not a type of counseling activity.

Answer 95

d. Thinking, feeling, relating Thinking, feeling, and relating are considered a modern model of human development. Thinking begins at home and consists of the values, thoughts, and beliefs imposed by parents. These thoughts are further supported by social interactions. Cognitive skills training assists students in further developing these abilities. Feelings can also be associated with the development of self-concept and self-esteem. Emotional literacy skills training and programs help students become more aware of their own feelings. Finally, relating involves an individual’s interpersonal skills. Social literacy skills programs will assist students in relating to other students and adults.

Answer 96

d. Program outcome data Program outcome data provides information on the direct impacts of the school counseling program on student outcomes. When combined with program process and perception data, outcome data helps a school counselor create a clear picture of their program over the course of a school year. The school data profile, closing-the-gap action plan, and state testing results can all help clarify goals for the next school year, but the outcome data provides information that is most directly related to the school counseling program to identify areas for improvement.