Counselor and Teacher Collaboration to Improve Precollege
Amanda Vonetta Williams, EdD; Ellen B. Scales, PhD; Sunddip Panesar-Aguilar, EdD Michelle McCraney, EdD & Chris Cale, PhD
Abstract
Teachers and counselors in a large suburban high school in the Southeastern United States strive to learn to prepare students with the skills needed to succeed in their first year of college. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how teachers and counselors collaborate formally and informally as they engage in work to improve the precollege curriculum. Knowles’s theory of andragogy and collaborative relationships provided a framework for exploring the routine work of four teachers and four counselors as they plan curriculum and instruction to sustain student transitions into college. Four certified secondary teachers working with four certified high school counselors involved in educational collaborative relationships address curriculum that prepares secondary learners for the academic demands of college, while instilling social and academic behaviors and habits for a successful transition were interviewed. Interview transcripts were reviewed through inductive analysis and line-by-line axial relationships using a general coding system to look for teachercounselor collaborative themes. Findings indicated that developing a common language and a mutual understanding of roles and responsibilities may affect positive social change for teachers and counselors and may eventually allow graduates to achieve success in college.