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...investigators shown such academic incongruities are a result of environmental, historical, sociopolitical, sociocultural, and institutional factors rather than students' capabilities (Bemak, 2005; Bemak, Chung, & Sirosky-Sabado, 2005). Given the racial/cultural and economic underpinnings that are linked to the academic achievement disparities that continue to exist in the United States, experts have increasingly directed attention to the new roles school counselors can play to proactively address these differences (Bemak, 2005; Bemak et al., 2005; Ming, 2006).
A major project that addresses the academic achievement gap in the United States in this regard is the Transforming School Counseling Initiative (Erford, House, & Martin, 2007). This initiative encourages school counselors to embrace their roles as culturally competent social justice advocates and organizational change agents when working to close the achievement gap. Accepting these new professional roles requires school counselors to significantly alter their traditional ways of thinking and operating by implementing proactive multicultural/social justice counseling and advocacy services that are designed to ensure equal educational access, opportunities, resources, and fair treatment for all students (Erford et al., 2007; House & Martin, 1998).
These are particularly important social justice issues to address because it is well established that the racial/ethnic demographics in the United States, and subsequently the makeup of U.S. public schools, are rapidly changing. These changes include substantial increases in the number of students of color and poor students in the public school system (Education Trust, 2006; Grieco & Cassidy, 2001; Proctor & Dalaker, 2003; The Urban Institute, 2005). Despite the changes occurring in the United States' demographics and the growing awareness of the need to make substantial changes in the public school system to address the injustices and inequities that underlie the academic achievement gap, many school counselors resist implementing the multicultural/social justice advocacy and organizational change services that are recommended by various experts in the field.
This article explores factors that contribute to the resistance that is manifested by some school counselors who continue to refuse to exercise new professional roles as multicultural/ social justice leaders, advocates, and change agents in educational settings. We begin by examining the present state of students' educational achievement from a racial/ethnic/ socioeconomic perspective followed by a discussion about the implications of the academic achievement gap on school counselors' roles.
We continue this discussion by exploring various factors that underlie the resistance exhibited by some school counselors in making the sort of professional changes thought to be necessary in successfully addressing the academic achievement gap in U.S. public schools. The nice counselor syndrome (NCS; Chung, 2006) is presented as a way of understanding much of the resistance that counselors demonstrate in failing to make the kinds of professional changes recommended by multicultural/social justice school counseling advocates. Finally, recommendations regarding the ways that school counselors can implement proactive interventions to effectively address the academic achievement gap by assuming the role of multicultural/social justice advocates and organizational change agents are presented.
The Present State of Students' Educational Achievement
Racial/cultural disparities in academic performance have been clearly established by numerous researchers. Fifty-nine percent of African American, 56% of Latina/Latino, and 52% of Native American eighth-grade students in the United States are below a fourth-grade reading level in comparison with only 25% of their White counterparts (Education Trust, 2006). Other investigators report that only 15% of poor students compared with 39% of nonpoor students achieve a Grade 4 reading proficiency level by the end of their fourth-grade school experiences (Rocha & Sharkey, n.d.). Similar findings are evident when examining math proficiency. For example, 58% of African American, 50% of Latina/Latino, and 45% of Native American eighth-grade students reportedly perform below basic math levels compared with 21% of White students at the same grade level (Education Trust, 2006).
The academic achievement gap that exists in the United States directly contributes to high dropout rates among a disproportionate number of students of color and poor students. Given the large number of African American, Latina/Latino, and Native American students living in poverty (Proctor & Dalaker, 2003), it is not surprising to find that approximately 50% of students in these racial/cultural groups do not graduate from high school (Thornburgh, 2006). Related research findings further indicate that low-income students are 6 times more likely to drop out of high school compared with youth from higher income families.
There is a high social and economic cost when such large numbers of students drop out of high school. This cost is reflected in the fact that those who drop out of school are more likely to be unemployed, live in poverty, become incarcerated, and have children who also drop out of high school (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 2006). Although it is generally acknowledged that personal factors lead many students to do poorly academically and to ultimately drop out of school, many underachieving students also report that the unchallenging, unsupportive, and boring nature of their school experiences also contribute to the dropout problem and the academic achievement gap that continue to exist in the United States (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 2006).
What Are the Implications of These Findings for School Counselors?
Commenting on these educational problems, Noguera (2002) stated,
When I look at American Education ... I know that it is largely about will and belief--that is, do we really believe that all children can achieve and learn at high levels? And so far, the only answer I can come up with is that we don't. We believe that about some kids and not others. (p. 1)
To address the educational challenges that students face, in general, and the challenges in ameliorating the academic achievement gap that continues to exist in public schools, in particular, counselors are encouraged to ask themselves similar questions, such as the following: "As a school counselor, do I genuinely believe that all children can achieve and learn at high levels?" and "If I do, how can I foster greater academic success by helping reduce the academic achievement gap that disproportionately affects poor youth and students of color?"
In an effort to answer these questions in affirmative and pragmatic ways, multicultural/social justice counseling advocates have issued a challenge to education and counseling professionals. In articulating this challenge, Ward (2006) and Lotan (2006) called upon all educators to help build a more equitable and just public education system for all students, one that provides equal access to high-quality education, especially for those youth from marginalized and devalued racial/ethnic and low-income groups. Focusing on high-risk student populations, Lupton (2005) emphasized that educators and school counselors need to collaborate on ways that they can work together to implement a broad range of social justice counseling, advocacy, and organizational change interventions in economically impoverished schools and neighborhoods.
Other researchers have outlined specific interventions school counselors can use to positively affect students' academic achievement through multicultural/social justice advocacy and organizational change strategies in their schools and communities (Bemak et al., 2005; Fitch & Marshall, 2004; Green, Conley, Barnett, & Benjamin, 2004; Webb, Brigman, & Campbell, 2005). Among the common recommendations that consistently emerge in this regard is the importance of having school counselors move beyond the use of traditional services by implementing more proactive approaches to ameliorate the academic achievement gap. This includes applying a broad range of social justice advocacy intervention strategies that are intentionally...
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