UNH Research Finds U.S. School Districts Don’t Have Enough Counselors

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

DURHAM, N.H. – Less than 20 percent of school districts in the U.S. meet the recommended student-to-school counselor ratio of 250:1 or lower, according to new research from the Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire. The median ratio is 411:1.

The researchers found that access to school counselors varies considerably across states Median ratios are more than 1,000:1 in Arizona and California but under 250:1 in North Carolina, North Dakota, Vermont, New Hampshire and Montana.

Although rural districts are the most likely to lack any school counselors, the median caseload is lower and more than 25 percent of the districts meet the American School Counselor Association recommendations. In cities, only 4.2 percent of districts meet the recommended ratio.

“It is important that states acknowledge the role that school counselors play in improved student outcomes and work toward policy solutions to ensure adequate access to these professionals,” the researchers said. “Given the tremendous range of access across the U.S., it seems that some states have more work to do than others.”

The full report can be found here: https://carsey.unh.edu/publication/school-counselors

The research was conducted by Douglas Gagnon, a vulnerable families research associate at the Carsey School, and Marybeth Mattingly, director of research on vulnerable families at the Carsey School and a research assistant professor of sociology.

The Carsey School of Public Policy conducts research, leadership development, and engaged scholarship relevant to public policy. They address pressing challenges, striving for innovative, responsive, and equitable solutions at all levels of government and in the for-profit and nonprofit sectors.

The University of New Hampshire is a flagship research university that inspires innovation and transforms lives in our state, nation and world. More than 16,000 students from all 50 states and 71 countries engage with an award-winning faculty in top ranked programs in business, engineering, law, health and human services, liberal arts and the sciences across more than 200 programs of study. UNH’s research portfolio includes partnerships with NASA, NOAA, NSF and NIH, receiving more than $100 million in competitive external funding every year to further explore and define the frontiers of land, sea and space.