DIGITALLY TRANSFORMING THE PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL COUNSELOR

Abstract

In the Internet Age, digital transformation has touched nearly every profession and industry, and K-12 school counseling is no exception. In the modern public school, counselors are expected to meet a variety of demands using evidence-based practices. Many school counselors, however, still struggle to meet the expectation to use data. In our current research, we surveyed 263 school counselors in the State of Utah to explore the challenges surrounding data-driven decision-making. Research revealed the most prominent barriers regarded data and a perceived lack of time. Computerized systems can automate many of the tasks required of counselors saving them time and can also process data in a structured way that facilitates analysis leading to the identification of essential patterns, opportunities, and risks in the student body. By using methods of quantitative analysis, we correlate the counselor's responses to possible technology tools that could assist them in making data-driven decisions.