Examining School Counseling Program Leaders' Experiences in Implementing the Texas Comprehensive School Counseling Program Model: A Delphi Study

Texas school districts experience a steady increase in socially, culturally, and economically diverse students (Texas Education Agency [TEA]: Public Education Information Management System, 2014-2017). Thus, professional school counselors' identities, roles, and responsibilities continue to expand in response to the needs of a diverse society. School counselors respond to constituents' needs while adhering to legislative mandates and providing equitable counseling services. Lapan, Gysbers, and Sun (1997) found districts, schools, and professional school counselors who fully implement a comprehensive school counseling program positively impact students. Students who attended schools with a comprehensive school counseling program, reported they feel safer, believed their education is more relevant, and were more satisfied with education quality (Lapan, Gysbers, & Petroski, 2001). The Texas Model for Comprehensive School Counseling Programs (TEA, 2018) comprises four service delivery components: guidance curriculum, system support, individual planning, and responsive services. School counseling program evaluators and education practitioners are concerned with counseling service delivery and effectiveness (Murray, Levitov, Castenell, & Joubert, 1987). Therefore, the purpose of this Delphi study was to explore Texas school counseling program leaders' experiences in implementing The Texas Model for Comprehensive School Counseling Programs.