Examining Indiana's State-Recognized Comprehensive School Counseling Programs, Caseload, and Academic Outcomes of Diverse Student Populations

In the age of accountability, school counselors are responsible for ensuring that their services are effective for all students by providing evidence of the impact of comprehensive school counseling programs (CSCPs) on student academic outcomes. Numerous studies provide empirical evidence of the impact of RAMP on student outcomes; however, none have disaggregated outcome data by race/ethnicity. Reviewing disaggregated data will aid in how CSCPs and school counselor caseloads support specific student populations and assist in closing student opportunity gaps. Using an archival dataset from the Indiana Department of Education (n = 264), we sought to understand the impact of a state-recognized CSCP and school counselor caseload on populations historically identified as underserved and underrepresented by examining critical demographic variables such as gender, race/ethnicity, and school socioeconomic status. Results indicated significant differences in English Language Arts scores for White students only, whereas lower school counseling caseload was related to higher academic outcomes for marginalized students.