Secondary School Counselors as Educational Leaders: Shifting Perceptions of Leadership

School counselors are currently being charged to become active participants in systemic change for student achievement. This will require leadership. Our study was significant in that it complemented and perpetuated the vision and direction of the school counseling field. This empirical study investigates school counselors' perceptions of leadership, specifically their roles as educational leaders in their present school settings. Our study was a qualitative inquiry into a select number of Texas high school counselors with years of experience ranging from three years to thirty-two years. This collaborative study provided insight into counselors' views of leadership. Our study results indicated that respondents have the tools to be educational leaders. However, some of the tools are misunderstood, underutilized, unrecognized and/or used incorrectly.