Defining Systemic Change in School Counseling: A Delphi Study

Systemic change, leadership, and advocacy are core components of professional school counseling practice. Over the last two decades, there has been a rise in research focused on school counseling leadership and advocacy, yet the same cannot be said about systemic change. Understanding the nuances of systemic change in school counseling could have promising implications for school counseling practice that creates more equitable outcomes for PreK-12 students. In this dissertation, I reviewed the existing literature around the three constructs and identified themes within systemic change that differentiate it from leadership and advocacy. Although there are clear areas where the three parallel, there are differences in terms of how they are applied and how they intend to impact students. Using this information, an expert panel of school counseling professionals, educators, and supervisors participated in a Delphi study to compile a list of 130 consensus items that define the core components of systemic change in school counseling. The list of consensus items included beliefs, knowledge, dispositions, and skills necessary for school counselors to conduct systemic change. Although many of the items relate to existing research on leadership and advocacy, the resulting items in this study have more emphasis on action, outcome, and social justice commitment. These findings provide direction for school counselors hoping to integrate systemic change into their school counseling practice and counselor educators preparing school counselors in graduate counseling programs. Suggestions for future research are discussed.