Lifetime Achievement in Counseling Series: An Interview With Michael Ryan

Each year TPC presents an interview with a seminal figure in counseling as part of its Lifetime Achievement in Counseling series. This year I am honored to introduce Michael Ryan. He identifies as a professional school counselor and advocate and shares his experiences and perspective on the professionalization of school counseling. I am grateful to Dr. Joshua Smith and Dr. Neal Gray, who continue to bring the contributions and vision of leaders in the profession to TPC readers. Their interview with Ryan provides a view to his path to school counseling, his work to meet the needs of underrepresented student populations, and how he empowers students and staff as agents of change and in so doing promotes a clear understanding of the roles and responsibilities of professional school counselors within his community. I imagine his approach may both resonate with and energize TPC readers. — Amie A. Manis, Editor

Missouri Professional School Counselors: Ratios Matter, Especially in High-Poverty Schools

Results link lower student-to-school-counselor ratios to better graduation rates and lower disciplinary incidents across Missouri high schools. An interaction favorable for promoting student success in school was found between increasing percentages of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch and smaller student-to-school-counselor ratios. In high-poverty schools, those schools that met the ASCA criteria of having at least one professional school counselor for every 250 students had better graduation and school attendance rates, and lower disciplinary incidents.