ABSTRACT
The profession of school counseling is working to respond to two external pressures that highlight the need to systematically create and implement culturally responsive comprehensive guidance and counseling programs (CR-CGCPs). The first is globalization. Preparing students to compete within a global economy has many dimensions about which professional school counselors need to be aware and to which they need to respond as they develop effective school counseling programs. The second is the achievement gap that is a function of race and class in American society. As Thernstrom and Thernstrom (2003) have noted, targeted ethnic minorities in the United States underperform their European American peers, whereas many immigrant populations, particularly from Asia and India, outperform their European American peers. These achievement gaps create a challenge to American schools in their efforts to provide an equitable educational experience. Although there is a growing literature on the multicultural competence of school counselors, the focus of these investigations is more on the awareness, knowledge, and counseling skills than on the ability of counseling and guidance programs to prepare students to be effective citizens in a pluralistic society or to close the achievement gap. The purpose of this chapter is to present emerging ideas concerning multiculturalism within school counseling programs that can be used to address globalization, the achievement gap, and the social-emotional needs of diverse youth. It is our intent to provide guidance for how school counselors can become more effective instruments of educational equity.
