A model for training bilingual school counselors

Bilingual counselors are needed as essential school staff who speak the "emotional language" of English language learners and their parents. In a project funded by the United States Department of Education, a model was created for adapting a school counseling master's program to train bilingual counselors. The curriculum emphasized collaboration between the school district and the university, action research, developing guidance and parent involvement programs, field-based instruction, mentor training, and post-degree induction supervision to maximize practical application and effectiveness. Through the project, Spanish-speaking teachers learned and practiced school counselor roles and functions focused toward helping Spanish-speaking students and their parents succeed in the education process.