Student/school counselor ratios and school attendance rates : review of literature and a correlational study

by Zimchek, Victor Charles

School attendance is perceived as a critical issue in today’s primary and secondary educational systems. This manuscript reviews literature that speaks to the complexity of issues related to truancy and then posits that many of the interventions typically recommended to address truancy are ones that school counselors already provide or might deliver. Conceptualizing the ratio of students per counselor as a proxy for the strength of a school’s counseling program, the author hypothesizes that schools with lower student to counselor ratios might have an impact on attendance rates. A correlational study of attendance rates and student-counselor ratios is

presented for Oregon public high schools (grades 9 – 12) with one or more counselors for the 2004-2005 school year. The study found no significant relationship. Possible meanings and suggestions for further study are discussed.