Closing the Achievement Gap: A Structured Approach to Group Counseling

This study evaluated the impact of a group counseling intervention on student academic and social performance. Twenty-five school counselors were trained to use a structured approach to small-group counseling with students scoring in the mid-to-low range in math and reading. The group intervention focused on improving student achievement and student success skills, which included academic, social, and self-management skills. Results indicated gains in reading and math achievement scores and in teacher-rated behavior related to student success skills with elementary and middle school students.