Using Culturally Competent Responsive Services to Improve Student Achievement and Behavior

Standards blending, the integration of core academic and school counseling standards, is illustrated here as a culturally competent responsive services strategy to assist in closing the achievement gap while also enhancing employability skills and culturally salient career competencies. The responsive services intervention described in this article resulted in knowledge gains in both the school counseling and language arts curriculum competencies for a diverse group of 78 high school students. Implications for school counseling practice are included.