Article

School Counselor Leadership: A Regression Analysis of Caseload, Location, and Hope

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Abstract

School counselors play a vital role in promoting equity and student well-being in school communities, yet ecological challenges may limit opportunities for meaningful engagement in leadership. This study explores the predictive role of hope, caseload size, and geographic location on school counselor leadership engagement. Using a hierarchical regression analysis with 79 school counselors, we found that hope significantly predicted overall school counselor leadership involvement as well as each of the five leadership subscales: interpersonal influence, resourceful problem-solving, systemic collaboration, social justice advocacy, and professional efficacy. Caseload and setting were not significant predictors of leadership engagement alone. These findings suggest that hope is a meaningful internal resource that may empower school counselors to engage in leadership, even in the face of systemic barriers. We provide implications for school counselor training, practice, and research and offer hope-building strategies to strengthen school counselors’ leadership capacity across diverse educational settings.

 

Keywords: school counselors, leadership, hope, caseload, geographic location

How to Cite:

Ault, H. R. & Niles, J. K., (2025) “School Counselor Leadership: A Regression Analysis of Caseload, Location, and Hope”, Counseling Scholarship & Practice in Educational Communities 1(2). doi: https://doi.org/10.7275/cspec.3206