Exploring the Role of RAMP Designation and School Level Differences on School Counsellors’ Functioning and Perceived Organisational Support

The American School Counsellor Association’s Recognized ASCA Model Program (RAMP) designation promotes data-driven, comprehensive school counselling programs addressing K-12 students’ needs. In a cross-sectional survey of a national sample of 265 school counsellors in the United States, we conducted a 2 × 4 two-way multivariate analysis of variance, with RAMP designation (RAMP vs. non-RAMP schools) and school level (elementary, middle, high, and multi-level schools) as factors, to examine differences in school counsellors’ motivation, role stress, transformational leadership, self-advocacy, and perceived organisational support by schools’ RAMP designation and school level. Findings revealed a significant multivariate effect for RAMP designation ( p < .001) and school level ( p < .01), indicating medium and small effect sizes, respectively. School counsellors from RAMP-designated schools reported higher motivation ( p < .05) and transformational leadership ( p < .001), and lower role stress ( p < .05) than those from non-RAMP schools. High school counsellors reported greater role stress ( p < .001) and lower self-advocacy ( p < .01) and organisational support ( p < .01). Interaction effects between RAMP designation and school level on the combined dependent variables were not statistically significant. Implications address how pursuing RAMP designation can help clarify school counsellors’ role expectations and how local, state, and national educational partners can assist in this process.