NDSCA Brief History

A Brief History of the School Counseling and Guidance Movement in North Dakota

Eldon Gade

University of North Dakota

1937-1957 Genesis: The Formative Years

I shall start this historical journey of the school counseling and guidance movement in North Dakota with August, 1937 although guidance-minded classroom teachers certainly existed among the early pioneer teachers of our state. And, as early as the fall of 1937, William Jacobsen served as a teacher-counselor at Bismarck High School (Klostreich, 1968).

In August, 1937, an informal group from the Fargo-Moorhead area calling themselves the Fargo-Moorhead Vocational Guidance Association started providing occupational information to young people at its various meetings. Caroline Evington, Cass County Superintendent of Schools, attended these meetings of the Fargo-Moorhead Vocational Guidance Association during the 1937-38 academic year and on September 12, 1938 she organized a meeting held at the North Dakota Agricultural College, for the purpose of discussing the possibility of organizing a guidance program for Cass County. Dr. John G. Darley, a professor of psychology at the University of Minnesota, was invited to the meeting and presented a talk on the guidance movement and led discussions about setting up a guidance program. He especially emphasized the role of diagnosis and counseling for vocational selection (Hoidal, 1942, p.11).

Stimulated by Dr. Darley’s presentation a steering committee headed by Professor A.C. Sevringson of the Agricultural College was formed and along with Dr. Darley arranged for the housing and maintenance of a guidance center on a trial basis (Hoidal, 1942, p. 15).

Within a few weeks after the September meeting of 1938 over 100 students from local county schools had taken a battery of tests. Dr. Darley made numerous visits during the year to the Center to interpret the tests and engage in counseling interviews. By the spring of 1939 the program expanded to testing all county school high school seniors before graduation.

By late spring of 1939 plans were made to employ a full-time counselor and establish a permanent guidance center. Thus it was that Clifford Froehlich, a former student of Dr. Darley’s at the University of Minnesota, arrived in the summer of 1939 and became the first resident counselor, using temporary facilities at North Dakota Agricultural College. On August 29, 1939 financial support from the Cass County Superintendent’s Office, North Dakota Agricultural College, and federal monies from the National Youth Administration enabled the Cass County Guidance Center in Fargo to become a reality and Clifford Froehlich was selected as the director. The new Center appeared to be a very active place since it was reported that from the fall of 1939 to the summer of 1940, 678 young people were tested and given test interpretations (Hoidal, 1942, p. 21). Mr. Froehlich kept active at the Center and in addition to testing, counseling and other guidance activities, he engaged in many meetings and speaking engagements on the philosophy of guidance and activities of the Center with area school administrators and other educators.

The activities of the Center began to gain wide recognition and the North Dakota State Board for Vocational Education, in cooperation with the United States Office of Education obtained federal monies to establish on July 1, 1940 the Occupational Information and Guidance Service for North Dakota in Fargo (Froehlich, 1941, p.7). These services were combined with the Community Guidance Center and Froehlich was selected also as the State Supervisor of the Occupational Information and Guidance Service. The State Advisory Council of the Occupational Information and Guidance Service under the State Board for Vocational Guidance decided to concentrate on making the Cass County Guidance center a demonstration unit for the remainder of the state and Froehlich provided guidance services to all public schools interested in organizing a guidance program.

In the early months the Service Office and the Guidance Center were primarily involved as a distribution center of occupational and educational information but the continued press for testing and counseling services gained momentum and Mr. Froehlich shifted his attention to the training of selected teachers to administer and interpret tests and engage in student counseling. This support encouraged the growth of the concept of the teacher-counselor as an early model of guidance service delivery in North Dakota schools. By May, 1941 (Forehlich, 1941) a survey showed that guidance services, largely vocational, were developing but most schools were still without an organized program.

Mr. Froehlich was called into the armed services in the early summer of 1942 but the impetus for administrative support for guidance programming continued and on June 15, 1942, in cooperation with Dr. Erich Selke of the School of Education of the University of North Dakota, a two day guidance conference for administrators was held in Grand Forks. Among the speakers, Superintendent H.H. Kirk of Fargo described the Fargo school guidance program and emphasized guidance help for the non-college bound student (Selke, 1942, p. 9).

After Mr. Froehlich’s departure, his assistant, Mr. Stan R. Ostrum, became the State Supervisor of Occupational Information and Guidance Service and served in the capacity until 1945 when the office moved to the campus of the University of North Dakota. Stanley Kuffel replaced Mr. Ostrum as supervisor and he was in turn succeeded by Mr. Bernard Grove in 1947 (Klosreich, 1968, p. 17).

Despite the activities of the Occupational Information and Guidance Service Office and the growing support for guidance by school administrators the movement grew slowly in part attributable to the national war effort. However, pockets of sustained support for guidance like the Walsh County Agricultural School (Koenker, 1942, p. 9 -10, 14) and in the Fargo schools, along with the efforts of Mr. Jacobson, teacher-counselor at Bismarck high school, demonstrated that organized guidance services were here to stay. In the words of Jacobson, “During the 1940’s guidance was primarily vocational, administering intelligence tests and some aptitude tests. Guidance was very limited and only part-time counselors existed in the state” (Klostreich, 1968, p. 20). A picture of the status of guidance in the 1940’s can be gained from a survey conducted by Eastman (1950, pp 119, 121) for his doctoral dissertation at the University of North Dakota. Eastman reported that while over 60 per cent of the 291 secondary schools surveyed has an informal type guidance program only 9 per cent reported a formal program and only 11 per cent had a designated person in charge of the guidance services (Eastman, 1950, p. 199).

Returning to the activities of the State leadership. The State Occupational Information and Guidance Service, was renamed the Office of Guidance Services and in the fall of 1952 James Mathisen succeeded Bernard Grove as its State Supervisor. Mathisen established a monthly bulletin, the North Dakota Guidance Survey and extensively traveled the state visiting with school administrators and helping support the development of guidance programs. Importantly, Mathisen helped develop a state wide testing program, identified guidance resources for local schools, and assisted in the support of in-service counselor training programs (Mathisen, 1952, p. 2). With the support of a Guidance Advisory Committee consisting largely of college guidance personnel, and school administrators, Mathisen, in November of 1952, moved ahead to endorse counselor training programs at the University of North Dakota and North Dakota Agricultural College. In January of 1952, the first extension course in guidance was offered at Valley City State College followed by courses at Minot State teacher College. By the id 1950’s, through workshops, summer school sessions, by reading the North Dakota Guidance Survey, and through the efforts of the Office of Guidance Services, school administrators and teachers were becoming more familiar with the philosophy and techniques of guidance and Mathisen encouraged every accredited school to train a well selected teacher to become a mater’s degree level school counselor through summer session work at the two counselor training programs (Mathisen, 1955, p. 2). However, despite growing interest in statewide guidance programs Hoff (1952, p. 72) noted that most public schools in the state remained without organized guidance services, a condition that persisted until after 1958.

The mid 1950’s became a period of increased efforts to strengthen school counselor preparation and develop standards for school counselor training and Mathisen continued providing leadership for the support of developing school guidance programs.

In 1956 the Office of Guidance Services was moved to Bismarck and given division status in the Department of Public Instruction in August of 1956 (Peterson, 1956, p.22). Teacher in-service training programs, extension teaching, guidance library resource development, and efforts to conduct guidance evaluation research were characteristics of this period.

Among the most far reaching activities of the Division of Guidance Services was the adoption of a set of preparation standards for school counselors and guidance directors in 1958 (Klostreich, 1968). The approval Standards were of two levels, a fifteen semester hour Standard Guidance Credential and a twenty-four semester hour Professional Guidance Credential. Counseling Practicum experience was included at both levels and both credentials were issued on a temporary basis with renewal requirements. With the adoption and implementation of the requirements North Dakota become one of 34 states at that time with mandatory certification a major step in the regulation of school counselor academic preparation.

This period in the history of school counseling and guidance ushered in improvements in counselor education programs at both the University of North Dakota and at the North Dakota Agricultural College. At the University of North Dakota school counselor preparation was in the department of Psychology and early counselor educators at the University included Dr. Clinton Meek who arrived in September of 1954 and Paul Munger who arrived in 1957. Under the leadership of Dr. Meed a master’s degree program in counseling and guidance was established with the majority of courses offered on Saturdays and evenings. Mr. Mathisen and Mr. Guy Brown also taught courses during those earlier years. At the North Dakota Agricultural College, counselor training was in the Education Department and an early program developer was Dr. Garry Walz who arrived in the fall of 1958.

1958-1965 The NDEA Years: The Golden Era

In September of 1958, the 85^th Congress passed what was to become Public law 85-864, the National Defense Education Act (NDEA), one of the major landmark educational acts. Among the components of the Law, title V (A), provided grants to the state educational agencies to assist them in establishing school guidance programs of testing and counseling while title V (B) provided funds for Institutes to train professional school counselors. The passage of the NDEA was in part a response to Soviet space technological advances and our concern for our underdeveloped student talent especially in the mathematics and sciences.

The University of North Dakota received funds under the act to provide counselor training Institutes in the summer of 1959, in the spring of 1961, in the summer of 1964, and academic year long Institutes during 1961-62, 1962-63, 1963-64, and 1964-65. Twenty-two of the 32 students enrolled in the first summer Institute in 1959 were placed in North Dakota schools demonstrating the tremendous impact that the act had on providing trained school counselors and opportunities in the state. North Dakota State University was awarded training Institutes in the summer of 1960 and 1963 and further helped provide trained school counselors for the state. Dr. Paul Munger, at the University of North Dakota was particularly instrumental in obtaining Institute contracts and he was the director of the first four programs. Also during this period on July1, 1963, a separate department of Counseling and Guidance was established at the University of North Dakota which further influenced counselor education development.

Title V (A) of the NDEA provided the other impetus to the rapid growth of Guidance services in the state. Under this section school distrits received funding to help in the financial support of couse, ling and guidance programs. Another major effect of the NDEA act was the involvement of school districts in self-study and the preparation of a state plan. These activities forced educators to become aware of the potential of an organized guidance program for their schools. In preparation for the receipt of federal support for organized guidance programs an advisory committee organized by Mr. Mathisen as State Director of Guidance Services held several meetings and decided to establish fifteen guidance units consisting of 21 schools (some schools shared a half-time counselor) to serve as models for future guidance programs (Munger and Mathisen, 1963, p. 629). The impact of the NDEA act on creating organized guidance programs is evident in the figures of employed counselors and guidance units for 1958 to 1965. In 1957 – 1958 only six schools had organized programs with only 8 co8usnelros engaged in 30 or more hours a week of counseling. By the 1965 school year 83 counselors were employed in 58 schools, over an eight fold growth.

Other figures also show the impact of the NDEA act on organized guidance services in the state. The number of pupils receiving vocational or educational counseling increased six fold in three years. Growing guidance acceptance by pupils was also evident during these years with self-referrals exceeding “call-in” by at lease a 2:1 ratio. Career days and college days also dramatically increased. However, all was not well in all guidance programs, and a number of counselor reports from NDEA supported schools indicated that lack of space and clerical help, local conservatism and poor rapport between teachers and counselors existed (Mathisen, 1960 as cited by Klostreich, 1968, p. 45).

Professionalism during this era was stimulated by the formation of the North Dakota personnel and Guidance Association (NDPA). This association was organized by school counselors, employment service counselors, rehabilitation counselors, counselor educators and student personnel workers who saw the need for an organized body to promote counseling and guidance services in the state. On April 15, 1957 charter #16240 was issued to the association by the parent national organization, the American Personnel and Guidance Association. The first annual convention of NDPGA was held on November 15, 1958 at the Grand pacific Hotel in Bismarck with 45 members in attendance. The fist president of the association was Oscar Gjernes of the state employment service.

This was also an era of philosophical debate about counseling and guidance emphases and counselor roles. Although Rogerian training predominated at the University of North Dakota the reports of practicing counselors indicated trait and factor and eclectic emphases. Diagnosis and testing and vocational counseling were frequently reported activities.

1965-1982 Growth and Maintenance

Rapid growth in the number of organized school guidance programs and employment of school counselors continues through the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. By 1968, 126 counselors ere employed in 78 schools (Klostreich, 1968, p. 42-43) and by the start of the 1981-82 year there were about 130 counselors employed in individual schools or in area vocational school units.

It was during this period that career education in the early 1970’s was being promoted by federal support to the state and the inauguration of multiple unit area vocational guidance units occurred. Also during this period elementary school guidance programs showed signs of growth and acceptance and the University of North Dakota established a specific emphasis of training in this area with Dr. Elizabeth Schilson as organizer and leader. In 1981-82 there were 20 elementary school counselors in the state.

Changes had also occurred in the leadership of the Office of Guidance Services with Glen Golan replacing James Mathisen in 1963. Upon the retirement of Mr. Dolan in 1977 Mr. Lyle Evenson took over the directorship. Dr. David Lee, the current director, has served at Director of Guidance Services and ESEA Title IV-C programs since 1978. Since 1956 there has been an official voice for guidance in the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction. And, of course, guidance services have received state governmental support extending back to 1940. It is a sad note that in March, 1982 notification has been received that a decision has been made to redistribute Guidance Services in the Department of Public Instruction.

The state Board for Vocational education continues over the years to provide leadership for vocational guidance in the schools. Dr. Jerry Tuchscherer is currently Director of Vocational Guidance at the State Board for Vocational Education and had provided able leadership in promoting vocational counselor and guidance services in our schools. The concept of area vocational counselors has become an enduring and unique model for the delivery of vocational guidance services to many of our smaller secondary schools. In 1982 this area program included support for 21 school counselors in these area centers. Over 90 schools participated in these vocational centers.

In counselor education, this period saw Dr. Paul Munger leave the directorship of the counseling and guidance program at UND for the University of Indiana in 1963. He was succeeded by W. Levi Cash as the Chairman of the newly established Department of Counseling and Guidance. Dr. Cash served as chariman until June of 1966. Dr. Eldon Gade served from 1966 until September 1970. Dr. Robert Apostal is the current department chairman and has served in this capacity since September of 1970.

At North Dakota State University, Dr. Gary Walz was counselor educator from 1958 to 1960 when he departed for Illinois State University and thence to the University of Michigan. Dr. Paul Melchert served from October 1960 to September 1961. Dr. Richard Mease served as director of the counseling and guidance program from 1961 to 1966. Since September 1966 Dr. John Tiegland has served as director of the counselor education program at NDSU.

Since 1957 the North Dakota Personnel and Guidance Association has continued to be a strong voice for school counseling and guidance. At the tenth anniversary of the organization, Dr. E.G. Williamson, Dean of Students at the University of Minnesota, author of several textbooks and well know exponent of the “directive” counseling point of view was the featured speaker. The 20th anniversary of the Association was held in February of 1977 in the Holiday Inn at Bismarck. At the convention past presidents of the association were honored and the first president, Oscar Ojernes, of Washington, D.C. with the Department of Labor, presented the luncheon banquet speech. The membership of the association has included a majority of school counselors, with higher education student personnel, employment services counselors and rehabilitation counselors also in membership. The 25^th convention of the association was held in Minot in February of 1982. There are approximately 300 members of NDPGA. Rich Hauck of Wahpeton is the current executive director of the association.

Current issues during the late 1970’s in school counseling and guidance seem to reflect concern for local school support in a period of declining school enrollment and shortage of tax dollars. Accountability has become a crucial issue. The perennial problem of determining effective counselor roles remains. Career guidance and career education, classroom support for teachers, as well as determining a model for guidance services in the small schools remain as current issues.

During the late 1970’s the concept of Guidance-Designate was developed by the State Office of guidance Services with the goal of one teacher trained with at least 8 semester hours of guidance courses in all school districts. Current statistics show that the guidance-designate concept has fallen far short of having reached its objectives in this respect. In 1982, 32 persons were listed at Guidance-Designates (1981-82 Director of North Dakota Guidance Personnel).

In 1978-1979 the State Office of Guidance Services implemented new standards for guiding e credentialing requiring a minimum master’s degree training. The new standards featured three levels of credentialing providing separate certification for elementary school, secondary school, and a K-12 school level. Paradoxically in a tight school counselor job market, a shortage continues to plague the state and in recent years several school counselor portions went unfilled. Reasons for vacancies seem to include the remoteness of small town positions inadequate salary offerings and lack of clearly defined roles and functions for the school counselor.

Professionalism among school counselors was also growing and during this era a state chapter of the American School Counselor Association was founded in 1965. Scholl counselor also continued to be prominent leaders of the NDPGA. Among the professional efforts of school counselors was the push for a privileged communication law and on July 1, 1968 school counselors received immunity from disclosing confidential information obtained in counseling interviews with students (Gade, 1972). This law was the culmination of the efforts of several school counselors including the leadership of Glayde Cory of Grand Forks and Glen Dolan.

The close of this era also saw school counselors pondering the issue of counselor licensure: is it needed?

Summary and Conclusions

This draws to a close this brief history of school counseling in North Dakota. After the initial leadership of Dr. John Darley and Superintendent Caroline Evingson in 1938, school guidance was sustained in the early 1940’s by Clifford Froehlich’s leadership and the activities of the Occupational Information and Guidance Serves. Although isolated examples of guidance programming existed during the war and post war years, it was not until 1952 under the leadership of Jim Mathisen of the Office of Guidance Services that was there much development in school guidance. This slow growth pace continued until the stimulation brought about by the passage of the National Defense Education Act provided monies to the state for increased counselor training and local school support for guidance programs. Of all the events notes, the NDEA support seems to have had the greatest impact on the growth of school counseling and guidance from 1958 to at least 1968. The 1970’s and early 1980’s has been a period of maintenance, increasing professionalism and training standards, the initiation of new guidance delivery models, and continued introspection.

References

Eastman, L.E. Student services available in North Dakota Secondary Schools. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, UND, 1950.

Froehlich, C. The new state guidance service. North Dakota Teacher, 1941, 20, 9, 7-8

Gade, E.M. Implications for privileged communication laws for counselors. The School Counselor, 1972, 19,150-52

Hoff, A.C. Evaluation to improve the small North Dakota high school guidance program Unpublished masters thesis, UND, 1953.

Hoidal, H.R. The guidance movement in North Dakota. Unpublished masters thesis, UND, 1942.

Jacobsen, W. Personal interview, Bismarck, N.D. December 29, 1967. Cited by Klostreich, D.A. A brief history of selected aspects of the guidance movement in North Dakota., 1937 – 1968. Unpublished Independent Study, UND, 1968

Klostreich, D.A. A brief history of selected aspects of the guidance movement in North Dakota, 1937-1968. Unpublished Independent Study, UND, 1968.

Koenker, W.E. Student guidance at the Walsh County Agricultural School. North Dakota Teacher, 1942, 9 – 14.

Mathisen, J. (Ed) North Dakota Guidance Survey I, Bismarck, North Dakota: Department of Public Instruction, 1952.

Mathisen, J. Personal Communication, April, 1968, cited by Klostreich, D.A. a brief history of selected aspects of the guidance movement in North Dakota, 1937-1968. Unpublished Independent Study, UND, 1968.

Munger, P.F. and Mathisen, J.D. Title Five has helped North Dakota. Personnel and Guidance Journal, 1963, 41, 629.

Peterson, M.F. Know your state department. North Dakota Teacher, 1956, 26,3,22, 27.

Selke, E. Summer Conference on Guidance. The College of Education Record of the University of North Dakota, 1942, 28, 9.

State of North Dakota Department of Public Instruction. Directory of North Dakota Guidance Personnel. Bismarck, ND: Department of Public Instruction, 1981.