Comprehensive guidance: Student and parent perceptions of junior high student needs

A needs assessment was conducted to identify top priorities for the development of a Comprehensive Guidance Program (CGP). The assessment was given to junior high students (grades 7--9) and their parents. This thesis is a comparison of students' and parents' perceptions of the needs of students in a junior high school setting. The findings indicate that parents and students shared similar views on themes of support for career and future plans, concern for more information on health issues, and concerns of what services the school should provide. However students' and parents' individual needs were not similar. A Spearman Rho test showed a very low overall correlation between the ranking of needs of the two groups. The findings led to the recommendation that thematic similarities should guide the development of programs and that community support should be sought to address individual priorities identified by each group. A major benefit of the study was the development of a process for the engagement of the community in school development. Further investigation may be needed to help understand the differences in the parents' and students' perceptions.