History of School Guidance Counseling

Key Dates for School Counselors:

1870-NEA founded

1892-American Psychological Association founded (150,000 members in 2006)

1897-Wilheim Wundt's Psychological Institute

1895-George Merrill-California School of Mechanical Arts-San Francisco-Vocational guidance experiment

1905-Alfred Binet's article, "New Methods for the Diagnosis of the Intellectual Level of Subnormals," is published in France. The Binet-Simon Scale, as it is called, is an effective means of measuring intelligence.

1906-Frank Parson's founded education to work center/Trait-Factor Theory

1907-Jesse B. Davis introduced guidance lessons in English classes in Detroit on vocational and moral guidance

1908-Clifford Beers-A Mind That Found Itself, Eli Weaver-New York guidance services, Anne Reed-Seattle

1909-Parson's Choosing a Vocation, Beer's Mental Hygiene Movement

1910-John Dewey's How We Think

1911-Frank Goodwin-Cincinnati
1913-National Guidance Association, later becomes National Career Development Association, a division of ACA

1916 - Louis M. Terman completed an American version of the Binet-Simon Scale; the concept of the intelligence quotient (or IQ) is born. The Fifth Edition of the Stanford-Binet Scales is among the most popular individual intelligence tests today. For additional information on the history of intelligence testing, see A.C.E. Long History of the I.Q. Test.
1917-Smith-Hughes Act/Army Alpha Test-Yerkes (2 million soldiers)

1921-National Vocational Guidance Bulletin (later, Career Development Quarterly)

1922-John Dewey's concept of Progressive Education, The Human Nature and the Conduct

1923-Freud's The Ego and the Id

1925-American Vocational Association founded, renamed Association for Career and Technical Education in 1998, certification of counselors in Boston and New York

1926 - The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) is first administered. It is based on the Army Alpha test.

1927-Strong Interest Inventory developed

1928-Hull's Aptitude Testing

1929-Strong Vocational Interest Inventory, first marriage & counseling center established in New York

1932-John Brewer's Education as Guidance, all teachers and guidance incorporated into curricula

1939-Dictionary of Occupational Titles published, E.G. Williamson's How to Counsel Students (Trait/Factor Theory)

1942-Carl Rogers' Counseling and Psychotherapy (Non-Directive)

1943-APA adopts division 17, Counseling & Guidance

1949-Occupational Outlook Handbook first edition published

1951-Occupational Outlook Handbook second edition published; Roger's Client-Centered Therapy, Axelrod, term Counseling Psychology is coined by Gilbert Wren, American Personnel and Guidance Association founded (Later, ACA)

1952-Journal of Counseling & Development

1953-Ethical Standards adopted by American Psychological Association

1954-Donald Super's Theory of Vocational Choice, Maslow's Hierarchy

1957-Occupational Outlook Handbook third edition published, Quarterly review begins

1958-National Defense Education Act (response to Sputnik I); full-time counselors increases from 12,000 to 27, 180 from 1958-63 and 400 counseling institutes funded by federal govermnet with over 13,000 counselors trained. Local school expenditures increased from $5.6 to $127 million from 1958-63. Piaget's Developmental Theory

1959-John Holland's Typology

1961-APGA code of ethics published

1962-Gilbert Wren's Culturally Encapsulated Counselor and Counseling in a Changing World (1964); Albert Ellis' RET and C.H. Patterson's Counseling and Guidance in Schools

1963-Vocational Education Act, E.C. Roeber's The School Counselor

1964-American School Counselor Association founded (18,000 members in 2006)

1965-Glasser's Reality Therapy, Elementary and Secondary Act

1966-National Employment Counselors Association formed

1967-4,000 Elementary counselors in 48 states

1974-Family Education and Privacy Act (Buckley Amendment)

1975-Education Act for all Handicapped Children (Special Education); Dr. Hougk founds Stephen Ministry

1976-Parloff identifies 130 counseling theories, Virginia becomes first state to pass counselor licensure law

1979-National Academic Advising Association begins

1981-CACREP accreditation of counseling program begins

1983-Nation at Risk Report, APGA changes name to American Counseling Association (80,000 members in 2006), NBCC formed

1985-Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences, National Guidance Association becomes NCDA, division of ACA