Bringing Counseling to the Classroom: Embedded Counseling and Student Outcomes in Community College ESOL Programs

Increased and targeted counseling and advising may be an effective way to support English learner students enrolled in programs for English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). This study examines ESOL student outcomes after an embedded counseling intervention in which college counselors repeatedly visited ESOL course sections to discuss academic options and introduce students to campus resources and support. Matching analyses comparing demographically and academically similar students who did and did not have exposure to the embedded counseling intervention indicate positive relationships between counselor contact and persistence outcomes, but not academic achievement outcomes. ESOL students who received embedded counseling were significantly more likely to return and re-enroll in subsequent ESOL courses than those who did not have this exposure. Since embedded counseling may have helped students feel more connected to and supported by the college, the results suggest counselor contact may be critical for the retention and persistence of students in ESOL programs.