Jennifer Cipollone
Director of School Counseling Program; Affiliate Faculty
Dr. Jennifer Q. Cipollone is the Director of the School Counseling Program and Affiliate Faculty at Eastern University.
In addition to her work at Eastern, Dr. Cipollone serves as the College & Career Access Counselor at Marple Newtown High School, where she coordinates college counseling services, scholarship programming, and community engagement initiatives. Jen is an active member of Pennsylvania’s school counseling community and serves on the Executive Board of the Delaware County School Counselors Association. Her professional interests include counselor leadership, postsecondary access, state policy implementation, and integrating comprehensive career development frameworks in K–12 settings.
Dr. Cipollone completed her Ph.D. in Education with a phenomenological dissertation titled “Pennsylvania State Mandate Chapter 339 and School Counselors as Leaders.” Her research examines how school counselors experience and enact leadership within the context of state-mandated career readiness requirements. Through this work, she highlights issues of equity, resource allocation, counselor advocacy, and policy-practice alignment, contributing to both the scholarly literature and statewide conversations on school counseling reform.
Education
- PhD., Organizational Leadership (Education Track), Eastern University
- MA: Master's in Clinical Counseling, La Salle University
- BA: Bachelor's in Psychology, La Salle University
- School Counseling Secondary Level Certification: West Chester University
Classes Taught
- SCSP 545: Career Development Theory and Practice
- SCNL 634: School Counseling Practicum
Research Interests
- School Counselor Leadership
Examining how school counselors enact leadership within K–12 systems, including advocacy, collaboration, program development, and role definition. - State Educational Policy & Implementation
Exploring how mandates such as Pennsylvania’s Chapter 339 Career Readiness Standards shape counselor practice, school culture, program structures, and student outcomes. - Career Readiness & Postsecondary Planning
Investigating effective models, interventions, and technologies (Naviance, Smart Futures, Xello, SCOIR) that strengthen college and career access, particularly for underserved students. - Comprehensive School Counseling Programs
Researching the development, implementation, and effectiveness of ASCA-aligned programs and counselor-driven leadership initiatives in K–12 schools.
Professional Associations and Services
- Pennsylvania School Counselor Association (PSCA)
- American School Counselor Association (ASCA)
- Delaware County School Counselor Association (DCSCA)
- Pennsylvania Association for College Admission Counselors (PACAC)
- National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC)
Publication
- Cipollone, J. Q. (2025). Pennsylvania State Mandate Chapter 339 and School Counselors as Leaders: A Phenomenological Study (Doctoral dissertation, Eastern University).
Presentations
PACAC Conference
Pennsylvania Association for College Admissions Counseling: Selected Session Speaker. The sessions provided have covered topics on ethics and new school counseling models.PACAC Summer Institute
Pennsylvania Association for College Admissions Counseling Summer Institute: Selected faculty member, July 2023 – Bucknell University. Dynamic, interactive, and intensive 2 ½-day workshop for new admissions counselors and secondary school counseling professionals.PSCA Conference
Pennsylvania School Counselors Association: Selected Virtual Conference Session Speaker. The session provided an overview of a new counseling model, dividing and conquering roles for Social Emotional School Counselors and College & Career Access Counselors.NACAC
National Association for College Admissions Counseling: Selected Virtual Webinar Series Presenter. The session provided an overview of the college planning process, marketability to parents, and best practices.