Building a School Counseling Program That Shows Results

1. Building a School Counseling Program That Shows Results Writing Action Plans Using the ASCA National Model Eric Sparks President-Elect American School Counselor Association

2. Objectives Participants will: • Review the components of the ASCA National Model • Review school data • Complete 1 Action Plan

3. ASCA National Model: A Framework for School Counseling Programs

4. The old question was… “What do counselors do?” The new question is… • “How are students different as a result of the school counseling program?

5. High School Goals for Wakefield HS • Increase promotion of 9th graders to 85% • Increase parent involvement of LEP/ESL students by 20% • Increase minority student enrollment in AP English III by 5%

6. GOAL: Increase promotion rate of 9th graders to 85% • Target group: 9th graders • Selection based upon retention data of 9th graders for 2002-03 and 2003-04 • Data that drove this decision: dropout rates and retention rate of the past two years

7. GOAL: Increase parent involvement of LEP/ESL students by 20% • Target group: LEP/ESL students • Selection based upon opportunity to improve success for the group • Data that drove this decision: parent involvement in academic conferences was at 22% in 02-03 and 03-04 school years

8. GOAL: Increase minority student enrollment in AP English III by 5% • Target group: 57 minority students in Honors English II • Selection based upon low enrollment of minority students in Honors and AP courses • Data that drove this decision: 15 minority students enrolled in AP English III during 04-05 school year, 44 minority students enrolled in Honors English III during 04-05

9. Middle SchoolEast Wake Middle Goal:To increase by 10% the passing rate of EOG for retained students • N = 17 • 4 Sixth • 4 Seventh • 9 Eighth • 4 left during year

10. Activities Used • Student conferencing • Parent conferencing • Track and explain EOG growth • Project Achieve lessons • After school program referrals • CIS referrals • Teacher communication • Scheduling electives for assistance

11. Goal Met! • Goal 2 - to increase passing rate of EOG by 10% • Actual Results: • Increased passing rate by 23% overall in Reading • Increased passing rate by 54% overall in Math

12. East Wake MS Goal: To Decrease OSS Suspensions by 10% N = 15 students > 10 days in 2003-2004 Activities used: • Anger management group • Warrior buddy referral • Mentor referral • Peer mediation • Individual counseling

13. In 2004-2005 • 8 had a total of less OSS days • 5 were LTS • 2 had more OSS days

14. Goal Met! • Goal 1 – to decrease the number of OSS occurrences by 10% for specified population • Actual Result • Decreased number of occurrences by 59% Lesson learned: occurrences decreased, but actual days increased due to long term suspensions – likely goal for 2005-2006

15. Elementary School Counseling Results • Total # of suspended days for targeted students in 2003-4 was 54 and 2004-5 was 17. 31% decrease in number of suspensions in 2004-5

16. Olive Chapel Elementary3 C’s Counseling Group • 100% of the students in target group had no referrals to the school’s administrator due to discipline concerns. • Prior to participation in this counseling group, 20% of the students in this target group had at least one disciplinary referral to the school administrator.

17. Olive Chapel Elementary Goal: Decrease bullying by 50% Result: 0% of the students in target group had referrals to the school administrator or the school counselor for the behavior of bullying.

18. Baileywick ElementaryAttendance Plan • 83% of identified students missed less than 15 days

19. Lynn Rd. Elementary August – 12 students with 36 referrals May – 7 students with 10 referrals Only 8 of 30 students had office referrals. Referrals decreased from 12 students for 36 referrals in Aug, to 7 students for 10 referrals in May. Only 8 of 30 students had office referrals the last quarter.

20. Management System • Management Agreements • Advisory Council • Use of Data • Action Plans • Use of Time • Calendars NM p. 45 and 101-103 Management System

21. My program is more focused, organized, and based on needs and data rather than based on what I think is best. -Elementary School Counselor

22. Our program has been elevated in the eyes of our staff. Teachers have mentioned to visitors and parents just how competent our department has become. -High School Counselor

23. Use of Data • Program is data-driven • Used to effect change • Ensure that all students receive benefits of the program • Student monitoring • “Close the Gap” NM p. 49 Workbook p. 70 Management System

24. Data, Data, Data • May be the most difficult piece for counselors • Counselors must • interpret data • collect data • get comfortable with data • Not turning counselors into statisticians or researchers • Simplify/streamline by delivering to counselors that data which will serve to reach overall goals

25. Examples of Data to Examine

26. Existing Data Sources • Report cards • Disciplinary referrals • Post-graduation plans • FCAT/EOGs/EOCs • Appointment calendars • Attendance reports • Referrals Management System

27. New Data Sources • Pre- and post-activity surveys • Needs assessments • Focus groups • Case studies • Student portfolios Management System

28. Program Evaluation Data • Process Data • “What did you do for whom?” • Perception Data • “What do people think they know, believe or can do?” • What do people think about your program? • Results Data • “So what?” NM p. 50

29. Data Over Time • Immediate – data measures the immediate impact - pre-post test, WB p.70-71 • Intermediate – data collected over a short period of time - improved grades after counseling group, WB p. 72-73 • Long-range – Longitudinal - data “stretched over time”, WB p.73

30. Action Plans • Domain, standard, and competency • Description of activity • Curriculum and materials to be used • Time allotment • Person(s) responsible • Evaluation of student success • Expected result NM p. 53 Management System

31. Two Types of Action Plans 1. Curriculum Action Plan 2. Closing the Gap Action Plan

32. Data that drives the decision to correlate with a competency Domain and standard to be addressed Measurable student competency Description of activity to be used Title of curriculum used Timeline for completion of activity Closing the Gap Action Plans NM p. 54 Workbook p. 105 Management System

33. Goals and Objectives • Goals: Broad topics identifying and area to improve • Objectives:Clear, realistic, measurable and time-limited statements of actions which, when completed, will move towards goal achievement

34. Example of Goals and Objectives

35. Suggestions • Keep it simple • Don’t measure everything • Use data that is already collected • Grades • Suspension/Discipline Referrals • Test Scores • Attendance • Make decisions based on needs of school, district and access to data • Goal is to learn from data, not be evaluated on data

36. Use Results to Advocate • Share results of school counseling program • Educate staff, parents, students and community about the appropriate role of the school counselor • Advocate to do more of what is effective and less of what is not effective • Advocate for less non-counseling duties and more counseling duties

37. Writing CTG Action Plans • Complete the Action Plan Worksheet using the School Data Handout as your data. • Write one Closing The Gap action plan. Management System

38. School Counseling Programs Are About RESULTS. Gaston Co. students are different as a result of the school counseling program.