Building a School Counseling Program That Shows Results

Writing Action Plans Using the ASCA National

ModelEric SparksPresident-ElectAmerican School Counselor Association

Objectives

Participants will: 1. Review the components of the

ASCA National Model2. Review school data3. Complete 1 Action Plan

ASCA National Model: A Framework for School Counseling Programs

The old question was…

“What do counselors do?”

The new question is…“How are students

different as a result of the school counseling

program?

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%

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

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

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

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

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

Goal 2 - to increase passing rate of EOG by 10%

Actual Results:Increased passing rate by 23% overall in ReadingIncreased passing rate by 54% overall in Math

Goal Met!

East Wake MS Goal:To Decrease OSS Suspensions by 10%N = 15 students > 10 days in 2003-2004

Anger management groupWarrior buddy referralMentor referralPeer mediationIndividual counseling

Activities used:

In 2004-20058 had a total of less OSS days5 were LTS2 had more OSS days

Goal Met!Lesson learned: occurrences decreased, but actual days increased due to long term suspensions – likely goal for 2005-2006

Goal 1 – to decrease the number of OSS occurrences by 10% for specified population

Actual ResultDecreased number of occurrences by 59%

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

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.

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.

Baileywick ElementaryAttendance Plan

• 83% of identified students missed less than 15 days

Lynn Rd. Elementary

August – 12 students with 36 referralsMay – 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.

Management System• Management

Agreements• Advisory Council• Use of Data• Action Plans• Use of Time• Calendars

Management SystemNM p. 45 and 101-103

My program is more focused, organized, and

based on needs and data rather than based on what I think

is best.

-Elementary School Counselor

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

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”

Management SystemNM p. 49 Workbook p. 70

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

Examples of Data to ExamineTest Scores

AchievementState

National

Enrollment AG/HN/AP Partic. College Track Special Education LEP

Graduation Rate By Gender By Ethnicity By SES

Attendance Absences Tardies By Grade Level

Discipline By Classroom Types of Problems Gender

GPA/Class Rank By Gender By Ethnicity By SES

Retention Rates By Subject Area By Grade Level By Gender, Ethnicity Post Sec Plans

Special Education By Gender By Ethnicity By SES

Dropout Rate Grade Levels Gender, Ethnicity… Reasons Why

Existing Data Sources

• Report cards• Disciplinary referrals• Post-graduation plans• FCAT/EOGs/EOCs• Appointment calendars• Attendance reports• Referrals

Management System

New Data Sources

• Pre- and post-activity surveys• Needs assessments• Focus groups• Case studies• Student portfolios

Management System

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

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

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

Management System

NM p. 53

Two Types of Action Plans

Closing the Gap Action Plans• 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

Management System

NM p. 54Workbook p. 105

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

Example of Goals and ObjectivesArea Goal Objective

AcademicTo increase number of promotions

In 06-07, the promotion rate of 3rd grade students will increase by 10% as compared to 05-06

BehaviorTo create a safer school climate

In 06-07, incidents of fighting at school will be reduced by 5% as compared to 05-06

AttendanceTo increase the attendance rate

In 06-07, the attendance rate of 9th grade repeating students will increase by 50%

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

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

Writing CTG Action Plans

1. Complete the Action Plan Worksheet using the School Data Handout as your data.

2. Write one Closing The Gap action plan.

Management System

School Counseling Programs Are About

RESULTS.Gaston Co. students are

different as a result of the school counseling

program.