DATA
On the Road to a Data Informed
School Counseling Program
Jeannie Maddox, School Counselor, NBCT
George Marks Elementary
FSCA Convention Orlando, Florida
October 23, 2015
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Your thoughts and
questions about data…
Overview
• What is data informed school counseling?
• Why is it important for School Counselors to use data?
• Demystifying data! The 6 types
• Accessing data
• Using data to identify a goal
• Writing an action and results plan
Feelings about Data
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• Select the picture that best depicts how you feel about data
Encouraging words for
School Counselors
Trish Hatch says at the end of her book, The Use of Data in School Counseling,
“… I do know that some of the most amazing work school counselors
will ever do, they will never be able to measure. I truly and deeply
know that. Some of the “work” we do as school counselors is work
we are called to do. I was called to be a school counselor. Some of
my best days as a school counselor were truly the very worst days
for others, and it was on those days, when I left my school, I knew,
I truly knew that I was there for a reason. School counseling is a
calling. It is my calling. It is my purpose on the planet.”
What’s up with all this
data talk?
“School counselors traditionally have offered time-on-task data (Gysbers &
Henderson, 2000) or a numerical summary of the different types of activities delivered
as a means of assessing and evaluating the impact of a school counseling program.
Merely presenting the numbers of students seen individually, in groups, or in
classrooms is no longer enough.”
“Legislators, school boards, administrators, and faculty concerned with accountability
issues may not see the work of school counselors as being an effective utilization of
financial resources to improve student achievement. Accountability offers the
opportunity for school counselors to demonstrate how they can effectively identify
and rectify issues that impede student achievement and provide suitable educational
opportunities.”
“Leaving No School Counselor Behind” Carol A. Dahir and Carolyn Stone
“Accountability involves using data to improve
comprehensive school counseling programs and
student achievement outcomes, and in reporting
information to stakeholders which subsequently
increases school Counselor credibility.”
Dr. Tyler Kimbal, The Development and Validation of the School Counseling Report Card – Student Version
Data driven or data informed?
Data driven:
• Describes decisions made solely on the data
• Just the cold, hard facts
• Does not allow you to make decisions based on other sources or factors
(outliers, med changes, program changes, new curriculum, etc.)
Data informed:
•
•
•
•
Use data “in context” to help your school excel
Continuous improvement (reviewed regularly)
Flexible, responsive, intelligent
Measure, observe, improve, refine
DATA
“Data doesn’t drive anything—
professional judgment does. The data
just informs what is going on.”
Dr. Jeffrey Wayman, 2012
How prepared are you?
Looking at our data…
• What does this data say about this sample of School
Counselors practicing in Florida today?
• What need would you identify for our group of School
Counselors?
• What it doesn’t say…
Moving forward…
• We have to go from knowing about data to knowing how to use data
• Face our fears
• Start small and build
• Remember: it is a learning process
“We must always remember that the goal is for us to learn
from the data, not to be evaluated on the data.”
~Trish Hatch
What is a data informed school
Counseling program?
“…the
intentional use of the best available evidence in
planning, implementing, and evaluating school counseling
interventions and programs.”
Evidence-Based School Counseling: Making a Difference with Data-Driven Practices, Dimmitt, Carey, and Hatch, 2007
• designed and delivered based on student data
• standards based ie: ASCA Mindsets and Behaviors, other standards and
initiatives at state and district levels
• measures the results of our school counseling programs
• promotes systemic change where necessary
How does a data informed school
counseling program benefit students?
• Provides relevant and effective programs based on data
• Provides lessons/information for ALL students (Tier 1)
• Assists student in obtaining standard or competency based skills
• Identifies specific needs (Tier 2)
• Increases achievement data
• Takes non-counseling jobs off the counselor’s plate
• Gives students and Counselors more time together
How does a data informed school
counseling program benefit School Counselors?
• Eliminates random acts of guidance
• Counselors can use data to tell their story, create policy change
• Advocate for practices that promote academic achievement and success for ALL
–addresses discrepancies between behavior/academic data between students
of different demographic groups (closing the gap plan)
• Creates collaborative School Counselor calendar
• Demonstrates the effectiveness of School Counselors
• Builds a strong comprehensive program
Shows how students are different because of what school counselors do.
Two Prong approach to a Data Informed
School Counseling Program
Small number of students
with special needs, not
appropriate for intentional
guidance plan;
may need to refer out
Intentional Guidance
Some students need more
ALL students need to know
School wide goals, standards based
curriculum
Why is data important?
“It is no longer enough for Professional
School Counselors to answer the
question, ‘What do school counselors
do?’ Professional School Counselors must
now respond to the question, “How are
students different as a result of what we
do?”
~ASCA National Model
COLLECT
DATA
“Data” defined
DATA
School
Generated
Achievement
Data
Achievement
Related Data
Counselor
Generated
Pre/post tests
Faculty/parent/
student surveys
Achievement Data
Often looked at as the measure of success in schools, used to compare one school
to another, can close schools and reassign personnel. Measures a student’s
academic progress.
• EXAMPLES:
Standardized test results (FCAT, FSA)
Retention rate
Pass rate for HS exit exam
Algebra pass rate
GPA
SAT/ACT scores
Changes in achievement levels (math/reading)
Drop out rate
Completion of college prep requirements
College freshmen remediation rates
Achievement-Related Data
“elements impacting or correlating to student achievement.” Hatch, 2013
When students behave, attend school, do HW, enroll in rigorous courses they perform better.
• EXAMPLES:
Discipline referrals and suspension rates
Attendance rates
Course enrollment patterns
Homework completion rates
Report Card grades
Parental involvement
• This data is more easily available to SC
• These activities more directly align to SC
services
Making Data Connections
Competency
Attainment
Believe it is
important to
come to school
Demonstrate
Self-contol
AchievementRelated Data
Achievement
Data
Increase
Attendance
Increase
Achievement
(GPA)
Reduced Discipline
Referrals, Improved
School climate
Improved
Achievement
(Benchmarks)
More TYPES of DATA
Process Data
•
•
•
•
•
What you did for whom?
Where did you spend your time?
How many students did you impact?
Are these services directly related to students?
Can only a professional school counselor perform these functions?
•
•
•
•
•
EXAMPLES: time in responsive services, in classes, in small groups
All 120 incoming 5th graders were seen individually for minute meetings in Sept. and Jan.
All students in grades 6-7 (270) received 2 lessons on cyber safety
Four counseling groups of 10th graders each with 6 students each met for 6 study skills sessions
30 hours this month spent in before/after school bus duty
“What did you do for whom?”
Recording Process Data
Process Data Tools
• https://sconlineprofessionalexchange.wikispaces.com/EZAnalyze FREE
• https://www.google.com/forms/about/ FREE
• https://www.notecounselorweb.com/ free for 30 day trial, then $49 yr
• http://counselorapp.com/ $20 for 30 day trial, $120 yr
Perception Data
•
•
•
•
From documenting to demonstrating
What do students think they know? (knowledge)
What do they believe? (attitude)
What can they do or demonstrate as a result of a lesson, activity, or intervention?
(skills)
• Measures competency achieved
• A attitude 29% of students feel unsafe in the bathroom
• S skills 95% of students can figure their GPA
• K knowledge 91% of students can name 3 ways to handle a bully
Perception Data Tools
• Needs assessments
• Pre/post tests
• Survey/ratings scales
Tools:
• Clickers (personal response device)
• Kahoot!
• Plickers.com
• PollEverywhere.com
• Exit slips
• Completion of an activity
• Fist rating
Outcome (results) Data
•
•
•
•
•
•
Measures the impact of a lesson, activity, intervention
The “so what”
The proof behavior has changed
Proof of SC program effectiveness
Hard data that shows how students are different
Compared to previous achievement related data
• 60% of students with F’s brought their grade up to a C or better from Q1 to
Q2
• 31% decrease in discipline referrals from Q1 to Q2
• 77% increase in daily attendance of targeted students for 2014-15 SY
Outcome (results) Data Tools
• Action plans
• Results reports
• School and Counselor generated data reports
• What does the data tell you?
• Was the program a success?
• What worked, what didn’t, what needs to be changed?
Data over time
Data collected in 3 time frames
• Immediate: pre/post test, surveys, needs assessments
• Intermediate: end of a group or grading period
• Long range: data impact from year to year
• Example: behavior data
• Immediate- pre test with students, survey
Teachers/parents on student behavior
• Intermediate- end of group post test
• Long range: EOY behavior data
Hatching Results Conceptual Diagram
Process Data
(Hatch 2005b)
Perception Data
Competency
Attainment Data
Results Data
Achievement
Related Data
Guidance Lessons
Group Counseling
Individual Counseling
Who?
What?
When ?
Where?
How long?
School Counseling Curriculum
Intentional Guidance (Intervention)
Achievement
Data
Accessing Data Sources
• Attendance
• Discipline referrals
• Report cards with D’s and F’s
• Report Cards with 2’s and 3’s
• Climate surveys
• Student, parent, faculty needs
assessments/surveys, pre/post
tests
School Data Base
Assistant Principal, School Data Base
Gradebook Contact, School Data Base
School Psychologist
Principal/SAC contact
Generated/created by you
Disaggregating data
• Data refined into subgroups
• Create School Data Profile
• Gender, ethnicity, SES, ESE, ESOL, grade level, teacher, language,
location, discipline offense
• Compares data from different groups to better understand the
implications and meaning of data
• Where and how to intervene can occur at various levels, individual,
class, group, school wide, home, community
Interpreting Your Data
• What pictures, patterns, or gaps does the data suggest?
• What problems or needs surfaced?
• What inequities exist?
• Achievement gaps?
• Opportunity gaps?
• Are there systems changes that need to be made?
• Which programs impact students?
• Which programs meet the identified need?
• Does the data implicates some programs?
• Are there components/programs that to be
re-evaluated, eliminated, or replaced?
• How are students different because of what I’ve done?
Counselors Using Data
• Shelia is a middle school counselor in a low income, urban school that
has a high number of detentions in the 8th grade. She decides to
develop and implement a social skills training intervention consisting of
both peer-to-peer conflict resolution training and student teacher
communication skills training. Shelia develops the materials and trains
personnel. The program is implemented in the advisory period. Her
pre/post test evaluation indicates most students learned the targeted
concepts and can describe instances in which they use the conflict
resolution skills.
• What do you think of Shelia’s action plan?
Counselors doing data right!
• Shelia does a quick analysis of the reasons for detention and finds that 70% of the
students are sent to detention for chronically missing homework and 30% for
inappropriate conduct. She recommends to her administration that detentions be
for conduct problems only, and sets as her goal reducing the weekly referral rate by
50% by midyear. She organizes a school homework group and publicizes this group
to both the general student population and specifically to students with chronic
homework problems and to the parents of these students. She also establishes a
conflict resolution group, recruiting as members students who were sent to
detention for inappropriate conduct. Shelia tracks participation in both
interventions and tracks the weekly detention rate. By midyear it has dropped 55%.
• What do you think of Sheila’s action plan now? What is different?
Setting Goals
SMART
• S specific
• M measurable
• A attainable
• R results-oriented
• T time-bound
Gap/Problem/Issue impacting student success
Based on existing data
Challenging but achievable
Collect/analyze process, perception, outcome data
Timeline to accomplish goal, analyze/share data
• See handout for SMART goal samples
Setting SMART Goals
The (who)
will _______ (increasing/decreasing) the (identified need)
for (identified group) by (%) in the 2014-25 school year to
(%) in the 2015-2016 school year.
• The School Counseling Department will assist with reducing the number of
discipline referrals by students with 4 or more referrals by 15% by providing
weekly small group counseling and check-in intervention.
• During the 2015-2016 SY, the School Counseling Department will assist in
decreasing the absences of 7th and 8th graders with 15 or more absences by
50%.
Action and Results plans
Action plan: specific plan for addressing data needs, who ,what, how,
when, materials, procedures, permissions, create perception data
collection instruments?
Results plan: same plan as above plus data effectiveness- process,
perception, outcome and implications (reflections)
How do I begin to implement a
data informed counseling program?
Start small. Just choose one thing!
• Data “scavenger hunt”
(what is needed? ATT, grades, EWS, ODR)
• Analyze your data
• Look for trends/problems
• Set SMART goal(s)*
• Develop an action plan(s)*
• Set a calendar
• Prepare lessons(curriculum and materials)
• Deliver lessons/group/intervention*
• Evaluate (all data –immediate, intermediate, long range)
• Advocate and Share
• Repeat
Ten Steps
to being
data
informed!
Summing it all up…
• “The purpose of collecting data is to simply inform what you already do.”
• DATA gives credibility to our profession, it demonstrates how School
Counselors make a difference.
• It demonstrates the value of School Counselors and how we impact the
bottom line, student learning.
• It gives administrators visuals and concise facts that demonstrate program
effectiveness.
• Administrators, legislators, and taxpayers must have knowledge and
evidence of what we do to justify and advocate for our positions.
Young and Kaffenberger, 2011
Resources
• Evidenced-Based School Counseling Conference, Dr. Trish Hatch, Keynote
Erlanger, Kentucky March 2015
• Evidenced-Based School Counseling Conference, Erlanger, Kentucky, March
2015 presenters from Lindemen Elementary School and Lewis and Clark
College
• The Use of Data in School Counseling, Dr. Trish Hatch, 2014, Corwin Press.
• Evidenced Based School Counseling: Making a Difference with Data Driven
Practices, Carey Dimmitt, John C. Carey, Trish Hatch, 2007, Corwin Press.
• “The Beliefs and Practices of School Counselors Who Use Data to
Implement Comprehensive School Counseling Programs,” Anita Young and
Carol Kaffenberger, 2011. https://www.questia.com/library/journal/1G1276135160/the-beliefs-and-practices-of-school-counselors-who
• ASCA website, www.schoolcounselor.org
• The Development and Validation of the School Counseling Report Card –
Student Version, Dr. Tyler Kimbal
Resources
• Andrew Chen andrewchen.co Data Informed v. Data Driven
• Beth Kanter Why Data informed v. Data Driven, Feb.21, 2013,
http://www.bethkanter.org/data-informed/
• American Counseling Association, Vistas Online, Article 18Leaving No
School Counselor Behind, Carol A. Dahir and Carolyn Stone,
http://www.counseling.org/Resources/Library/VISTAS/vistas04/18.pdf
Data, Data, Data: Steps and Tools for Planning and Using your Data
http://schoolcounseling.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/file/view/C.+Data+Literacy+
for+School+Counselors.pdf
Thank you for joining me!
For more information contact me at:
jmaddox@volusia.k12.fl.us or
jeanniemaddox87@gmail.com
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