School Improvement Process:
The Counselor’s Role
Presented by
Karyn Holt
WSCA President 2003-4
kdholt@adelphia.net
The old question was…
“What do counselors do?”
The new question is…
“How are students different
because of the school
counseling program?”
Education Trust 2003
Goals for Today
• Be aware of the efforts between OSPI and
the Washington School Counselor
Association in the Guidance Initiative
• Understand how an effective School
Counseling program connects with the
School Improvement Process
• Understand the American School Counselor
Association National Model
Education Trust Model
The Role of School Counselors redefined:
Core Skills:
• Leadership in Systemic Change
• Data-based Advocacy
• Teaming and Collaboration
• Counseling, Referral and Coordination
• Assessment, Accountability and Use
of Data
• Technology Literacy
What is Guidance?
• Reaches ALL Students
• Integral to the Total Educational Program
• Developmental by Design:
PreK-12 Sequential Activities
• Involves everyone – School Counselors,
Teachers, Administrators, Parents /Guardians, &
Community
• Create an infrastructure that inspires a
personalized education for every student
Comprehensive School Guidance
• The Guidance Initiative focuses on:
– student engagement
– making connections between school and the
world outside of school
• School Counselors take the building-lead
for overseeing comprehensive Guidance,
but are not solely responsible for carrying it
out (much in the same way curriculum, instruction, or
assessment do not fall under the purview of any one
person)
School Counselor Role
• OSPI and the Washington School Counselor
Association are in the process of
“Washingtonizing” parts of the ASCA
National Model integrating the SIP process,
State Education Reform, utilizing the
American School Counselor Association
National Model, and the Education Trust
Model.
So, what’s different?
Counselors are more intentional in their work
by…
• Expanding their focus from individuals to
include systems;
• Recognizing the importance of transitions;
• Learning to value and use data;
• Detecting areas where students of color and low
income are underserved; and
• Teaming and collaborating with others to change
systems.
The Role of the Counselor in the School
Improvement Process
• Member of the SIP team or a contributing member to the
SIP team
•Actively assessing student needs through survey data,
academic data, counseling related activities (Needs
Assessments, Group Counseling, etc.)
•A resource for interpretation of school wide data
• The School Counselor implements and oversees Guidance
related action plans to ensure all students are reaching goals
1 - 4 of the State Goals.
The American School Counselor Association
National Model for School Counseling Programs
1. Foundation
2. Delivery
System
3. Management
System
4. Accountability
p. 20
Foundation
• Beliefs & Philosophy
• Mission Statement
• Standards for students
-academic
-career
-personal/social
ASCA pages 27-37
Delivery System
• Guidance Curriculum
• Individual Planning With
Students
• Responsive Services
• System Support
•
ASCA Page 39
Audit Page 112
Delivery System Components
School Guidance Curriculum
Responsive Services
•Classroom Instruction
•Interdisciplinary Curriculum
•Group Activities
•Parent Workshops/ Activities
•Structured lessons delivered to all students
•Related to standards and competencies
•Integrated with academic curriculum
•Consultation
•Individual and Small Group Counseling
•Crisis Counseling/Response
•Referrals
•Peer Facilitation/Mediation
•Designed to meet students’ immediate
needs
Individual Student Planning
System Support
•Individual or Small group Appraisal
•Individual or Small group Advisement
•Ongoing systemic activities
•Designed to assist students in
establishing personal goals
•Designed to assist students in developing
future plans
•Professional Development
•Consultation, Collaboration and
Teaming
•Program management activities that
establish, maintain, and enhance the
program
ASCA Page 41
Audit Page 113
When, Who, How of RS
• Time is built into schedule for
Responsive Services.
• Available to all students and
parents.
• Often student initiated by self
referral
MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
Counseling duties versus Non-Counseling duties
(see back of outline)
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
Management Agreements
Advisory Council
Use of Data
Action Plans
Calendars ASCA page 57
ASCA Page 101-103
Why look at data?
• Concretely demonstrates accountability and progress
toward goals
• Monitors student progress
• Creates an urgency for change
• Serves as a catalyst for focused action
• Engages decision makers in data-informed decision
making
• Challenges existing policies, practices, attitudes and
mindsets
• Focuses resources, programs, interventions, and strategies
where they are needed most
[borrowed from The Education Trust (1997) as referenced in The ASCA National Model: A framework for
school counseling programs (2003)]
Types of Data
Process - What you did for
whom”
• Evidence that event occurred
• How activity was conducted
• Did the program follow the
prescribed practice?
Perception - “What others think, know or
demonstrate” data.
•Measures competency achieved,
knowledge gained or attitudes beliefs of
students
•Pre-post
•Competency achievement
•Surveys
•Evaluations
•Measures what students are perceived
to have gained in knowledge
Results - “So WHAT” data
•Hard data
•Application data
•Proof your program has (or has not) positively impacted students ability to
utilize the knowledge, attitudes and skills to effect behavior
•Attendance
•Behavior
•Academic achievement
Trish Hatch, Ph.D. August, 2004
Process Data - Examples
• Six counseling groups with 8 students each
were held
• 1,350 6-8th grade students received the
“Time to Tell” guidance lesson
• All high school students seen individually
to prepare 4 year plan.
Trish Hatch, Ph.D. August, 2004
Perception Data -Examples
• Competency Achievement
– Every student in grades 9-12 completed a 4 year plan
– Every 10th grade student completed an interest inventory
• Knowledge Gained
– 89% of students demonstrate knowledge of promotion/
retention criteria
– 92% can identify Early Warning Signs of violence
• Attitudes or Beliefs
– 74%of students believe fighting is wrong
– 29% of students feel safe at school
– 78% know the name of their school counselor
Trish Hatch, Ph.D. August, 2004
Results Data - Examples
• 42 students on the retention list
avoided retention
• Graduation rates improved 14% over
three years
• Attendance improved among 9th grade
males by 49%
Trish Hatch, Ph.D. August, 2004
Closing the Gap Action Plan Sample
Target Group selection is based upon the following
criteria: 3 or more failing grades
Data that drove this decision: report cards, attendance
Staff
McGee &
Shea
Intended
Effects on
Academics,
Behaviors or
Attendance
Increase
academic
performance,
increase
attendance
ASCA Student
Competency
Develop
awareness of
decision
making skills.
Learn basic
goal-setting
techniques
ASCA
Domain/
Standard
Acquire
knowledge/
skills that
contribute to
effective
learning in
school/life
Type of Activity
to be Delivered
in What
Manner?
Projected
number of
students
impacted
Group
Counselingstudy skills
training
75
Evaluation
Method/
How results
will be
measures
Grades,
attendance
Project
start/
end date
12/1/042/1/05
Accountability
• Results Reports - “How are students different as a
result of the School Counseling Program?”
• School Counselor Performance Standards - New
performance based standards for ESA certification will be
in place fall of 05’
• The Program Audit - Identifies program strengths and
weaknesses
When To Use the Audit
• Complete to determine
how your program
aligns with the ASCA
Model.
• Determine what areas
need to be added or
improved.
• Use as a guide in
building your
district/state model.
• Assess yearly as
program is being built.
A Program Audit Tells Us…
• Major strengths of the program
• Areas that need to be strengthened
• Categories rate progress of each criteria and
show where work needs to be done
• Short and long-range goals for improvement are
determined
Results Data Example...
ACADEMIC
Academic Results
Interventions (6-8)
Career
Personal/ Social
Pre:
Post:
Students on retention
list:
Students who came off
retention list:
• 6th - 81
• 7th - 73
• 8th - 103
• 6th - 27
• 7th - 22
• 8th - 23
72 students avoided retention
(Moreno Valley SD in Southern California)
Academic
CAREER
Personal/ Social
Career Development
Canyon Springs High School
• In the last three years the number of students
visiting the career center has increased from
30 to over 200 students per day.
• Parent attendance at evening guidance events has
increased from 150 to 500 parents
• Scholarship dollars for students increased from
$750,000 to $825, 000
• Finally, graduation rates have improved from
84 % to 89%
(Moreno Valley SD in Southern California)
The Results:
•A 10% increase in the number of students who progress
from 9th to 10th grade on time.
•An 8% decline in students receiving an F in one or more
classes.
•Dramatic increases in the number of students enrolling in
rigorous, demanding classes: 28% increase in students
requesting pre-calculus classes; 240% increase in students
requesting physics classes; and 180% increase in students
requesting chemistry classes.
•A school-wide transition to more a more student-centered,
individualized way of thinking about education.
Reference Slides
School Improvement Process: The
Counselor’s Role
Guidance Curriculum Suggested
Time Distribution
Elementary
School
Counselor % of
Time:
Middle School
Counselor % of
Time:
High School
Counselor % of
Time:
35%-45%
25%-35%
15%-25%
ASCA Page 55
Gysbers & Henderson,
2002
Individual Planning Suggested
Time Distribution
Elementary
School
Counselor % of
time:
Middle School
Counselor % of
time:
High School
Counselor % of
time:
5%-10%
15%-25%
25%-35%
Gysbers & Henderson,
2002
Responsive Services Suggested
Time Distribution
Elementary
School
Counselor % of
Time:
Middle School
Counselor % of
Time:
High School
Counselor % of
Time:
30%-40%
30%-40%
30%-40%
Gysbers & Henderson,
2002
System Support Suggested
Time Distribution
Elementary
School
Counselor % of
Time:
Middle School
Counselor % of
Time:
High School
Counselor % of
Time:
10%-15%
10%-15%
10%-15%
Gysbers & Henderson,
2002