Helpful Tips from a
RAMP Reviewer
FSCA Conference
Friday, October 24, 2014
RAMP by the Numbers
• 2013-14 Process:
• 113 applications
• 72 total RAMP schools from 18 states
• Total RAMP schools since 2003:
• 545 schools from 36 states
RAMP Schools by Level
250
200
150
100
50
0
Alt
Elem
E/M
High
Middle
M/H
K-12
Where Do I Begin?
Helpful Tips
• Review the RAMP rubric carefully.
• Be very familiar with the RAMP application process.
• Remember, this is about the school counseling program, not about the
school counselors.
• Ensure the application covers one full school year.
Helpful Tips
• Proofread!!
• Ensure the application is clear and understandable from someone unfamiliar
with your program.
• Use the narratives effectively to tell the story of your school counseling
program.
• The school counseling program goals are the threads that tie the application
together!!
3. School Counseling Program Goals
The school counseling program goals give focus to the school counseling program.
They define how the vision and mission are accomplished and guide the
development of curriculum, small-group and closing-the-gap action plans.
The program goals:
1. Promote achievement, attendance, behavior and/or school safety
2. Are based on school data
3. May address school-wide data, policies and practices or address closing-thegap issues
4. Address academic, career and/or personal/social development (there
doesn’t have to be a goal for each domain, but your goal must address at
least one of the domains)
5. Are SMART: specific, measurable, attainable, results-oriented, time-bound
See pages 25-28 of “The ASCA National Model: A Framework for School Counseling
Programs (third edition)” for more information.
Narrative: The narrative addresses how the goals were developed, how they
address student learning and/or student inequalities, and how they are founded in
data.
SMART GOALS
• Specific – outcome is clear; intensity of focus is on students
• Measurable – you can count it or see it
• Attainable – reachable; you have the resources/tools to make it
happen
• Results-oriented – student-centered; aligned with school and district
goals
• Time Bound – a specific date has been set for it to be accomplished
Sample School Counseling Program SMART Goals Worksheet
(from ASCA National Model, 3rd edition, pg. 28)
Specific Issue
What is the specific issue based on our
school’s data?
Measurable
How will we measure the effectiveness
of the interventions?
Where do you find school and student data? Do you have easy access?
Have you looked at your school improvement plan? What specific sub-group of
students needs your intervention to close a particular gap?
Refer to Making Data Work, 3rd Edition for excellent help on working with data
and how to calculate percent change
Attainable
What outcome would stretch us but is
still attainable?
Be realistic!
Results-Oriented
Is the goal reported in results-oriented
data (process, perception, and
outcome)?
Time Bound
When will we accomplish our goal?
Refer to ASCA National Model, 3rd Edition, pg. 102
Consider when new data will be available.
DIRECTION
GROUP
Increase or
decrease?
Who will be your target
group?
Are you trying to
increase or decrease
a data element for a
particular target
group?
Data by student groups:
• Race/ethnicity
• Gender
• Grade
• SES Status
• ESE/ELL/other
subgroups
DATE ELEMENT
What data element are you
trying to impact?
Examples of data elements:
• Attendance
• Graduation rate
• Promotion/retention
• Tardies
• Discipline referrals
• GPA
• SAT/ACT scores
• Suspension rates
• Over-age students
DESIRED
OUTCOME
BY WHEN
What is your target goal?
What are you trying to
achieve?
What is the realistic goal
you are trying to achieve
based on your knowledge
of current numbers?
Specify your
target
date
What is the percentage of
change you are trying to
achieve?
Example:
DECREASE
2nd GRADE BOYS
DISCIPLINE REFERRALS
20%
END OF
2014-15
SCHOOL
YEAR
Does it Meet SMART Criteria?
Decrease the number of 2nd grade
boys who receive discipline
referrals by 20% by the end of the
2014-15 school year.
•
•
•
•
•
Specific?
Measurable?
Attainable?
Results-oriented?
Time Bound?
Does it Meet SMART Criteria?
Improve the self-concept of students
through classroom visits and small
group counseling.
•
•
•
•
•
Specific?
Measurable?
Attainable?
Results-oriented?
Time Bound?
Does it Meet SMART Criteria?
Reduce the number of core subject
failing grades by 50%.
•
•
•
•
•
Specific?
Measurable?
Attainable?
Results-oriented?
Time Bound?
Does it Meet SMART Criteria?
Seventh-grade students identified
with two or more D/F grades in the
first marking period will increase
their GPA by 35% by the end of the
first semester.
•
•
•
•
•
Specific?
Measurable?
Attainable?
Results-oriented?
Time Bound?
Another SMART Goal Format
By ______________________,
(end date)
_______________________________ will
(identified students)
increase/decrease ______________________________ by_____________.
(specific achievement, attendance, or behavior)
(measure of change)
Examples
• By June, 2015, identified 9th grade students with a GPA of 2.0 or lower in October,
2014, will increase their GPA by 1 point.
• In May, 2015, 75% of 3rd grade students with 2014 failing state assessment scores in
Reading will pass to the next grade.
• By June, 2015, students with 5 or more absences in the first marking period of the
school year will reduce their number of absences in the last marking period by 50%.
• By June, 2015, the percent of 7th grade students in the red zone in November 2014
will decrease by 40%.
Joni Shook
Lead RAMP Reviewer
shookj@duvalschools.org