West Virginia School Counseling Protocol
Program Document and Accountability
All Levels - PK-12
Activity Description: This protocol explains the school counselor's responsibility in collecting, examining
and analyzing school, student and program data to annually evaluate the outcomes of the school
counseling program and to assure program completeness.
School Counselor Performance Standard 3: Data Driven Accountability and Program Evaluation - The
professional school counselor examines school, student, and program data to annually evaluate school
counseling program results and to assure program completeness.
Function 3A – PROGRAM RESULTS - The professional school counselor uses data to measure the
results and impact of the School Counseling Program.
Indicator 3A1 The professional school counselor gathers and analyzes multiple forms of data (results,
process, and perception) related to the school counseling program to plan for program improvement.
Indicator 3A2 The professional school counselor analyzes the effectiveness of various delivery
systems, programs and interventions to drive improvement and enhance student results.
Function 3B – PROGRAM COMPLETENESS - The professional school counselor evaluates the degree
to which the School Counseling Program is implemented and aligns to West Virginia Board of
Education Policy.
Indicator 3B1 The professional school counselor conducts an annual program audit to determine
program completeness and guide continuous program improvement.
Indicator 3B2 The professional school counselor maintains documented evidence of the implemented
components of the School Counseling Program.
GOAL: The School Counselor will systematically establish, maintain and utilize an
effective data collection method to analyze and evaluate the school counseling program
processes, results and completeness.
Rationale: If school counselors are to demonstrate the integral role they play in supporting student
success in schools, they must gather and analyze multiple forms of data (results, process, and perception)
related to the school counseling program to demonstrate the impact of the school counseling program related to
student success. From this data analysis, the school counselor will be guided in program revisions that will assure
continual and systematic program success and completeness.
Materials:
1. Access to WVEIS demographic information http://wveis.k12.wv.us/nclb/pub
2. Access to school site-based student information/filing systems (grades, attendance, credit data, etc.).
3. Counselor Log (WVDE School Counseling Website http://wvde.state.wv.us/forms/counselors-log)
4. Counselor Resource 1 (CR1): Excel Spreadsheet for calculation of time and task analysis.
5. Counselor Resource 2 (CR2): Excel Spreadsheet for calculation of time analysis at various program levels
(PK-12).
6. Counselor Resource 3 (CR3): Excel Spreadsheet for simple calculation of time totals for various
Protocol Lead Developers: Mike Fike, Monongalia County Schools, along with Lori Helmick, John
Tomaszewski, Mike Runner, Myla Kreinik – Aproved by State Protocol Committee in April 2011
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West Virginia School Counseling Protocol
counseling tasks.
7. Counselor Resource 4 (CR4): Printable chart for tabulation of daily time segments.
8. Counselor Resource 5 (CR5): Sample end-of-year report for stakeholders.
9. Counselor Resource 6 (CR6): Informative step-by-step instructions for using Google to collect and track data.
10. School Counselor Documentation Notebook
http://wvde.state.wv.us/counselors/Counselorhandbook.html
11. Results Evaluation: IDEAS and Data Analysis for School Counselors from
www.missouricareereducation.org
This presentation provides you with the information and documentation for conducting performance based professional
school counselor evaluations.
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Part 1: IDEAS and Basic Data Tools
Part 2: Graphing Your Data with MS Excel
Part 3: Using the Chart Wizard in MS Excel
Part 4: Coding Your Data for Great Charts
Part 5: Using EZ Analyze and Other Tools
Procedures:
The school counselor will develop and maintain a system of comprehensive documentation of all components of
the school counseling program. The documentation will include resources that have been utilized in program
management and delivery along with counselor activity and time logs. This information will be maintained in a
portfolio system, either electronically or in hard copy formats. It should be readily available for periodic analysis
and subsequent program revisions if necessary. The following procedural steps will define the specific data to be
collected and analyzed.
1. The school counselor will begin compiling data related to the school counseling program storing it in such a
manner that they can easily share with administration, other counselors, and the advisory council. This
documentation should be formatted in such a manner that it will guide a new counselor to easily pick up
and expand current program so that there is continuous program growth and improvement. A sample
documentation notebook can be found on the school counseling website:
http://wvde.state.wv.us/counselors/Counselorhandbook.html. This guide contains sample documents for
the counselor to make their own when documenting the program or student outcomes related to the
school counseling program.
2. The school counselor will meet with the school principal to identify data sources readily available to guide
planning of the school counseling program to include: current school, student, and system data (e.g., school
population demographics, standardized test scores, attendance statistics, retention rates, discipline data,
credits earned, dropout rate, graduation rate, needs assessments, etc.).
Protocol Lead Developers: Mike Fike, Monongalia County Schools, along with Lori Helmick, John
Tomaszewski, Mike Runner, Myla Kreinik – Aproved by State Protocol Committee in April 2011
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West Virginia School Counseling Protocol
3. The school counselor will conduct an annual needs assessment with all students to identify student needs
related to academic, career, and personal/social development.
a. High School Needs Assessment - http://wvde.state.wv.us/forms/counseling-assessment
b. Middle School Needs Assessment - http://wvde.state.wv.us/forms/counselingassessment/?level=m
c. Upon having all students complete the needs assessment, counselor will contact Barbara
Ashcraft, bashcraft@access.k12.wv.us the WVDE School Counseling Coordinator and ask for
individual school data
d. The counselor will work with local district, RESA, or a local university to convert raw data into a
usable format that clearly shows student need in ranked order related to academic, career, and
personal/social development.
4. The school counselor will identify other sources of school and community data such as
http://www.wvkidscount.org, http://wveis.k12.wv.us/nclb/pub,
http://www.sreb.org/page/1126/srebstate_data_exchange.html,
http://wvhepcnew.wvnet.edu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=41&Itemid=52
5.
The school counselor will examine data to determine current needs within the school and set clear
goals for the school counseling program. The data may need to be separated and/or sorted according
to sub-groupings (gender, socio-economic status, grade levels, classrooms, race, etc.).
6.
The school counselor will utilize assessment tools throughout the school year to measure changes
resulting from school counseling program activities. These assessments may include, but are not
limited to, surveys, rubrics, pre/post assessments for classroom guidance and small group counseling
activities, and other data sources that may be generated through school instructional programs
(reading, math progress monitoring, Positive Behavior Support data, attendance statistics, etc.).
7. The school counselor will utilize other tools to assess the perceptions of students, parents and staff
related to the school counseling program and specific activities and interventions. These tools may
include, but are not limited to, surveys, questionnaires, input from school organizations and committees.
8. The school counselor will collect and analyze ongoing process data to measure program management
and delivery components (e.g., total number of small groups, classroom guidance lessons, students
receiving direct services, referrals, parent contacts, etc.). Process data collection will also include a
measure of the counselor's time allotment within the various program components. The information
gathered from the process data will identify gaps in the counseling delivery systems and inadequacies in
program coverage of all three domains (academic, career, and personal/social). Program alterations will
then be applied to provide a balance of all components.
9.
The school counselor will compile an analysis of all data to provide evidence of the completeness and
Protocol Lead Developers: Mike Fike, Monongalia County Schools, along with Lori Helmick, John
Tomaszewski, Mike Runner, Myla Kreinik – Aproved by State Protocol Committee in April 2011
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West Virginia School Counseling Protocol
effectiveness of the comprehensive school counseling program. This data analysis will guide the annual
counseling program evaluation and will provide the basis for future program decisions.
10. For more information and ideas about using data to drive and evaluate your school counseling program
watch the videos found under the materials section from: Results Evaluation: IDEAS and Data Analysis
for School Counselors from www.missouricareereducation.org
Additional Resources:
Young, Anita and Kaffenberger, Carol, Making Data Work, Second Edition, 2009. American School
Counselor Association, Alexandria VA.
Stone, Carolyn and Dahir, Carol, School Counselor Accountability, A MEASURE of Student Success, Second
Edition, 2007. American School Counselor Association, Alexandria VA.
Research Supporting School Counselor Accountability
American School Counselor Association. (2004). The ASCA National Model Workbook. Alexandria, VA.
American School Counselor Association. (2005). The ASCA National Model: AFramework for School Counseling
Program, Second Edition. Alexandria, VA.
Brott, P. (2006). Counselor education accountability: Training the effective professionalschool counselor.
Professional School Counseling, 10(2), 179-187.
Carey, J. & Dimmitt, C. (2008). A model for evidence-based elementary school counseling: Using school data,
research, and evaluation to enhance practice. The Elementary School Journal, 108(5), 422-430.
Dahir, C. A. & Stone, C.B. (2003). Accountability: A M.E.A.S.U.R.E. of the impact school counselors have on student
achievement. Professional School Counseling, 6(3),214-221.
Dahir, C. A. & Stone, C. B. (2009). School counselor accountability: The path to social justice and systemic change.
Journal of Counseling and Development, 87, 12-20.
Dimmitt, C., Carey, J.C., & Hatch, T. (2007). Evidence-based school counseling: Making a difference with datadriven practices. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Gysbers, N.C. (2004). Comprehensive guidance and counseling programs: The evolution of accountability.
Professional School Counseling, 8(1), 1-14.
Isaacs, M. L. (2003). Data-driven decision making: The engine of accountability. Professional School Counseling,
6(4), 288-295.
Johnson, J., & Johnson, C. D. (2003). Results-based guidance: A systems approach to student support programs.
Professional School Counseling, 6(3), 180-184.
Protocol Lead Developers: Mike Fike, Monongalia County Schools, along with Lori Helmick, John
Tomaszewski, Mike Runner, Myla Kreinik – Aproved by State Protocol Committee in April 2011
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West Virginia School Counseling Protocol
Kaffenberger, C., & Young, A. (2007). Data is not a four-letter word. ASCA School Counselor, 44, 16-21.
Kaffenberger, C. & Young, A. (2007). Making data work. Alexandria, VA: American School Counselor Association.
Lapan, R.T. (2001). Results-based comprehensive guidance and counseling programs: A framework for planning
and evaluation. Professional School Counseling, 4(4), 289-299.
Otwell, P. & Mullis, F. (1997). Academic achievement and counselor accountability. Elementary School Guidance
and Counseling, 31(4), 343-348.
Stone, C. B. & Dahir, C. A. (2006). School Counselor Accountability: A MEASURE of Student Success, Second Edition.
Prentice Hall.
Whiston, S. (1996). Accountability through action research: Research methods for practitioners. Journal of
Counseling and Development, 74, 616-623.
Web Links:
Links to SCHOOL COUNSELOR ACCOUNTABILITY websites providing additional information and helpful
forms and tools:
http://www.prenhall.com/stone/
http://www.mscaonline.org/?page_id=226
http://wvde.state.wv.us/counselors/Counselorhandbook.html
Evaluation:
The annual program audit and counselor performance evaluation will provide the level of
balance, effectiveness and completeness of the comprehensive school counseling program. The
counselor's time log will provide evidence of the required ratio of professional time utilization. Other
evaluation data will include but is not limited to:
 Student needs assessments (cumulative data – do student needs change over the year with
implementation of school counseling program to meet needs.
 School data – attendance reports, report cards, post secondary entrance trends, discipline reports,
retention reports, etc.
 Pre-Post Test- Did student knowledge and skills improve after implementation of guidance
activities: lessons, groups, school-wide prevention programs, etc.
 Surveys – related to parent, student, and staff perceptions
 Program Documentation Notebook – Is there a more fully documented school counseling program?
 Program Audit – Does the annual program audit show continued growth in the components of the
school counseling program being implemented
 School Counseling Report cards – related to process data (# of incoming and outgoing referrals, #
and types of groups and # of students participating, # of developmental guidance lessons delivered,
etc.)
Protocol Lead Developers: Mike Fike, Monongalia County Schools, along with Lori Helmick, John
Tomaszewski, Mike Runner, Myla Kreinik – Aproved by State Protocol Committee in April 2011
Page 5
West Virginia School Counseling Protocol
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School Counseling Program Documentation Handbook – portfolio of school counseling program
components and activities.
School Counseling Curriculum Map – Showing guidance curriculum being delivered at each grade
level
Cross-walks – curriculum maps showing how school counseling is being integrated with other
curriculum areas.
Counselor Log – documenting school counselor use of time related to delivery system and
distribution between academic, career, and personal/social domains.
http://wvde.state.wv.us/forms/counselors-log
Protocol Lead Developers: Mike Fike, Monongalia County Schools, along with Lori Helmick, John
Tomaszewski, Mike Runner, Myla Kreinik – Aproved by State Protocol Committee in April 2011
Page 6