Post on 23-Feb-2016
description
Data: Friend or Foe?
Bob BardwellMonson High School
Monson, MA
Thanks to Trish Hatch & Sheila Deam for slide sharing
Who Is Here?• Secondary school counselors• Guidance directors • Graduate students • Community Based Organizations• Independent counselors• College Admission Counselors• Other
Why Are You Here?• Professional development• Your school made you come• Nothing else to do• Didn’t like the other sessions during this time slot
What Can I Offer?• 20 year School Counselor and K-12 Director of School
Counseling• Leader – local, state, regional & national• Advocate for students, school counselors and our
profession• Not a data geek but I know enough that data is the
key to the continuation of school counseling as we know it
Why is Data Important• It improves our programs and the services for
students and families• Students benefit from it
– Achievement & Opportunity Gaps• You probably already have it• Others are using it• We are accountable• Why not?
Turn to a neighbor• What kinds of data are important to
school/independent counselors in 2013?• How are you using that data in your school/college
counseling program?
Challenges of using dataMost school counselors
• are not comfortable using data• do not have the training or resources to collect
and analyze data• Think that working with data is too time
consuming considering everything else they have to do; not important enough
• Are uncomfortable reporting data to and advocating with policy makers
Types of College Admission Data
Student-Achievement Data • Standardized Test Data
– SAT/ACT, PLAN/PSAT, AP Scores• Grade Point Averages
– Weighed/unweighed– Recalculated
• Completion of College Preparation Requirements (Graduating college eligible)
Types of College Admission Data (continued)Achievement – Related Data• Course enrollment patterns• Number of students taking PSAT/SAT/PLAN/ACT/AP • Discipline referrals• Extracurricular activities
Types of College Admission Data (continued)• Standards and Competency-Related Data
– Percentage of students who demonstrate: • Belief (attitude) in importance of taking
rigorous courses• Skill to set goals• Knowledge of college requirements
Collecting data• Commercial programs
– Naviance • www.naviance.com• http://workspacek12.naviance.com
– Connectedu• www.connectedu.net
– PrepHQ• www.myfootpath.com
– State portals• MA- www.yourplanforthefuture.org • OR - http://oregoncis.uoregon.edu/home
Data From Other Sources• College Board/ACT
– SAT/ACT– PSAT/PLAN – AP Potential– AP Exam Scores
• State testing results• Colleges & Universities• Regional Higher Education Consortia
– WICHE
Other Options to Organize College Admission data
• Access• Excel• Create your own method of record keeping
Access Database fields
Analyzing Data• EZ-Analyze
– www.ezanalyze.com• Using Access or Excel• State education department• Locally developed program
Reporting of Data
• Scattergrams– Grade Point Average (x axis) vs. SAT’s (y axis)
• Other reports– Access Report– Placement percentages
Scattergram ExampleWestfield State College
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
55 65 75 85 95
AcceptDeny
Placement Report Example
Evaluation of your College Admission Counseling Program
• Surveys, questionnaires– Online vs. paper
• Google Drive - www.google.com • www.suverymonkey.com• www.counselingtechnology.net
• Pre & post surveys– Gives immediate feedback about the need or impact of your
program/intervention
Program Evaluation Data • Three types
– Process data– Perception data– Results data
Process data
• “What you did for whom” • Evidence that event occurred
• Example: Counselors taught students how to fill out a college application
Students Know Language Requirements
Perception Data
• Attitudes or Beliefs– 32% believe they will succeed in college – 42 % believe they have enough money to attend college
• Competency Achievement (Skills) – 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 college entrance
requirements
What type of question?
• “I believe” is an Attitude so use a scale• Application/Demonstration = Skill• Information or answer = Knowledge (clear
answer – not scale)
What Do Students Believe (Attitude)?
0102030405060708090
100
Strongly Agree Agree
34
6568
32
PrePost
I believe that understanding the college preparation requirements will help me be successful in school…
What Can Students Demonstrate? (Skills)
What is your GPA based on a 4.0 weighted scale?
Students Understand Options After High School (Knowledge)
Results Data• So WHAT” data• Hard data – application data• Have your activities contributed to students
ability to utilize the knowledge, attitudes and skills to effect behavior?– Attendance– Behavior– Academic achievement (graduating college eligible:
College going rate improved 14% over three years)
# of AP Exams Has Increased!
2006 2007 2008 20090
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
78
104 110121118
149 151162
number of students number of exams
4 Year Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rates are UP!
Increased College Post Secondary Plans!
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 20090
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
89 90 91 91 9094 95
Results ReportHow are students different as a RESULT of what
you do?
• What does the data tell you?• Was the program successful?• What worked?• What did NOT work? • What needs to be changed?
Data Over Time• Immediate
– Change course offerings• Intermediate
– Change course selection pattern• Long range (Impact Over Time)
– Improve college placement rates
Sharing Your Data• Celebrate what you find
– School Profile– Accountability Report Card
• MARC of Excellence• http://www.masca.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=arti
cle&id=116&Itemid=117SPARC• www.sparconline.net
– Press release, faculty meeting or school board presentation, parent programs, etc.
– NCLB Report Card– Data bulletin board
Cautions About Using Data
• Data doesn’t always give you the information you want
• College admissions is not an exact science• Data shouldn’t take the place of human
connection/intervention
Important Questions..
• What is the purpose of the college admission counseling program at your school?
• What are the desired outcomes or results?• What is being done to achieve results?• What evidence is there that the objectives have been
met?• Is the program making a difference?
Resources to assist you with data• Evidence-Based School Counseling: Making a Difference With
Data-Driven Practices– Dimmitt, Carey & Hatch
• Making Data Work: An ASCA National Model Publication– Kaffenberger & Young
• Using Data to Close the Achievement Gap: How to Measure Equity in Our Schools – Johnson
• Using Data To Focus Instructional Improvement– James-Ward, Fisher, Frey & Lapp
Resources to assist you with data (continued)
• Center for Excellence in School Counseling & Leadership– www.cescal.org
• Ronald Frederickson Center for School Counseling Outcome Research & Evaluation– www.cscor.org
Next steps– Create an action plan
• Pick one item to do upon your return to school– Educate your colleagues about what you learned– Get other stakeholders on board– Attend further training about using data– Celebrate your accomplishment(s)– Use your results to improve your program!
Questions & conversations
• What is not clear?• What more do you need?• How can we help each other?• Who wants to share a success with data?
Contact info
Bob BardwellSchool Counselor & Director of School CounselingMonson Innovation High School55 Margaret StreetMonson, MA 01057413.267.4589x1109www.bobbardwell.com bardwellr@monsonschools.com