School Counselors: Partners in Student Achievement.

School Counselors:Partners in Student Achievement

Overview

The

American School Counselor Association (ASCA)

has collaborated to create a

National Model for School Counseling Programs

to connect school counseling with

current educational reform movements

that emphasize student achievement and success.

How we got here…

• March 2001, ASCA Governing Board passed a motion to develop a National Model

• June 2001, Summit I met in Tucson, AZ• Nov./Dec. 2001, reviewed by school counselors and

Summit participants• May 2002, Summit II held, in Washington, DC • June 2002, Release of ASCA Model at conference

RationaleBy aligning a counseling program with the school’s mission and school improvement plan, professional school counselors:

• partner as leaders in systemic change

• ensure equity and access

• promote academic, career and personal/ social development for every student

“We need to be the change we want to see happen.

We are the leaders we have been waiting for.”

– Gandhi

People have wondered…

What do school counselors DO?

Historical Problems in School Counseling Programs

• Lack of legitimization• Lack of consistent identity• Limited or no involvement in reform

movements• Variation in roles from state to state

and site to site• Non-school counselor responsibilities

Varied and Conflicting Approaches

• Vocational counselors vs. Mental Health counselors

• Directive vs. Non-directive

• Individualized services vs. Comprehensive program

• Pre-service training varies as do administrative expectations

Attempts to Unify the Profession

• Gysbers & Henderson’s comprehensive programs

• Johnson & Johnson's results-based guidance

• Myrick’s planned developmental guidance

Historical Problems Have Continued

• Lack of basic philosophy

• Poor integration

• Insufficient student access

• Inadequate guidance for some students

• Lack of counselor accountability

• Failure to utilize other resourcesSource: From Gatekeeper to Advocate. Transforming the Role of the School Counselor, Hart, P.J. & M.

Jacobi (1992)

School administrators, parents with special interests, teachers

or others may feel their agenda ought to be the school counseling

program’s priority. The results often lead to confusion and criticisms when they are disappointed.

(Carolyn Maddy Bernstein, 1995)

When schools fail to clearly define the counselor’s role...

Trends in Education• Education reform movement• Accountability• Standards-based movement• High-stakes testing• Achievement gap – equity and access• Block grants• Emphasis on improving school safety• Vouchers• Performance, not entitlement

Current School Counseling Trends

• ASCA’s National Standards for School Counseling Programs

• Transforming School Counseling Initiative (Education Trust – Dewitt Wallace)

• Increased number of state models• Results-based school counseling• Legislation for school counseling programs• ASCA’s National Model

The old question was…

“What do counselors do?”

The new question is…“How are students different because of the school counseling program?

From Entitlement… to PerformanceFrom a program that:• Focuses generally on

the number of activities

• Measures the amount of effort

• Attends to the process of doing work

• Works to maintain the existing system

To a program that:• Focuses on outcomes

and improved results

• Measures impact related to goals

• Attends to goals, objectives, and outcomes

• Changes and adapts to be more responsive

Source: McGowen, P. & Miller, J., “Changing the Entitlement Culture,” The American School Board Journal, August 1999, p.43

From Entitlement… to Performance

From counselors who:• Focus on good

intentions

• Talk about how hard they work

• Generally feel little need to change their behavior or approach

To counselors who:• Focus on

accomplishments• Talk about effectiveness

• Know their future rests on accomplishments

• Communicate goals and objective

Source: McGowen, P. & Miller, J., “Changing the Entitlement Culture,” The American School Board Journal, August 1999, p.43

Implications

• What is the purpose of the school counseling program?

• 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?

School Counseling Programs Are About

RESULTS.

How are students different as a result of the school counseling program?

We Exist To Effect Change In Students:

Acquire Improve

• Knowledge

• Skills

• Positive Attitude

• Attendance

• Behavior

• Academic Achievement

Paradigm Shift

From:

To:

Not only monitoring process and measuring services delivered

Focusing also on and measuring the results of our programs and services

The time for change is now…

The way we do business must change fundamentally and

immediately.

ASCA National Model

Foundation

• Beliefs and Philosophy• Mission• Domains:

Academic Development Career Development Personal/Social Development

• ASCA National Standards and Competencies

Delivery System

• School Guidance Curriculum

• Individual Student Planning

• Responsive Services

• System Support

Management System• Agreements• Advisory Council • Use of Data

– Monitoring Student Progress– Closing the Gap

• Action Plans– Guidance Curriculum– Closing the Gap

• Use of Time • Calendars

Management System• Management Agreements• Advisory Council • Use of Data

– Monitoring Student Progress– Closing the Gap

• Action Plans– Guidance Curriculum– Closing the Gap

• Use of Time • Calendars

Accountability

• Results Reports– Impact Over Time

• School Counselor Performance Evaluation

• The Program Audit

Academic Development

ACADEMICCareer

Personal/ Social

1. Guidance Curriculum (HS)• Developing Academic 4/6

year Plans • Promotion/Retention Criteria• Organization, Study and

Testing Taking Skills• Registration, College and

High School Graduation Requirements

• Post High School Options• Transition into the Real

World

Academic Results Goal Setting (K-5)

After classroom guidance lessons pre-post tests indicated…

• student knowledge of goal setting increased from 10% to 98%10% to 98%

• 90%90% achieved their identified goal

ACADEMICCareer

Personal/ Social

Personal/Social ResultsConflict Resolution (K-5)

• Number of students who could

peacefully resolve a conflict increased

from 55% to 88%55% to 88%

• Following implementation of a Conflict Manager program the number of suspended students was reduced from 13%13% in 97/98 to 3%3% in 01/02.

Academic Career

PERSONAL/ SOCIAL

Academic Results Interventions (6-8)

After Academic Counseling Groups:

• 37% of 637% of 6thth graders (64) graders (64)



Demonstrated GPA improvement

ACADEMICCareer

Personal/ Social

Academic Results Interventions (6-8)

Students on retention list:

• 6th - 816th - 81

• 7th - 73 7th - 73

• 8th - 1038th - 103

Students who came off retention list:

• 6th - 276th - 27

• 7th - 227th - 22

• 8th - 238th - 23

72 students avoided retention

Pre: Post:

ACADEMICCareer

Personal/ Social

• At one site the number of students resolving conflicts with the help of peer mediators increased from 0 to 346increased from 0 to 346

• At another site, the number who took advantage of peer mediation increased increased from 47 to 149from 47 to 149

Academic Career

PERSONAL/ SOCIAL

Personal/Social ResultsConflict Resolution (6-8)

Career DevelopmentCanyon Springs High School

• In the last three years the number of students visiting the career center has increased from 30 to over 20030 to over 200 students per day.

• Parent attendance at evening guidance events has increased from 150 to 500150 to 500 parents

• Scholarship dollars for students increased from $750,000 to $825, 000$750,000 to $825, 000

• Finally, graduation rates have improved from

84 % to 89%84 % to 89%

AcademicCAREER

Personal/ Social

Next Steps

• ASCA Rollout of National Model at the Miami Conference with a panel of national experts

• Multiple training sessions held• Draft copy available to everyone • Comments and suggestions welcomed• Final edition available early 2003

All this will not be finished in the first one hundred days. Nor will it be finished in the first thousand days, nor in the life of this administration, nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet.

– John F. Kennedy

But let us begin.

Questions?

Comments?

School Counselors: Partners in Student Achievement.

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