School Counselors: Partners in Student Achievement

1. School Counselors:Partners in Student Achievement

2. 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.

3. 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

4. Rationale • partner as leaders in systemic change • ensure equity and access • promote academic, career and personal/ social development for every student By aligning a counseling program with the school’s mission and school improvement plan, professional school counselors:

5. “We need to be the change we want to see happen. We are the leaders we have been waiting for.” – Gandhi

6. People have wondered… What do school counselors DO?

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. Attempts to Unify the Profession • Gysbers & Henderson’s comprehensive programs • Johnson & Johnson's results-based guidance • Myrick’s planned developmental guidance

11. 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 resources Source: From Gatekeeper to Advocate. Transforming the Role of the School Counselor, Hart, P.J. & M. Jacobi (1992)

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

13. 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

14. 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

15. The old question was… “What do counselors do?” The new question is… “How are students different because of the school counseling program?

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

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

18. 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?

19. School Counseling Programs Are About RESULTS. How are students different as a result of the school counseling program?

20. Knowledge Skills Positive Attitude Attendance Behavior Academic Achievement We Exist To Effect Change In Students:AcquireImprove

21. Paradigm Shift From: To: Not only monitoring process and measuring services delivered Focusing also on and measuring the results of our programs and services

22. now… The time for change is The way we do business must change fundamentally and immediately.

23. ASCA National Model

24. Foundation • Beliefs and Philosophy • Mission • Domains: Academic Development Career Development Personal/Social Development • ASCA National Standards and Competencies

25. Delivery System • School Guidance Curriculum • Individual Student Planning • Responsive Services • System Support

26. 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

27. 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

28. Accountability • Results Reports • Impact Over Time • School Counselor Performance Evaluation • The Program Audit

29. Academic Development • 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

30. Academic Results Goal Setting (K-5) • After classroom guidance lessons pre-post tests indicated… • student knowledge of goal settingincreased from 10% to 98% • 90% achieved their identified goal

31. Personal/Social ResultsConflict Resolution (K-5) • Number of students who could • peacefully resolve a conflictincreased • from55% to 88% • Following implementation of a Conflict Manager program the number of suspended students was reduced from13%in 97/98 to3%in 01/02.

32. Academic Results Interventions (6-8) • After Academic Counseling Groups: • 37% of 6th graders (64) • 24% of 7th graders (47) • 72% of 8th graders (46) • Demonstrated GPA improvement

33. Academic Results Interventions (6-8) Pre:Post: • Students on retention list: • 6th - 81 • 7th - 73 • 8th - 103 • Students who came off retention list: • 6th - 27 • 7th - 22 • 8th - 23 72 students avoided retention

34. Personal/Social ResultsConflict Resolution (6-8) • At one site the number of students resolving conflicts with the help of peer mediators increased from 0 to 346 • At another site, the number who took advantage of peer mediationincreased from 47 to 149

35. Career DevelopmentCanyon 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%

36. 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

37. 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.

38. Questions?Comments?