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The Support Personnel Accountability Report Card (SPARC)

The Support Personnel Accountability Report Card (SPARC). Implications for training and practice Presented By Gail Uellendahl, PhD, Calif. Lutheran University Diana Stephens, PhD, Calif. Lutheran University Lisa Buono, MS, California Lutheran University

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The Support Personnel Accountability Report Card (SPARC)

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  1. The Support Personnel Accountability Report Card (SPARC) Implications for training and practice Presented By Gail Uellendahl, PhD, Calif. Lutheran University Diana Stephens, PhD, Calif. Lutheran University Lisa Buono, MS, California Lutheran University Bob Tyra, Los Angeles County Office of Education

  2. What’s a SPARC? • Developed in 2001 by the California Department of Education and Los Angeles County Office of Education • Modeled from the School Accountability Report Card (SARC) in response to exclusion of Student Personnel contributions • Continuous improvement document • Tool to evaluate impact of entire family of student support services

  3. What’s a SPARC? • An open source, public document to be shared with all stakeholders • Serves as a bridge between research and practice • Supports the new paradigm of school counseling as part of school-wide leadership and educational reform

  4. SPARC Rather than answering “What do school counselors do?” SPARCs help to answer “How are students different because of what you do as a coordinated student services program?” (Tyra)

  5. The SPARC Process • Applications are submitted annually • Instructions and samples available on-line at http://www.sparconline.net/ • Limited to one page (both sides) • Must complete all six categories • Written in clear, jargon-free language • Must include student results data and be tied to national standards • No more than TWO writing errors • Required input from principals • Required sharing of results with stakeholders • Applications are peer reviewed • Awards are given in several categories • SPARC is continuously improved based on applicant and scorer feedback

  6. Impact of SPARC • 670 SPARC applications submitted since 2002 • 369 schools have participated • 456 awards have been given • Increased stakeholder awareness of contribution of support services programs • Legislators more knowledgeable about impact of support services on student achievement

  7. Impact of SPARC • Provides a tool for implementation and evaluation of school counseling models • Increased inclusion of support personnel in school-wide accountability efforts • Increased consideration for the importance of student support services for school improvement and educational reform

  8. A Study of the 2008 SPARC Experience • 235 SPARCs submitted • 137 awards given • 98 commendations • 29 First Steps • 53 Academy Awards • 26 Best in the West • 16 Diamond Best in the West • 13 Governor’s Trophies

  9. Who Participated? • 82 Districts • 23 Counties • 125 High Schools • 74 Middle Schools • 22 Elementary Schools • 1 Adult School • 13 Combination Schools • 5,953 Team Member Signatures

  10. Procedures • E-mails sent to 233 eligible participantsproviding a link to a web-based survey • Survey was available on-line for 27 days • Two follow-up email reminders sent to eligibleparticipants • 146 respondents (65%) participated in the study

  11. Instrument The web-based Flashlight survey was created by members of the California Counselor Educator Research Collaborative (CCERC) and Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE) Survey design: • 10 questions using a 5 point Likert scale • 2 multiple choice questions • 7 open-ended questions

  12. Results Scale: 1 = Great Extent 2 = Good Extent 3 = Adequate Extent 4 = Somewhat 5 = Not At All Findings Suggest: Before the SPARC, there was adequate use of student outcomes data to evaluate programs. As a result of the SPARC process, there appears to be an increase in the collection of student outcomes data as well as in modifying student support programs.

  13. Results Scale: 1 = Great Extent 2 = Good Extent 3 = Adequate Extent 4 = Somewhat 5 = Not At All Findings Suggest: SPARC led to moderate systemic change SPARC led to moderate action research at school sites

  14. Results Scale: 1 = Great Extent 2 = Good Extent 3 = Adequate Extent 4 = Somewhat 5 = Not At All Findings Suggest: Limited exposure to the SPARC in graduate programs

  15. Additional Findings… • Participants who were exposed to the SPARC process in their graduate school programs were more likely to: • Collect student outcomes data • Use the SPARC process to modify programs • Use the SPARC process to inform systemic change

  16. Further Results Membership in Professional Organizations • 95 participants (65%) are members of the American School Counseling Association • 81 participants (55%) are members of the California Association of School Counselors • Participants reported membership in 34 other professional organizations

  17. Results 52 participants (36%) Provided examples of how their graduate education program prepared them to complete the activities required by SPARC

  18. Results 84 participants (58%) Identified AB1802 activities that were incorporated into their SPARC

  19. Results 55 participants (27%) Described action research activities that were planned or begun as a result of the SPARC process

  20. Results 77 participants (53%) Described reactions from the broader community

  21. Results 73 participants (50%) Provided additional comments about how the SPARC process has influenced their student support programs and activities

  22. Implications SPARC • Is a useful tool for assessing the impact of school counseling and other support programs on student outcomes • Encourages the use of student data for school improvement • Places school counselors at the center of school-wide assessment and leadership

  23. Implications • Serves as a vehicle for informing stakeholders • Encourages the incorporation of “action researcher” into the professional identity of school counselors • Can contribute to the assessment of school counseling models

  24. Recommendations School Counselors • Start with what you are already doing and begin collecting data • Use AB1802 activities to collect and assess student outcomes data • Compare outcomes between those served and those eligible but not served • Present findings to stakeholders • Submit a SPARC!

  25. Recommendations Counselor Educators • Introduce SPARC in both academic and field courses • Nurture skills and create assignments that include action research • Require action research during practicum and field studies

  26. Recommendations • Collaborate with school districts on accountability efforts and write grants to link theory with practice • Conduct in-service workshops for professionals who did not receive training in accountability • Coordinate educational experiences with Teacher Preparation and Educational Administration/Leadership programs

  27. “If we could first know where we are, and whither we are tending, we could better judge what we do, and how we do it” ~ Abraham Lincoln

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