Massachusetts Urban Guidance Leaders November 1, 2002

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Massachusetts Urban Guidance LeadersNovember 1,
2002

• National Perspectives
• And
• Commonwealth Issues

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National Center for School Counseling Outcome
Research

• John Carey
• Carey Dimmitt
• Janine Roberts
• Wendy McGannon
• Linda Honan

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• We need to be the change
• we want to see happen.
• We are the leaders
• we have been waiting for.
• -Gandhi

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Historical Problems in School Counseling Programs
(ASCA 2002)

• Lack of legitimization.
• Lack of consistent identity.
• Variation in role from state to state and
  district to district.
• Lack of a basic philosophy and model for
  practice.
• Increased use of outsourcing for traditional
  counseling functions.
• No concrete outcomes or bottom line.
• Too many add-on responsibilities.
• Limited connection to Educational Reform.

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Current Trends in Education

• Standards-based education reform (clear
  standards, rigorous curriculum, supports,
  accountability).
• Focus on the power of schools (Edmunds not
  Coleman).
• Focus on the achievement gap (systemic not
  traditional mental health model).
• Data driven decision-making.

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ASCA (2002)

• The way we do business must change fundamentally
  and immediately.

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ASCA (2002)

• The old question was, What do counselors do?
• The new question is, How are students different
  because of what school counselors do?

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Current Change Models

• Education Trust Transforming School Counseling
  Initiative.
• American School Counseling Association National
  Standards and Model for School Counseling
  Programs.
• State Initiatives (e.g. Texas, Tennessee).
• Results-based Guidance (Johnson Johnson).

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Education Trust Model

• The Achievement Gap is the most significant
  educational problem of our day.
• Much of the Achievement Gap results from factors
  that are under the control of schools.
• School Counselors must focus on achievement
  issues through both individual and systemic work.

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Education Trust ModelPoor and Minority Students
are Much More Likely to Have

• Inexperienced and uncertified teachers.
• Teachers who are teaching out of their
  certification area.
• Academic achievement 2 or more years behind White
  middle class counterparts.

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Education Trust ModelPoor and Minority Students
are Much Less Likely to Have

• Exposure to a challenging college preparatory
  curriculum.
• Challenging classroom projects and homework
  assignments.
• Placement in 8th grade algebra, honors, and
  college placement courses.
• Access to effective academic support programs.

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Education Trust ModelThe Role of School
Counselors needs to be redefinedPresent
Focus New Vision

• Mental Health Focus
• Individual students concerns and issues
• Clinical model focused on student deficits

• Academic Achievement Focus
• Whole school and system concerns/issues
• Developmental model building on student strengths.

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Education Trust ModelThe Role of School
Counselors needs to be redefinedPresent
Focus New Vision

• Leader, planner, program developer
• Primary focus on academic counseling, learning,
  and achievement
• Integral member of educational team

• Service Provider, 1 on 1, small groups
• Primary focus on personal/social
• Ancillary support personnel

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Education Trust ModelThe Role of School
Counselors needs to be redefinedPresent
Focus New Vision

• Use data to effect change
• Advocates for including all students in rigorous
  courses
• Teaming and collaboration with educators, parents
  and community

• Gate keepers
• Sorters, selectors in course placement process
• Work in isolation or with other counselors

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Education Trust ModelThe Role of School
Counselors needs to be redefinedPresent
Focus New Vision

• Guardians of the status quo
• Involved primarily with students
• Dependent on systems resources
• Postsecondary planners with interested students

• Agents of change for equity and social justice
• Involved with students, parents, educators,
  community
• Brokers for services for students and parents.
• Champions for creating pathways for all students
  to achieve high aspirations

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Education Trust ModelThe Role of School
Counselors needs to be redefinedCore Skills

• Leadership in Systemic Change
• Data-based Advocacy
• Teaming and Collaboration
• Counseling, Referral and Coordination
• Assessment, Accountability and Use of Data
• Technology Literacy

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Using Data to Plan ProgramsGrade Point
AveragesMinority Student Achievement Project
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Minority Student Achievement ProjectI work hard
in school because the teacher demands it
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Minority Student Achievement Project How many
teachers know how capable you are to do well in
school
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Minority Student Achievement Project Attending
Honors Classes
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Minority Student Achievement Project Attending
Special Programs
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ASCA Model School Counseling Program (2002)

• ASCA has developed a National Model for School
  Counseling Programs to connect school counseling
  with current educational reform movements that
  emphasize academic achievement.

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ASCA Model School Counseling Program (2002)

• The model aligns the counseling program with the
  schools academic mission. School Counselors
• Are Leaders in Systemic Change
• Ensure Equity and Access
• Promote Academic, Career and Personal/Social
  Development for ALL Students

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Needed School Counseling Changes (ASCA 2002)From
Counselors who To Counselors who

• Focus on accomplishments
• Talk about effectiveness.
• Know that their future rests on continuous
  improvement.
• Use data to design and evaluate programs and
  interventions.

• Focus on good intentions.
• Talk about how hard they work.
• Generally feel little need to change their
  behavior or approach.
• Use intuition to design programs and
  interventions.

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Needed School Counseling Changes (ASCA
2002)From a Program that To a Program that

• Is program-centered and serves all students well.
• Focuses on outcomes.
• Measures progress towards goals.
• Attends to goals and results.
• Works to help the system adapt and change.

• Is student-centered and serves some students
  well.
• Focuses on activities.
• Measures activities.
• Attends to the process of doing work.
• Works to support and maintain the existing system.

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ASCA National Model
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Foundation

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

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Delivery System

• School Guidance Curriculum
• Individual Student Planning
• Responsive Services
• System Support

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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

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Accountability

• Result Reports
• Impact Over Time
• School Counselor Performance Evaluations
• Program Audits

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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

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Academic Results Goal Setting (K-5)

• After classroom guidance lessons pre-post
  tests indicated
• student knowledge of goal setting increased from
  10 to 98
• 90 achieved their identified goal

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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

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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
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Personal/Social ResultsConflict Resolution
(K-5)

• Number of students who could
• peacefully resolve a conflict increased
• from 55 to 88
• Following implementation of a Conflict Manager
  program the number of suspended students was
  reduced from 13 in 97/98 to 3 in 01/02.

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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 mediation increased from 47 to 149

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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

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School Guidance Counseling A Historical
Perspective

• Vocational Education Phase
• Humanistic Development Phase
• Comprehensive Developmental Program Phase
• Standards-Based Education Phase

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Vocational Education Phase

• Psychometric Measurement NDEA.
• School Guidance helps students make good
  vocational and career plans.
• Guidance Personnel use assessment and placement
  advise.
• Students are expected to follow advise.

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Humanistic Development Phase

• Person-Center Counseling Humanistic Education
• School Counseling builds self-directed students
  who make good personal, academic and career
  decisions.
• School Counselors use the individual interview.
• School Counselor monitor client well-being and
  development.

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Comprehensive Developmental Program Phase

• Gysbers and Myrick
• School Guidance programs ensure that all students
  have access to support for academic, career, and
  personal/social development.
• School Counselors use Individual Planning,
  Responsive Services, Guidance Curriculum and
  System Support.
• School Counselors are accountable for time spent
  on different activities.

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Standards-Based Education Phase

• Education Trust, ASCA National Standards and
  National Model
• School Guidance Programs ensure that school
  systems educate all students to high standards.
  Vocational/Career and Personal/Social
  interventions enhance Academic Achievement.
• School Counselors use Leadership, Data-based
  Advocacy, Teaming and Collaboration, Counseling,
  Referral and Coordination, Assessment,
  Accountability and Use of Data.
• Counselors are accountable for learning student
  outcomes referenced to national standards.

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How Can We Work Together?

• Urban Guidance Leaders Group.
• Higher Education-Public School Partnerships.
• NSF Grant/Commonwealth Hub.
• State Department of Education.

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Fredrickson Center for School Counseling Outcome
Research

• National Agenda The Center works nationally by
  providing intellectual leadership in grounding
  practice in good research.
• Massachusetts Agenda The Center works in
  Massachusetts by helping K-12 leaders and
  practitioners use research findings and research
  methods to improve practice.

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Summer School Counseling Leadership Institute
Using Data to Help All Students Achieve

• July 14th thru July 18th at the University of
  Massachusetts, Amherst.
• Participants will learn how to connect school
  counseling to educational reform and use
  counseling interventions to help all children
  succeed in school.
• Participants will learn how to use data to
  describe problems, plan interventions, direct
  advocacy projects and target systemic change
  interventions.
• Participants will also complete an individual or
  small group project using data to plan or
  evaluate an academic achievement enhancement
  project.

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Additional Resources

• ASCA National Model (Bowers Dahir, 2002)
• http//www.schoolcounselor.org/content.cfm?L110
• Education Trust
• Education Watch, The Education Trust Community
  Data Guide
• http//www.edtrust.org/main/main/index.asp
• American Student Achievement Institute
• http//asai.indstate.edu/
• Love, Nancy (2002) Using data, getting results.
  Norwood, MA Christopher Gordon Publishers.
• 1-800-934-8322

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• We need to be the change
• we want to see happen.
• We are the leaders
• we have been waiting for.
• -Gandhi