Transforming the Role of the School Counselor

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Transforming the Roleof the School Counselor

• School Administrator Workshop
• MASCA Fall Conference
• October 10, 2006

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• School Counselors and what they do are
  conspicuously missing from discussions of school
  reform initiatives.
• This omission is an enormous mistake, especially
  when counselors hold the keys to many students
  dreams and aspirations
• School Counselors must be incorporated into
  school reform as leaders who are engaged in
  system-wide change to ensure student success.
• Reese House, The
  Education Trust

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Where Have School Counselors Been?
Absent from School Reform
Peripheral to the Mission and Function of Schools
School Counselor?
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Where Should Mass. Counselors Be?
Integral to NCLB Goals 4 and 5
Integral to School Improvement
School Counselors are here!
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Needed School Counseling Changes (ASCA 2002)From
Counselors who To Counselors who

• 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.

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

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Needed School Counseling ChangesASCA,
2002From a Program that To a Program that

• Is designed to serve all students well.
• Focuses on outcomes.
• Measures progress towards goals.
• Attends to goals and results.
• Works to help the system adapt and change.

• Is designed to serve 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 Model for School Counseling Programs (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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Massachusetts Model

• Based on ASCA National Model for School
  Counseling Programs
• ASCA Model endorsed by all major national
  educational leadership associations
• ASCA Model connects School Counseling to academic
  achievement and educational reform
• ASCA Model is supported by research

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Three Phases of Massachusetts School Counseling
Models
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Student Services Model

• Career Placement and Humanistic Theory
• School Counseling provides services to those in
  the most need
• School Counselors use one-on-one counseling
• Counselors are accountable for case loads and
  student contacts.
• Few students served well, remedial orientation,
  limited contribution to academic achievement

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Comprehensive Developmental Guidance Model

• Preventative/Developmental Orientation
• School Counseling programs ensure that all
  students receive services
• School Counseling Programs Operate from a Local
  Curriculum with Academic, Career, and
  Personal/Social Domains.
• School Counselors use intentional program of
  Whole School, Classroom, Group and Individual
  Interventions
• School Counselors are accountable for time spent
  on different activities to reach all students
• Poor alignment with academic mission and
  inadequate accountability.

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The Massachusetts Model for School Counseling
Programs

• Endorsed by Commissioner Driscoll
• Comprehensive, standards-based and data driven.
• Research supports outcomes such as
• Increased academic achievement
• Parent and student satisfaction
• Better access to career information

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Massachusetts Model

• School Counseling programs are standards-based
  and ensure that all students achieve academically
• School Counseling Programs operate from a
  Curriculum based on the MA Career Development
  Education Benchmarks that are based on National
  Standards and connected to State Frameworks.
• School Counselors use intentional program of
  Whole School, Classroom, Group and Individual
  Interventions
• School Counselors are accountable for measurable
  changes in academic achievement and
  school-related behavior.

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The Evolution of the Massachusetts Model

• Involvement of MASCA, 2002
• Task force formed, 2003
• Support from the National Center for School
  Counseling Outcome Research at UMass, Amherst,
  2003
• Release of a draft, May 2004
• DOE input 2004-2005
• Commissioner Driscolls endorsement, April, 2005
• Public comment period until November, 2005
• Final version released TODAY!

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What is the
Massachusetts Model
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Component 1 Mission

• Mass Model Mission Statement
• Massachusetts school counselors will develop and
  deliver counseling programs and services that
  provide all students with the requisite knowledge
  and skills for success in the academic/technical,
  workplace readiness and personal/social domains.

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Component 2Interventions

• Quality school counseling programs are organized
  so that students benefit from a variety of
  interventions including
• A developmental guidance curriculum consisting of
  standards based lessons
• Responsive services that provide short term
  interventions to stabilize school specific
  situations that disrupt student learning.
• Individual planning sessions to assist with
  educational and career planning.

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Approximate Distribution of Effort
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Component 3Management

• There are various organizational processes and
  tools needed to manage a quality school
  counseling program. The management system must be
  organized, concrete, clearly delineated and
  reflective of the schools needs.

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Management System

• Yearly School Counseling Program Plans approved
  by Principals ensure alignment with school goals,
  priorities, and plans
• Data-driven planning and decision-making ensures
  clear goals and program focus
• Use of program management tools ensures
  efficiency.
• School Counselor Performance Evaluation based on
  school counselor role and function.

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Component 4Accountability

• With the expectations of ed reform, school
  counselors must work to demonstrate the
  effectiveness of their programs and interventions
  in measurable terms. Counselors must collect and
  analyze data that links the school counseling
  program to student achievement and school
  improvement. Results of program effectiveness
  must be shared. Regular program audits guide
  future actions and determine professional
  development needs.

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Accountability System

• Student Outcomes measured
• Periodic Program Audit is used to ensure that the
  Program is targeted at the right goals and
  implementing interventions effectively.
• Program Results, including quantitative data on
  student change, are shared with all stakeholders
• School Counselor Performance Standards are used
  in constructing job descriptions and in annual
  performance evaluations

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Data Driven School Counseling Programs
Bully Proofing Program

• 70 Attendance Rate for Low SES Students

Tutoring
Mentors
Individual Counseling
Small Group
Student Focused Interventions
Manager Of Resources
Classroom Guidance
Phone Contact
Behavior Management
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Data Driven School Counseling Programs
Change Daily Schedule

• 70 Attendance Rate for Low SES Students

Lead Advisory Training
Disaggregate Data By Teacher
Student Focus Groups
Lead Task Force
System Focused Interventions
Change Attendance Policies
Advocate for Task Force
Team With Parents Community
Advisory Program
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Measuring District Readiness to Implement the
Model

• ASCA Model Readiness Survey
• Free Online Survey with Feedback and Suggestions
• www.umass.edu/schoolcounseling/readiness_survey.ht
  m

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Key Points

• The School Counseling Program is central to the
  educational mission of schools.
• School Counseling interventions promote academic
  achievement and career success.
• The School Counseling Program operates from
  measurable K-12 learning objectives that are
  based on state standards.
• The Learning Objectives are use to organize the
  K-12 and connect the program to academic
  instruction

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Key Points

• Yearly Management Agreements with Principals
  insure that the School Counseling Program is
  connected to school mission, goals and
  priorities.
• School Counseling Programs use data-based
  decision making to focus interventions and
  program evaluations to measure effectiveness.
• School Counseling Programs disseminate results to
  all stakeholders.
• School Counselors are evaluated based upon
  performance standards keyed to role and function.

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Collaboration for School Improvement

• What are some ways that Administrators and
  School Counselors have historically collaborated?
• Student services team meetings
• Family events and parent contacts
• Program and intervention evaluation
• Systemic planning regarding in-service training
• What happens in your school/ district?

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Collaboration for School Improvement

• What additional collaborative opportunities do
  the new models present?
• Data-based decision-making for program planning
• School improvement team
• Achievement Gap reduction strategies and
  intervention planning
• Communicating results of successful program
  components with stakeholders
• Others?

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Counselor Use of Data to Support School
Improvement Initiatives

• Counselors have access to important data about
  student achievement
• Course enrollment
• Graduation rate
• Post-secondary plans
• Test scores
• Scholarships
• GPAs
• How is this data being used for planning and
  school improvement in your building?

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Types of Data
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Factors that Contribute to Achievement Gaps

• In-class experiences--effective teachers and
  teaching strategies--account for approximately
  40-60 of the things that close achievement
  gaps.
• --Darling-Hammond, L. (2000). Teacher quality
  and student achievement A review of state policy
  evidence. Educational Policy Analysis Archives, 8

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Factors that Contribute to Achievement Gaps

• Remaining 40-60 due to other factors
• Enrichment programs
• School climate
• Personal/social factors
• Attention to cultural influences
• Class size (8)
• School Counselors can impact these factors!

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Efforts to Reduce Achievement Gaps

• Which achievement gaps exist in your
  school/district?
• What data did you use to identify the gaps?
• What plans for addressing those gaps have been
  put in place so far?
• What is the role of the school counseling program
  in addressing achievement gaps?

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School Counselors Role in School Improvement

• School Counselors are often the eyes and ears
  of the school
• Interact with all school community members
• Have good sense of school climate
• Are aware of the non-cognitive social and
  emotional factors which influence student
  outcomes
• Are charged with engaging in activities that
  benefit all students (ASCA National Model)

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School Counselors Role in School Improvement

• Unique contributions of School Counselors, based
  on training
• Experts in child development
• Knowledge about family connections and links
• Listening skills
• Access to data
• Systems perspective
• Program evaluation knowledge and skill
• (Podemski Childers, 1980)

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School Counselors Role in School Improvement

• Unique contributions, based on position in school
  organizational structure
• Know most, if not all, students, teachers, and
  administrators
• Have influence (vs. power)
• Access to confidential information
• Fluid interactivity with school community members
• Schedule is more flexible
• (Podemski Childers, 1980)

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School Counselors Role in School Improvement

• School Counselors role on school improvement
  team can be central
• Guidance-centered whole-school reform (Reynolds
  Hines http//asai.indstate.edu)
• School Counselor(s) or Guidance Department lead
  team efforts in school improvement and
  achievement gap reduction
• Connects school counselors to larger mission and
  goals of school
• Requires collaboration across disciplines

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School Counselors Role in School Improvement

• School Counselors role on school improvement
  team can be more peripheral
• Counselor contributes with unique knowledge of
  students, families, and school system
• Counselor contributes with listening, team
  building, and evaluation skills
• Connects school counselors to larger mission and
  goals of schools
• SC provides information for school improvement
  team regarding school counselor-led interventions
  to improve outcomes

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School Counselors Role in School Improvement

• If there is not a school improvement team,
  school counseling programs may have a data-based
  decision-making team in place at the department
  level which is responsible for program planning
  and evaluation strategies, particularly regarding
  achievement gap reduction.

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ASCA National Model, 2003

• School counselors serve as leaders who are
  engaged in system-wide change to ensure student
  success. They help every student gain access to
  rigorous academic preparation that will lead to
  greater opportunity and increased academic
  achievement.

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School Counselors Role in School Improvement

• What needs to happen in order to have school
  counselors be more involved in school improvement
  and achievement gap reduction efforts in your
  school?