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Transforming the Role of the School Counselor

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Title: Transforming the Role of the School Counselor


1
Transforming the Roleof the School Counselor
  • School Administrator Workshop
  • MASCA Fall Conference
  • October 10, 2006

2
  • 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

3
Where Have School Counselors Been?
Absent from School Reform
Peripheral to the Mission and Function of Schools
School Counselor?
4
Where Should Mass. Counselors Be?
Integral to NCLB Goals 4 and 5
Integral to School Improvement
School Counselors are here!
5
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.

6
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.

7
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.

8
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

9
Three Phases of Massachusetts School Counseling
Models
10
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

11
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.

12
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

13
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.

14
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!

15
What is the
Massachusetts Model
16
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.

17
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.

18
Approximate Distribution of Effort
19
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.

20
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.

21
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.

22
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

23
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
24
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
25
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

26
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

27
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.

28
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?

29
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?

30
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?

31
Types of Data
32
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

33
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!

34
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?

35
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)

36
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)

37
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)

38
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

39
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

40
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.

41
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.

42
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?
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