What the Research Says About School Counseling Effectiveness: A 10 Year Review of Outcome Studies'

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What the Research Says About School Counseling
Effectiveness A 10 Year Review of Outcome
Studies.

• MASCA Annual Conference
• Hyannis, MA
• May, 6, 2003

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National Center for School Counseling Outcome
Research

• John Carey
• Wendy McGannon
• Carey Dimmitt
• Ivar Henningson
• http//www.umass.edu/schoolcounseling/

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Empirical Studies of School Counseling Outcome

• Need to Identify Best-Practices
• Need to Identify Evidence-based Interventions
• Need to be Accountable
• Need to Demonstrate Impact on Student Achievement

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Organization

• Reviews Of Outcome Studies
• Classroom Guidance
• Responsive Services
• Career Development
• Program Evaluation
• Summary
• Discussion

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Review ConclusionsClassroom Guidance

• Study Skills Intervention can enhance 4th graders
  academic achievement as measured by CTBS.
  (Whiston Sexton, 1998)
• Multicultural Understanding Intervention can
  enhance 3rd graders social skills and reduce
  arguments. (Whiston Sexton, 1998)
• Classroom Guidance can improve elementary
  student's school behavior (Gerler, 1985).

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Review ConclusionsClassroom Guidance

• Short Academic skills workshop can increase
  middle school students grades. (St. Clair,
  1989)
• Short nontraditional career workshop can alter
  middle school students occupational stereotypes.
  (St. Clair, 1989)
• Four Month Long Human Relations Training for
  middle school students can reduce teacher
  referrals for disciplinary problems. (St. Clair,
  1989)

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Classroom Guidance

• Bergin, J.J., Miller, S.E. (1990). The effects
  of a comprehensive guidance model on a rural
  schools counseling program. Elementary School
  Guidance Counseling, 25(1), 37-47.
• Ciechalski, J.C., Schmidt, M.W. (1995). The
  effects of social skills training on students
  with exceptionalities. Elementary School
  Guidance Counseling, 29(3), 217-222.
• Graham, B. C., Pulvino, C. (2000).
  Multicultural conflict resolution Development,
  implementation and assessment of a program for
  third graders. Professional School Counseling,
  3(3), 172-183.
• Henderson, P.A., Kelbey, T.J., Engebretson,
  K.M. (1992). Effects of a stress-control program
  on childrens locus of control, self-concept, and
  coping behavior. The School Counselor, 40,
  125-130.

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Classroom Guidance

• Gerler, E.R. Anderson, R.F. (1986). The
  effects of classroom guidance on childrens
  success in school. Journal of Counseling and
  Development, 65, 78-81.
• Gerler, E.R. Drew, N.S. (1990). Succeeding in
  middle school A multimodal approach. Elementary
  School Guidance Counseling, 24(4), 263-272.
• Gerler, E.R. Herndon, E.Y. (1993). Learning
  how to succeed academically in middle school.
  Elementary School Guidance Counseling, 27(3),
  186-197.

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Classroom Guidance

• Schlossberg, S.M., Morris, J.D., Lieberman,
  M.G. (2001). The effects of a counselor-led
  guidance intervention on students behaviors and
  attitudes, Professional School Counseling, 43,
  156-164.

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Classroom Guidance Findings

• Comprehensive curriculum about career, academic
  and social/personal development can positively
  impact student knowledge in each of those
  domains.
• Social skills training can increase the social
  attractiveness of gifted and special needs
  students, but did not impact student self-esteem
  or school behaviors.

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Classroom GuidanceFindings

• Multicultural conflict resolution education can
  provide students with more positive perspectives
  on conflict and can build related skills, but did
  not impact on cultural understanding.
• Classroom curriculum about stress reduction
  techniques can improve student self-concept,
  sense of locus of control, and appropriate coping
  strategies.

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Classroom Guidance

• Classroom guidance focusing on academic
  achievement can influence elementary students
  behavior and attitudes toward school, impact MS
  students school attitudes, and improve MS
  students knowledge about how to succeed in
  school. This curriculum did not have a
  significant impact on grades in any of the
  studies.

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Classroom GuidanceFindings

• Classroom curriculum designed to educate HS
  students about goal-setting, problem-solving,
  career exploration, and school resources
  significantly improved student behavior, attitude
  and knowledge in these areas. A prior needs
  assessment to determine content may help focus
  classroom interventions.

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Classroom GuidanceCritiques of Research

• Many measures lack reliability and validity data.
• Pedagogical and classroom management skills, and
  personal characteristics of the counselors
  teaching the intervention were not controlled
  for.
• Teacher ratings may have been impacted by
  knowledge about who was receiving classroom
  interventions.
• Some studies lacked control groups.
• Most studies lacked generalizability

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Review ConclusionsResponsive Services

• School based psychotherapy has demonstrable
  beneficial effects on student well-being but not
  academic achievement (Prout and Prout, 1998).
• Directive Counseling and Behavioral Counseling
  have positive effects on academic achievement as
  measured by GPA, with underachieving students,
  adding study skills training improves
  effectiveness. (Wilson, 1986).
• Group Counseling can improve elementary student's
  school behavior (Gerler, 1985).

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Review ConclusionsResponsive Services

• Group-Format Social Skills Training develops
  adolescents skills and reduces aggressive and
  hostile behavior. (Whiston Sexton, 1998).
• Peer Mediation programs benefit the trained
  mediators who show transfer of knowledge outsede
  school setting. (Whiston Sexton, 1998).
• Group cognitive-behavioral and relaxation
  training interventions with middle school
  students can reduce teacher reports/referrals for
  disciplinary problems. (St. Clair, 1989)
• Group counseling can improve middle school
  students self concept. (St. Clair, 1989).

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Review ConclusionsResponsive Services

• Behavioral and Adlerian consultation with
  teachers can improve elementary students
  academic performance, work habits, and classroom
  behavior. (Bundy Poppen, 1986).
• Adlerian Parent Consultation and Parent
  Effectiveness Training can increase student
  academic performance, student motivation and
  parent-child relationship quality (Bundy
  Poppen, 1986).

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Responsive Services Group Counseling

• Brantley, L.S. Brantley, P.S. (1996).
  Transforming acting-out behavior a group
  counseling program for inner-city elementary
  school pupils. Elementary School Guidance and
  Counseling, 31(2).
• Edmondson, J.H. White, J. (1998). A tutorial
  and counseling program Helping students at risk
  of dropping out of school. Professional School
  Counseling, 1(4), 43-51.

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Responsive Services Group Counseling

• Nelson, J.R., Dykeman, C. (1996). The effects of
  a group counseling intervention on students with
  behavioral adjustment problems. Elementary School
  Guidance and Counseling, 31(1), 21-34.
• Omizo, M.M. Omizo, S.A. (1988). The effects of
  participation in group counseling sessions on
  self-esteem and locus of control among
  adolescents from divorced families. The School
  Counselor, 36, 54-60.
• Littrell, J.M., Malia, J.A., Vanderwood, M.
  (1995). Single-session brief counseling in high
  school. Journal of Counseling and Development,
  73, 451-458.

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Responsive Services Group Counseling

• Reeder, J., Douzenis, C., Bergin, J.J. (1997).
  The effects of small group counseling on the
  racial attitudes of second grade students.
  Professional School Counseling, 1(2), 15-22.
• Riddle, J., Bergin, J.J., and Douzenis, C.
  (1997). Effects of group counseling on
  self-concepts of children of alcoholics.
  Elementary School Guidance and Counseling, 31,
  192-202.
• Zinck, K. and Littrell, J.M. (2000). Action
  research shows group counseling effective with
  at-risk adolescent girls. Professional School
  Counseling, 4(1), 50-60.

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Findings

• Group counseling interventions helped to reduce
  the acting out behaviors of at-risk, inner city
  students, improve students behavioral
  adjustment, reduce hostility and aggression,
  improve self-esteem and coping skills of children
  of alcoholics, improve self-esteem of children
  from divorced families, and improve racial
  attitudes.

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Critique

• Many studies had very small sample sizes and
  sample group results were not generalizable to
  other school populations.
• Reliability and validity evidence was not
  provided for many of the measurement instruments
  that were used.
• Clear links were not always demonstrated between
  the intervention and the change in behaviors in
  many of the studies.

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Responsive Services Peer Counseling

• Bowman, R.P. and Myrick, R.D. (1987). Effect of
  an elementary school peer facilitator program on
  student helpers and on problem-behavior helpees.
  School Counselor, 34, 369-378.
• Diver-Stamnes, A.C. (1991). Assessing the
  effectiveness of an inner-city high school peer
  counseling program. Urban Education, 26, 269-284.

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Responsive Services Peer Counseling

• Morey, R.E., Miller, C.D., Rosen, L.A., Fulton,
  R. (1993). High school peer counseling The
  relationship between student satisfaction and
  peer counselors' style of helping. The School
  Counselor, 40, 293-300.
• Robinson, S.E., Morrow, S., Kigin, T.,
  Lindeman, M. (1991). Peer counselors in a high
  school setting Evaluation of training and impact
  on students. The School Counselor, 39, 35-40.
• Tobias, A.K. Myrick, R.D. (1999). A peer
  facilitator-led intervention with middle school
  problem-behavior students. Professional School
  Counseling, 31, 27-33.

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Findings

• Peer counseling training programs provided many
  benefits to students, schools, and community
• peer counselors gained significant knowledge and
  skills as a result of their training
• students attendance, grades, attitudes, and
  classroom behaviors improved as a result of peer
  intervention services

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Critique

• Very few outcome studies available
• Many of the studies focus on the training and
  benefits to the facilitators rather than the
  outcomes to the students being counseled

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Responsive Services Individual Counseling

• Edmondson, J.H. White, J. (1998). A tutorial
  and counseling program Helping students at risk
  of dropping out of school. Professional School
  Counseling, 1(4), 43-51.
• Littrell, J.M., Malia, J.A., Vanderwood, M.
  (1995). Single-session brief counseling in high
  school. Journal of Counseling and Development,
  73, 451-458.

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Findings

• A comprehensive drop out prevention program
  involving counseling and tutoring significantly
  assisted at risk students in improving school
  achievement, self esteem, and classroom behavior
• Single-session brief-counseling helped high
  school students reduce their concerns about
  problems and move closer to their goals.

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Critique

• Both studies were designed and implemented well
• Positive examples of studies looking to address
  the individual counseling that occurs in schools
• More studies of this type are needed

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Review ConclusionsCareer Development

• Career Education in general has small-moderate
  effects on a variety of outcome measures (Mean ES
  .34). (Baker Taylor, 1998)
• Career Education, in general, has minimal effects
  on academic achievement as measured by GPA (Mean
  ES .16). (Evans and Burck, 1992)
• Career Education has slightly larger effects on
  academic achievement for younger students, for
  average ability students, and when integrated
  into English or math lessons. (Evans and Burck,
  1992)

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Review ConclusionsCareer Development

• 10th Grade Career Course based on Crites Model
  enhanced students career planning and reduced
  career decision problems. (Whiston and Sexton,
  1998)
• Career programs enhance career maturity of
  minority students and students with disabilities.
  (Whiston and Sexton, 1998)

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Career Development

• Mau, W., Bikos, L. (2000). Educational and
  vocational aspirations of minority and female
  students A longitudinal study. Journal of
  Counseling and Development, 78, 186-194.
• Mau, W., Hitchcock, R., Calvert, C. (1998).
  High school students career plans The influence
  of others expectations. Professional School
  Counseling, 2(2), 161-166.
• Wahl, K.H., Blackhurst, A. (2000). Factors
  affecting the occupational and educational
  aspirations of children and adolescents.
  Professional School Counseling, 35, 367-373.

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Career Development

• Fouad, N. A. (1995). Career linking An
  intervention to promote math and science career
  awareness. Journal of School Counseling and
  Development, 73, 527-534.
• Jones, L.K., Sheffield, D., Joyner, B. (2000).
  Comparing the effects of the career key with
  self-directed search and job-OE among eighth
  grade students. Professional School Counseling,
  3(4), 238-250.
• Krass, L., Hughey, K. (1999). The impact of an
  intervention on career decision-making
  self-efficacy and career indecision.
  Professional School Counseling, Vol. 25, 384-
• Luzzo, D.A., Pierce, G. (1996). Effects of
  Discover on the career maturity of middle school
  students. Career Development Quarterly, Vol. 45,
  170-172.

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Career DevelopmentFindings

• An eighth grade math and science career
  intervention may make minority and female
  students more likely to choose academically
  challenging courses.
• While career inventories are a good choice for
  school counselors to use as part of career
  guidance programs designed to meet ASCA
  standards, school counselors should not rely too
  heavily on them.
• Because each student has unique learning
  experiences that influence their behaviors,
  career development activities and learning
  experiences should begin at an early age and
  continue into high school and beyond.
• DISCOVER can lead to more age-appropriate
  decision making in middle school students.

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Career DevelopmentFindings

• A thorough examination of students school,
  family, and psychological background is essential
  in increasing the probability that students
  realistically identify their educational and
  occupational aspirations and to help them
  complete the appropriate educational programs.
• The unique educational/vocational needs and
  barriers facing different minority groups needs
  to be addressed in counseling programs.
• Counselor assistance to parents in helping them
  work with their children in planning for high
  school and beyond is crucial.
• Preparing students to make informed career
  choices is a developmental process spanning the
  entire K-12 curriculum and requiring counselors
  to have up-to-date knowledge about students
  developmental needs as well as cultural values,
  job market trends, and postsecondary education
  options.

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Career DevelopmentCritique

• Survey questions limited in scope and depth
• Some data analysis was based on single-item
  responses
• Small sample sizes
• Some interventions carried out by just one person
• Proposed interventions are very time consuming

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Program Evaluation

• Lapan, R.T., Gysbers, N.C and Sun, Y. (1997).
  The impact of more fully implemented guidance
  programs on the school experiences ob High School
  students A statewide evaluation study. Journal
  Of Counseling and development, 75, 292-302.
• Lapan, R.T., Gysbers, N.C. and Petroski, G.F.
  (2001). Helping seventh graders be safe and
  successful A statewide study of the impact of
  comprehensive guidance and counseling programs.
  Journal of Counseling and Development, 79,
  320-330.

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Program Evaluation

• Purpose To determine if more fully implemented
  Comprehensive Developmental Guidance Programs
  impact students.
• Method Used School data from Missouri
  accreditation program. Used hierarchical Linear
  Modeling to study the relationships between level
  of CDG implementation (counselor or teacher
  survey) and student outcomes.

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Program Evaluation

• Results In more fully implemented programs,
  Students reported
• Earning higher grades
• Better relationships with teachers
• Greater satisfaction with school
• Education is relevant to later life
• School is safe
• Career and College information is accessible (HS)

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Program Evaluation

• Treatment Integrityself-report, no checks, no
  evidence that ratings accurately measure
  implementation
• Outcome Measuresstudent self report, no
  institutional data, no additional standardized
  measures.
• Research Designdata from 236 HS and 184 MS, good
  statistical controls, no control for school
  leadership/management

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Program Evaluation

• Future Research
• Pre-Post Design
• Check Integrity of CDM Implementation
• Standardized Achievement Measures
• Institutional Data
• Control for School Leadership/Management
• Report Effect Sizes

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Review ConclusionsGeneral

• Comparatively few studies.
• Many had small sample sizes.
• Many poorly controlled.
• Few check for Integrity of Intervention
• Manuals
• Reviews
• Few report Effect Size
• Outcomes Measures problematic

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Discussion and Questions
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National Center for School Counseling Outcome
Research

• Thank You

http//www.umass.edu/schoolcounseling/