School Counselor Accountability

A MEASURE of Student Success

Carolyn B. Stone ● Carol A. Dahir

Pearson Education , Inc. 2004

The book introduces the MEASURE concept.  A strategy for designing and implementing accountability as a needed requirement in a counseling program.  It is a direct result of the accountability requirements of No Child Left Behind (2001), which require every educator to use school-based data to demonstrate engagement in the school’s mission and student achievement.

The Accountability Imperative For School Counselors

•  The question, “How do you know you made a difference?” or “Where is the data to show that your efforts have made a difference in student learning?”
• In order for School Counselor’s to justify their existence in the school, these questions need to be answered.  
• Some policy makers have viewed the counseling programs as fiscally irresponsible and an ineffective utilization of resources. 

Accountability is:

• A means of assessing the impact of the school counseling program on school improvement. 
• Connecting our work to student outcome data.

Accountability shows that school counselor act on their belief systems, not just talk about them. 

Counselors can be systematic change agents.  They cultivate a belief that all children are capable of achieving.  Acting as agents of school and community change, school counselors can create a climate where access and support for quality and rigor is the norm.  School counselors should be partners and collaborators in school improvement.  They are essential in fulfilling the mission of their school.

ESEA Goal 4:  All students will be educated in learning environments that are safe, drug free, and conducive to learning.

ESEA Goal 5:  All students will graduate from high school.

Expectations for school counselors are changing from those that work with students in crisis, in trouble, or applying to highly selective colleges, to those that effect student learning. 

The ASCA developed the National Model: A Framework for School Counseling Programs.

1. Foundation:  Beliefs and Philosophy, Mission Statement, ASCA National Standards (Student Academic, Career and Social/Personal Development).
2. The Delivery System:  School Guidance Curriculum, Individual Student Planning, Responsive Services, System Support.
3. Accountability:  Results Reports, School Counselor Performance Standards, The Program Audit.
4. The Management System:  Agreements, Advisory Council, Use of Data, Action Plans, Use of Time, Calendars.

The ASCA and the Education Trust have suggested that school counselors need to be proficient in:

Accountability-How its done

• Data is knowledge, knowledge is power!
• School counselors who demonstrate accountability, document effectiveness, and promote school counseling’s contributions to the educational agenda are in a unique position to exert a powerful influence.
• By using data, school counselors can accurately present the current situation of student challenges and accomplishments.
• Data provides guidance for program development and implementation.

Disaggregating data-is separating out the data by variables such as ethnicity, gender, socio-economic status, or teacher assignment.

MEASURE: Is a 6 step accountability process that helps school counselors demonstrate how their programs impact critical data, those components of a school report card.  Measure will help you organize your efforts and show your results.  

Step One: Mission

 Connect your work to your School’s mission.  Student achievement and success in rigorous academics is at the hear of every school’s mission statement.

Step Two:  Elements

 What indicator of school success are you trying to positively impact? As a member of the school’s leadership team, identify and examine the critical elements of the available data that are important to your school’s mission. 

Step Three:  Analyze

Analyze the data to see what it reveals, to identify the problem areas, to establish your baseline, and to set your goals.  It may be necessary to disaggregate the data, e.g., race, ethnicity, gender, SES, and teacher assignment.

Step Four: Stakeholders-Unite

Identify Stakeholders who need to become involved and part of a team who can address the movement of critical data elements.  All concerned members of the internal and external school community should be included. 

Internal:  Principal, Teacher, School Board Member, Counselor

External:  Parent, Business Representative, Faith Representative

Develop an Action Plan:

 Strategies are developed that will change systems as well as impact individual students and targeted groups of students.

Impacting systems means (1) replicating successful programs and interventions; (2) identifying barriers that adversely stratify student’s opportunities to be successful learners; and (3) developing strategies to:

·         Change policies, practices and procedures

·         Strengthen curriculum offerings

·         Maximize the instruction program

·         Enhance the school and classroom culture or climate

·         Provide student academic support systems (safety nets)

·         Influence course enrollment patterns to widen access to rigorous academics

·         Involve parents and other critical stakeholders (internal and external to the school)

·         Raise aspirations in students, parents, teachers, the community

·         Change attitudes and believes about students and their abilities to learn.

Step Five: Reanalyze, Reflect, and Revise

Step Six:  Educate

Disseminate to internal and external stakeholders the changes in the targeted data elements that show the positive impact the school counseling program is having on student success.  Publicizing the results of an effective school counseling program is a vital step in the accountability process and key to garnering support for your program.

The use of school-wide data demonstrated school counselor support for the school mission, student success, and a desire to affect school improvement by positively impacting the system. 

SPARCS-School Counseling Program Accountability Report Cards

Lecture

School Improvement Plans (SIP) are important to learn about

School Counselors are change agents

Learning about Outside Consultation is essential

Visit the School Report Card at OSPI

Ask myself-How can I use this?