Using Your School Counselor to Impact Student
Achievement
Gail M. Smith and Dr. Julie Hartline
Georgia School Counselors Association
Yesterday’s Services vs. Today’s Program
Guidance Counselor Professional School Counselor
Reactive Proactive/Data-driven
Services provided to a few students
Services Provided to ALL students
Impact measured via feelings and perception
Impact measured via achievement data
Ancillary role to school improvement process
Essential role in the school improvement process
School counselors in isolation
School counselors as school leaders
GSCA Advocacy Committee (2010)
School Counselor Training Master’s level preparation in school counseling • Career awareness and development • Group and individual counseling • Delivery of classroom guidance curriculum • Legal and ethical standards • Multi-cultural counseling • Methods of research in education • Assessment interpretation • Data-based decision making • Collaboration, Advocacy, and Leadership • Completion of practicum and internship in school
settings Hartline, J. & Smith, G. (2012)
School counselors are uniquely qualified to address the academic, career, and
personal/social developmental needs of students from Pre-K to 12th grade.
Academic: Study skills, time management, test-taking skills, organizational skills, learning styles, etc.
Career: Awareness, Exploration, Development, College and Workforce Readiness, etc.
Personal/Social (Soft skills): Working in groups, following rules, goal-setting, work ethic, decision-making skills, etc.
Hartline, J. & Smith, G. (2012)
Recommended
Direct Services to Students (Face to Face Interactions with Students)
School Counseling Core Curriculum
Provides developmental curriculum content in a systematic way to all students
80% or more
Individual Student Planning Assists students in the development of educational, career and personal plans
Responsive Services Addresses the immediate concerns of students
Indirect Services for Students (Communications on behalf of students)
Referrals, Consultation and Collaboration
Interacts with others to provide support for student achievement
Program Planning and School Support
Foundation, management and accountability of the program and school support
Includes planning and evaluating the school counseling program and school support activities
20% or less
How school counselors address student needs within comprehensive programs
ASCA. (2012)
Curriculum (Classroom Lessons/Advisement)
Small Group & Closing the Gap
Individual Support
Specialized Interventions
Equity and Access for ALL Students
School Improvement Gail M. Smith (2009)
Delivery of Core Curriculum
Delivery of Individual Student Planning
Delivery of Responsive
Services
Core Curriculum • Standards based
– Academic Achievement
– Career Exploration
– Personal/Social Growth
• Developmentally appropriate for Pre K-12
• Tied to the school improvement plan
• Can be cross-walked with teacher standards
• Delivered through – Classroom Guidance Lessons
– Group Activities
GSCA Advocacy Committee (2010)
Individual Student Planning
Ongoing systemic activities to assist students individually in establishing personal goals and developing future plans
Examples: • Advisement
• Annual Parent Conferences
• Portfolios
GSCA Advocacy Committee (2010)
Responsive Services
Activities to meet students’ immediate needs:
– Individual Counseling
– Small Group Counseling
– Crisis Intervention
– Agency Referrals
– Consultation
– Peer Facilitation
GSCA Advocacy Committee (2010)
Specialized Interventions
Individual Support
Guidance Curriculum
Intentional Guidance
Responding to the needs of a few
Julie Hartline (2011)
Use of Counselors in the Absence of a Comprehensive Program
What is the reality for Georgia’s students?
Outcomes for students within comprehensive school counseling programs
More likely to
• Stay in school
• Apply to college
• Enter the workforce with the necessary skills to succeed
Less likely to
• Drop out
• Fail
• Misbehave Hartline, J. & Smith, G. (2012)
Georgia’s school counselors are ready
Since 2004, 84 Georgia school counseling programs have received national recognition from the American School Counselor Association for being exemplary programs, which represents 17% of the schools recognized in the nation.
Since 2008, Georgia has had seven
top 10 finalists and two National
School Counselors of the Year.
Hartline, J. & Smith, G. (2012)
Elementary Middle High
2013 (School Counselors earned based on FTE excluding SWD, ESOL, Remedial, and Gifted segments.)
462 624 400
2014 (School Counselors earned based on FTE excluding SWD, ESOL, Remedial, and Gifted segments.)
450
450
450
2015 (School Counselors earned based on FTE excluding Remedial and Gifted segments.)
450 (Includes SWD & ESOL)
450 (Includes SWD & ESOL)
450 (Includes SWD & ESOL)
2016 (School Counselors earned based on FTE for ALL populations.)
450 (Includes ALL students)
450 (Includes ALL students)
450 (Includes ALL students)
Georgia’s Funding and Ratios
RECOMMENDED BY EDUCATION FINANCE COMMISSION AND MANDATED BY HB283
Hartline, J. & Smith, G. (2013)
Georgia’s Support for Comprehensive School Counseling Programs
• HB 1187 (A+ Reform Act)
• State Board Rule 160-4-8-.05
• Georgia Code 20-2-182
• HB 283 (Title 20 Clean-up Act)
• Senate Resolution 617
• House Resolution 552
Hartline, J. & Smith, G. (2013)
Why would your school want a comprehensive school counseling program?
Increased Student
Achievement
Higher Graduation
Rates
Reduced Discipline Referrals
Improved Attendance
Lower Retention
Rates
GSCA Advocacy Committee (2010)
Process (Numbers Impacted)
Perception (Pre/Post &
Surveys)
Outcomes (Achievement,
Attendance, or Behavior)
School Counseling Program Data Collection
ASCA (2012)
Examples of Perception Data What do students think they know, believe or can do?
• 100% of eighth-graders can identify three career
interests
• 89% of students demonstrate knowledge of promotion/
retention criteria
• 92% can identify early warning signs of violence
• 93 % of fourth-graders believe fighting is not an
appropriate method of solving problems
• 69 % of all students report feeling safe at school
ASCA (2012)
Examples of Outcome Data - THE ULTIMATE GOAL
Achievement Promotion rate increased from 88 to 94%
Attendance Attendance increased from 91 to 95%
Behavioral Discipline referrals decreased by 30%
ASCA (2012)
Setting School Counseling Program Goals
1. SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Results-Oriented, and Time Bound)
2. Reflect school data
3. Align with SSP
Example: By the end of the year, the number of discipline referrals will decrease by 20%.
ASCA (2012)
90% of the failing seniors who attend a conference in the spring of 2010-11
will pass all required classes.
3129
5
25
2 13
1 0 10 0
5 5
02
000
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Passed Failed Passed
& Failed
P/T/S
T/S
P/S
S
P
P/T
Total 93 85%
Total 5 6%
Total 10 9%
108 Conferences 92 students (84%) implemented the intervention plan designed at the conference. 88 students (81%) believed the conference helped them to pass. 95 students (87%) would recommend having a conference for to others.
CHS School Counseling Program (2011-2012)
80% of the students in the Why Try Groups will be on track to graduate in
4 years by the end of the year
9 students (100%) were able to identify barriers to learning 8 students (89%) indicated their behavior or performance changed because of the group. 9 students (100%) would recommend participation in a Why Try Group for their peers.
0
5
6
5
3
2
4
0
1
0
1
00
1
2
3
4
5
6
Passing
4
Passing
3
Passing
2
Passing
1
9 Weeks
1st Semester
2nd Semester
All nine students were promoted to senior status and were on-track to graduate at the end of the year.
CHS School Counseling Program (2011-2012)
99% of the first time freshmen will have a 4 year plan and be informed
about graduation requirements.
517(98%)
9 (2%)
Completed Plan
Incomplete Plan
2010-11 Four Year Plan Outcomes
CHS School Counseling Program (2011-2012)
Decrease freshman discipline referrals related to conflict by 50% for the year
Pre/Post Surveys for Conflict Resolution, I-Messages, & Problem Solving Lessons
33% Increase
94% Increase
CHS School Counseling Program (2011-2012)
Freshmen Use of Peer Mediation from 2007 to 2011
0
10
20
30
40
50
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
20
34
4750
23
Nu
mb
er o
f F
resh
man
Med
iati
on
s
Year
70% Increase
38% Increase
59% Decrease
Intervention implemented
6% Increase
43
19
89
9
14
41
2
1
1
5
8
21
4
7
6
1
8
27
11
2
7
3
9
21
12
6
10
7
15
31
0 50 100
Threat/ Intimidation
Aggression
Profanity at student
Harrass-ment
Verbal altercation
Fighting 2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
Discipline Referrals related to Conflict for Freshmen from 2007 to 2011
Decrease freshman discipline referrals related to conflict by 50% for the year
Overall 466%
increase from 2010
to 2011
CHS School Counseling Program (2011-2012)
What can you expect from the 21st century
professional school counselor in a comprehensive, data-driven
school counseling program?
Julie Hartline & Gail M. Smith (2011)
ADVOCACY LEADERSHIP
COLLABORATION SYSTEMIC CHANGE
GSCA Advocacy Committee (2010)
Campbell Career Center Usage 2005 - 2011
501
761906
1628
2238
2496 2577
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
2004-2005 2005-2006 2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011
Full Implementation of
Comprehensive Program
CHS School Counseling Program (2011-12)
CHS School Counseling Program (2011)
Instructional Leaders are
Essential to the Success of
Comprehensive School
Counseling Programs
“Without you,
school counselors
may strive,
but they will not thrive.” ASCA (2005)
Questions
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