Developing, Aligning, and Assessing Your School Counseling Curriculum James E. Guarino, Ed.D. Salem (CT) Middle School Arthur W. Lisi, Ph.D. Coventry (RI) High School ASCA National Conference Atlanta, Georgia July 1, 2008

Goals of the Workshop 1. Develop an essential school counseling curriculum 2. Align the curriculum with ASCA Standards 3. Identify outcomes by documenting essential counseling activities 4. Assess student progress toward these outcomes (standards) by examining data 5. Evaluate the impact of the counseling program

The RI School Counselor Association, to help counselors develop and organize their school counseling program, has published these EIGHT RISCA TOOLKITS 1. Strategic and Annual Planning 2. Essential Counseling Program 3. School Counseling Data Management 4. Professional Development Program 5. Family and Community Engagement 6. Program Implementation Management 7. Planning for Results 8. Individual Student Learning Plans

Using the RISCA TOOLKIT APPROACH … Answers the question: What do I do tomorrow to implement a comprehensive school counseling program based on the ASCA National Model? Answers the question: What do I do tomorrow to implement a comprehensive school counseling program based on the ASCA National Model? Provides structured processes, clearly defined protocols, and easy to use tools to capture and organize the results of your work. Provides structured processes, clearly defined protocols, and easy to use tools to capture and organize the results of your work. Produces quality documentation that can be used to promote the value of school counseling to student success and health of the school community. Produces quality documentation that can be used to promote the value of school counseling to student success and health of the school community. Appreciation to Dr. Karl Squier, RISCA member Appreciation to Dr. Karl Squier, RISCA member Can be accessed at Can be accessed at

Goal 1: What Do We Need to Do to Develop a School Counseling curriculum? Start by identifying the key activities (informational talks, lessons, classroom meetings, etc) you are already doing in your role as a school counselor. Start by identifying the key activities (informational talks, lessons, classroom meetings, etc) you are already doing in your role as a school counselor. You can create a list of these, but better still would be to create a map/blueprint of when you do these activities, the type of activity and who your audience is. You can create a list of these, but better still would be to create a map/blueprint of when you do these activities, the type of activity and who your audience is.

Brainstorm what you do in delivering your essential school counseling program … 1. Counseling Curriculum (what you do to include ALL students, such as structured classroom lessons/presentations, small group activities, etc.)‏ 2. Individual Planning 3. Responsive Services 4. System Support 5. Non-counseling activities

Mapping your Guidance curriculum can be achieved by placing your guidance activities in a Scope and Sequence Scope and sequence shows the progression of interventions/activities throughout the school year and across grades. Scope and sequence shows the progression of interventions/activities throughout the school year and across grades. Make sure … Make sure … –Sequence of activities is developmentally appropriate –Activities, viewed collectively, provide students with multiple opportunities to progress toward, and achieve, the ASCA standards

Elementary School Essential Counseling Curriculum Month Grade K Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APRIL MAY JUNE Summer

Salem Middle School Essential Counseling Curriculum

Coventry High School Essential Counseling Curriculum SEPT Grade 9 Grade 12 Add/edit courses Prepare school profile Prepare NECAP, PSAT & ASVAB testing day, schedules, room assignments& coverage Transcripts updated Schedule adjustments Schedule new/transfer students, tour building, get IDs Insure 504 Plans distributed to all teachers. Advisory: Welcome; highlight scheduling policies from Handbook. “The Credit Story” – pre/post assessment Review CHS extracurricular activities Schedule adjustments Schedule new/transfer students, tour building, get IDs Insure 504 Plans distributed to all teachers.. Advisory: Welcome; highlight scheduling policies from Handbook. Lesson: The College Application Process & procedures. Pre/Post assessmt Policies re: SAT test in Oct Discuss Revolution Prep SAT course Review CHS extracurricular activities

What is the School Counseling Curriculum? “The Guidance curriculum consists of structured developmental lessons designed to assist students in achieving the competencies and is presented systematically through classroom and group activities, K-12.” - ASCA National Model Workbook (2005) - ASCA National Model Workbook (2005)

The Essential School Counseling Curriculum Is One Which… Is a written instructional program presented developmentally and comprehensively. Is a written instructional program presented developmentally and comprehensively. It is an event that engages students and personalizes their learning experience. It is an event that engages students and personalizes their learning experience. Delineates your planned interventions. Delineates your planned interventions. Aligns with ASCA standards in the areas of academic, career, and personal/social development. Aligns with ASCA standards in the areas of academic, career, and personal/social development. It is capable of generating data on student progress toward the stated outcomes in the activity and toward ASCA standards. It is capable of generating data on student progress toward the stated outcomes in the activity and toward ASCA standards. It is (or will be) documented. It is (or will be) documented.

Goal 2 Aligning your Curriculum with ASCA Standards Standards-based education involves the Guidance program as well Standards-based education involves the Guidance program as well Do your guidance activities meet the criteria of “curriculum” – structured lessons to help all students learn the knowledge, skills, beliefs and behaviors/attitudes/dispositions? Do your guidance activities meet the criteria of “curriculum” – structured lessons to help all students learn the knowledge, skills, beliefs and behaviors/attitudes/dispositions? If so, they need to be aligned to ASCA’s nine standards and possibly to the eleven National Career Development Guidelines. If so, they need to be aligned to ASCA’s nine standards and possibly to the eleven National Career Development Guidelines.

Goal 3 Identifying Outcomes and Documenting Each Activity Identifying outcomes/assessing needs is a key step even if you have existing activities in your curriculum Identifying outcomes/assessing needs is a key step even if you have existing activities in your curriculum Documenting essential counseling curriculum is an important step in building counselor capacity for change Documenting essential counseling curriculum is an important step in building counselor capacity for change It enables counselors to reflect – and build -on best practices It enables counselors to reflect – and build -on best practices Allows counselors to reconsider what concrete results they want students to achieve Allows counselors to reconsider what concrete results they want students to achieve Insures that detailed documentation gives other counselors information to successfully conduct the activity. Insures that detailed documentation gives other counselors information to successfully conduct the activity.

Documentation means creating School Counseling Lesson Plans Title your activity – it can be referenced, catalogued, and becomes a part of your guidance curriculum Title your activity – it can be referenced, catalogued, and becomes a part of your guidance curriculum Give yourself credit! Give yourself credit! Grade level Grade level Materials Materials Collaboration required? Helpful? Collaboration required? Helpful? ASCA and National Career Development Standards utilized ASCA and National Career Development Standards utilized What results do we expect from the students?** What results do we expect from the students?**

Lesson Plans (continued)‏ What preparations do we need to make? What preparations do we need to make? What resources do we need? What resources do we need? How many sessions are there? How many sessions are there? What are the “action steps” and who is responsible for each step? What are the “action steps” and who is responsible for each step? Attach any worksheets. Attach any worksheets.

Freshman Advisory: The Credit Story Graduation Requirements: 1) A minimum of 24 credits required including the following (most will earn 28 credits.) –4 credits in English –4 credits in Math (or a math related class such as accounting, physics, etc) –3 credits in Science –3 credits in Social Studies (including America & the World 2 and 3) –2 years of a world language (or literacy/reading if recommended) –2 credits in physical education/health (must pass PE every year) –.5 credits in the visual, performing or fine arts –.5 credits in computer literacy/technology –The remaining 5 credits come from electives, Career and Technical programs, etc. 2) Demonstration of Proficiency (what we call “PBGRs”) through each of the following: –Capstone Project (a research and exhibition project) –Electronic Portfolio (which includes tasks assigned in every class) What is a credit? Any course that meets for a full year (FY on your schedule) in worth 1 credit, such as: Any course that meets for a full year (FY on your schedule) in worth 1 credit, such as:

Lesson Plan is written in terms of RESULTS!! What are the outcomes we want students to achieve as a result of participating in the particular learning experience? What are the outcomes we want students to achieve as a result of participating in the particular learning experience? Define concrete results that are observable and measurable. Define concrete results that are observable and measurable.

RESULTS Statements are important because they… Insure that ALL students receive the benefit of the counseling curriculum Insure that ALL students receive the benefit of the counseling curriculum Insures that we – like all educators – are involved in observing and measuring learning against a standard Insures that we – like all educators – are involved in observing and measuring learning against a standard Aligned with ASCA National Standards, thus designed to help students achieve all 9 standards; Aligned with ASCA National Standards, thus designed to help students achieve all 9 standards; Provide student with opportunities to demonstrate what the student knows and can do – especially in a performance-based environment Provide student with opportunities to demonstrate what the student knows and can do – especially in a performance-based environment –multiple opportunities to learn –multiple opportunities to apply (practice) –multiple opportunities demonstrate the learning

Other Examples of Meaningful Results Statements

Goal 4 Assessing the Learning: How do we know that a student has successfully achieved the outcome ? Tied to the specific results that we have identified for that activity. Tied to the specific results that we have identified for that activity. Identify criteria that specifies what kind of compelling evidence that will tell us that the student has met the outcome. Identify criteria that specifies what kind of compelling evidence that will tell us that the student has met the outcome. If fixing a car (CTE), it is easier to see if the outcome (changing oil, fixing a flat) has been met – not as easy to gauge outcomes/results of guidance instruction If fixing a car (CTE), it is easier to see if the outcome (changing oil, fixing a flat) has been met – not as easy to gauge outcomes/results of guidance instruction Pre-post measures are one way to assess student learning Pre-post measures are one way to assess student learning Assessing student progress toward an outcome/standard, AND assessing the impact of implementing your counseling program are both crucial Assessing student progress toward an outcome/standard, AND assessing the impact of implementing your counseling program are both crucial

The Credit Story – What Do You Know?? Please take this short survey to see how much you know about Coventry High School’s promotion and graduation policies. Please mark your answers in the left column under the heading “Pre”. We will re- administer this survey after The Credit Story lesson. PrePost 1. How many credits does a student usually take in a year? 2. A semester class is worth how many credits? 3. You need this many credits to graduate. 4. If you don’t earn this many credits, you cannot become a sophomore 5. All your high school courses and credits are recorded on this

Looking for Results – Data for Systemic Change Attendance data Attendance data Classroom cuts Classroom cuts Disciplinary rates Disciplinary rates SAT/ACT participation, scores SAT/ACT participation, scores State and other assessment scores State and other assessment scores Parental involvement Parental involvement School culture and climate surveys School culture and climate surveys Peer relationships results Peer relationships results Graduation/Retention/Drop-out rates Graduation/Retention/Drop-out rates Honors/AP classes enrollment Honors/AP classes enrollment Other results-based data elements Other results-based data elements

Goal 5 Evaluating Your Counseling Curriculum Are your counseling curriculum activities/lesson plans… For all students? For all students? Organized, planned and written? Organized, planned and written? Sequential and flexible? Sequential and flexible? An integral part of the educational process? An integral part of the educational process? Opportunities to collaborate with teachers and other staff? Opportunities to collaborate with teachers and other staff? Helping students learn more effectively in all three domains? Helping students learn more effectively in all three domains? Using data to help us assess our program: Using data to help us assess our program: –Did we do it? (process data) –Does it appear that things went well? (perception data) –How well did we do it? (results data – actual learning, change has happened). CSCOR is conducting research on the impact of states’ counseling programs CSCOR is conducting research on the impact of states’ counseling programs We have made a difference in students’ lives… We have made a difference in students’ lives…

For More Information For Toolkit information, forms, procedures, hints, etc., visit the RISCA Website at For Toolkit information, forms, procedures, hints, etc., visit the RISCA Website at Arthur Lisi, Arthur Lisi, Jim Guarino, Jim Guarino,