Counselors BLT (Boost Learning Time) Project Tucson Unified School District Improve students/counselor ratio Reduce office referrals

Criteria for selection of schools Large students-to-counselor ratio Students not performing at expected level Large numbers of students living in poverty

Implement The ASCA National Model: A Framework for School Counseling Programs (ASCA, 2003) The Positive Behavior Intervention Support (PBIS, 1999)

Project Status after Year 2 Table of Contents Students-to-Counselor Ratio Recognized ASCA Model Programs School Quality Survey Results Attendance Results Academic Results Counselor time spent in classrooms/small groups Decrease in Office referrals Project students compared to Control group students ( results obtained by adding all student scores/totals at each school and dividing by the number of schools to determine the average school score)

Students-to-Counselor Ratio Original Ratio in Project Schools Ratio after 2 nd year in the Project 785/1427/1

Recognized ASCA Model Programs Lineweaver Lynn/Urquides White

School Quality Survey Results Percentage of respondents (students, parents & staff) in agreement with statements regarding student behavior, safety & respect. For example: Students behave in class. My classroom is a comfortable place to learn. Teachers treat students with respect. Students treat teachers with respect Baseline Year

Attendance Results Results analyzed Low Kindergarten attendance Large #s of students absent on the 2 immigration protest days in April Recommendations Expand Gap groups Engage the entire staff on strategies to improve attendance With a core staff, address absences in Kindergarten

Attendance Results with Students After Interventions Selection process - Students attended school less then 90% of the year in 3 rd grade. Interventions – Parents contacted, daily check-ins, weekly meetings, special responsibilities, overall school interest in attendance increased Results 3 rd gr. average attendance 4 th gr. average attendance

Attendance Recommendations Recommendations for 06-07: Continue tracking these students with needed interventions Add 25 identified students to replace those transferring students (newly selected students meet the criteria of below 90% attendance 06-07) Engage the entire staff in strategies to improve attendance Begin plans with a core staff to address the universal problem of tardies and absences in Kindergarten

Academic Results Reading/Math th grade44.5/ /50 5 th grade42.9/46.948/46.6

Curriculum Guidance Lessons Project counselors average hours per week in classrooms and small groups Year 1Year 2 34%53%

Office Referrals Average Number of office referrals per school each year Year 1Year

Longitudinal Study* *3 rd grade students randomly selected from project and control group schools to be followed in subsequent years 3 rd grade Terra Nova Reading Terra Nova Math.Attend. 4 th grade Terra Nova Reading Terra Nova Math.Attend. Project Schools Control Group Schools

SCHOOL QUALITY SURVEY RESULTS ENVIRONMENT CATEGORY ONLY The school is clean and well kept. Students behave during class. The school is a safe place for students. Teachers/Students treat each other with respect.

Summary of Project Accomplishments after Two Years Fully Implemented ASCA program with counselors spending over 50% of their time in classrooms and small groups Counselors involved in academic program. Student improved achievement in reading is significant. Attendance stayed the same while a comparable group and the district declined. Attendance of selected poor attending students improved by 5% after interventions. Decreased office referral by over 100%