1. Presented By: Linda Kopec Elizabeth Younce
Understanding the ASCA National Model for School Counseling: Increasing Student Achievement and Counselor Accountability
Presented By:
Linda Kopec
Elizabeth Younce

2. OVERVIEW
The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) collaborated to create a National Model for School Counseling Programs to connect school counseling with the current educational reform movements that emphasize student achievement and success.
ASCA saw a need to develop a standardized framework for school counseling programs. In the spring of 2001, ASCA gathered the leaders in the field of school counseling in Tucson, Arizona to collaborate and create a National Model for School Counseling Programs. Using the National Standards for School Counseling as a foundation, ASCA developed the model after extensive review and synthesis of guidelines from states, districts and individual school sites. The ASCA National Model for School Counseling Programs provides a framework to organize school counseling programs, with the school counselor serving as the program leader. School counselors switch their emphasis from service-centered for some of the students to program-centered for every student.

3. RATIONALE
By aligning a school counseling program with the school/district mission and school improvement plan, school counselors:
….Partner as leaders in systemic change
….Ensure equity and access
….Promote academic, personal/social and career development for every student.

4. Goals of School Counseling Program
The ultimate goal of the school counseling program is to support the school’s academic mission.
Ensuring academic achievement for every student includes counselor initiated activities designed to meet the needs of under-served, under-performing and under-represented populations.

5. People have wondered…. WHAT DO SCHOOL COUNSELORS DO?
Throughout history, people HAVE wondered…what just is it that school counselors DO? There has not been consensus on this issue.

6. Historical Problems in School Counseling Programs
Lack of consistent identity
Limited or no involvement in reform movements
Variation in roles from state to state and site to site
Non-school counselor responsibilities
Classroom coverage, discipline, master scheduling, and test coordination interfere.

7. The ASCA National Model
What is a school counseling program?
Prevention education
Developmental in nature
A collaborative effort
Driven by data
Integrated into the Total Educational Program
Academics, Career, Personal/Social Development

8. Data Driven
What are some of your current data sources?

9. The old question was… What do counselors do? The new question is….
“HOW ARE STUDENTS DIFFERENT AS A RESULT OF THE SCHOOL COUNSELING PROGRAM?”

10. From Entitlement…To Performance
From a Program that:
Focuses generally on the number of activities
Measures the amount of effort
Attends to the process of doing work
Works to maintain the existing system
For school counseling programs, this means moving from programs that focus on the number of activities counselors perform, to focusing on the outcomes and results of these activities. OK, so you held 10 guidance lessons this week, eight groups and saw 15 individual students… SO WHAT??? Programs that focus on performance indicate the results of these activities. Collecting process data is important so that programs can see what they are doing and for whom, but the OUTCOMES of these programs are what stakeholders want to see

11. From Entitlement…To Performance
To A Program That:
Focuses on outcomes and improved results
Measures impact related to goals
Attends to goals, objectives, and outcomes
Changes and adapts to be more responsive

12. From Entitlement…To Performance
From counselors who:
Focus on good intentions
Talk about how hard they work
Generally feel little need to change their behavior or approach

13. From Entitlement…To Performance
To Counselors Who:
Focus on accomplishments
Talk about effectiveness
Know their future rests on accomplishments
Communicate goals and objectives

14. Implications What is the purpose of the school counseling program?
What are the desired outcomes or results?
What is being done to achieve those results?
What evidence is there that the objectives have been met?
Is the program making a difference?
We need to ask ourselves….

15. School Counseling Programs Are About:
Leadership
Assessment
Technology
Managing Resources
Teaming
Collaboration
Data-Driven Decisions
Advocacy
Most of these probably look very familiar to you. Data driven decisions is the newcomer to this list. Now before anyone has flashbacks to statistics or research classes, let me assure you that we are talking about very simple data, no controlling for variables, standard errors of measurement, etc.

16. School Counseling Programs Are About:
RESULTS!
HOW ARE STUDENTS DIFFERENT AS A RESULT OF THE SCHOOL COUNSELING PROGRAM?
If we were to sum up the national model in one sentence, this would be it.

17. Comprehensive School Counseling
A Comprehensive School Counseling program includes:
Program Planning
Individual and Group Counseling
Consulting (students, parents, teachers, agencies)
Coordinating Services
Student Appraisal
Professional Development

18. I will direct you to your one page handout, as I think that is easier to the small print. Notice how the arrows are pointing. The parts of the model are entertwined.

19. The ASCA National Model
Addresses the Comprehensive School Program:
FOUNDATION
DELIVERY SYSTEM
MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM
IMPLEMENTATION

20. Themes Throughout the Model
ADVOCACY
LEADERSHIP
COLLABORATION
SYSTEMIC CHANGE

21. FOUNDATION Beliefs and Philosophy Mission
ASCA National Standards and Competencies
Domains:
Academic Development
Career Development
Personal/Social Development
Beliefs and Philosophy – “we agree” statements, guides the program development, implementation and evaluation, consensus from all personnel involved in the program
Mission statement – Describes the program’s purpose, provides a vision of what every student should achieve, aligned with the school and district mission statements

22. Beliefs and Philosophy
We “agree statements
Guide the program development, implementation and evaluation
Require consensus from all personnel involved in the program

23. Mission Statement Describes the program’s purpose
Provides a vision of what every student should achieve
Aligned with the school and district mission statements

24. Standards from the National Model
Standard 1: Program organization
Standard 2: School guidance curriculum delivered to all students
Standard 3: Individual student planning
Standard 4: Responsive Services
Standard 5: Systems support
Standard 6: School counselor and administrator agreement

25. Standards from the National Model, continued
Standard 7: Advisory Council
Standard 8: Use of data
Standard 9: Student monitoring
Standard 10: Use of time and calendar
Standard 11: Results evaluation
Standard 12: Program Audit
Standard 13: Be a student advocate, leader, collaborator and systems change agent

26. Delivery System School Guidance Curriculum Individual Student Planning
Responsive Services
System Support
I would like point out that ASCA recommends that counselors spend 80% of their time in curriculum, individual student planning, and responsive services and that the remaining 20% of the time be spent supporting the Counseling Program
Guidance Curriculum – structured lessons delivered to all students, related to standards and competencies, and integrated with the academic curriculum. The NC Standard Course of Study for School Counseling and Guidance is based on the National Model. The Guidance Curriculum is to be a shared responsibility between school counselors, teachers, parents, community and career development coordinators. To view the curriculum, go to DPI’s website: There are over 600 lesson plans on the site.
Individual Student Planning: consists of ongoing systemic activities, designed to assist students in establishing personal goals, designed to assist students in developing future plans
Responsive Services: designed to meet students’ immediate needs, individual, group and crisis counseling, consultation, referral, mediation, information
System Support: Program management activities that establish, maintain, and enhance the program, professional development activities, consultation, collaboration and teaming

27. Guidance Curriculum Structured lessons delivered to all students
Related to standards and competencies
Integrated with academic curriculum
Use data to develop lessons
Environmental issues
Discipline records
Student records
Standardized test scores

28. Individual Student Planning
Ongoing systemic activities
Designed to assist students in establishing personal goals
Designed to assist students in developing future plans
Helps students get from point A to point B

29. Counselor Planned and Directed
Test score review, interpretation and analysis
Promotion and retention information
Career decision making
Yearly course selection
Test taking strategies

30. Responsive Services Designed to meet students’ immediate needs
Individual, group and crisis counseling
Consultation, referral, mediation and information
Available to all students and parents

31. System Support
Program management activities that establish, maintain, and enhance the program
Professional development activities
Consultation, collaboration and teaming

32. Management System Agreements Advisory Council Use of Time Calendars
Action Plans
Guidance Curriculum
Closing the Gap
Use of Data
Monitoring Student Progress
Management Agreements: To ensure effective implementation of the program, school counseling staffs make management decisions regarding the organization/assignment of school counselors and the school counseling office effective implementation of the delivery system and the needs of the department regarding professional development and consultation. between the school counselor and administrator, includes statements of responsibilities and how counselors will divide responsibilities in schools with more than one counselor, states specific results for which counselor is responsible, negotiated and approved at the beginning of the school year
Advisory Council: An advisory council is a group of people appointed to review counseling program results and to make recommendations. Representatives are students, parents, teachers, counselors, administration and community members. Should meet twice a year – terms of membership 1-3 years, have specific agenda/notes
Use of Time: A comprehensive school counseling program recommends that counselors spend 80% of their time in direct service (contact) with students. The National Model provides percentages that serve as a guide to school counselors and administrators when determining the time their program needs to spend in each of the four components of the delivery system.
elementary middle high
Guidance Curriculum % % %
Individual Planning 5 – 10% % %
Responsive Services % % %
System Support % % %
Calendars: master calendar, weekly calendar, published, ensures planned activities are completed, PR tool. Monthly/weekly calendars: group schedule, classroom guidance, individual planning, system support and responsive services times, parent conferences…. Master Calendar – annual – parent night, college night, financial aid nights, etc..
Action Plans: For every competency and result assumed y counselors, there must a plan of how the counselor intends to achieve the desired result. Each plan contains: the competency addressed, the description of the activity, the data which drives the decision to address the competency, time activity is to be completed, who is responsible for delivery, the means of evaluating student success, and the expected results for students. Action Plan reflections: Are your objectives measurable? How will you measure? [ pre/post tests, comparison to base line data] Will your plan lead to results data? Process/perception/results. Will your plan require too much time on data collection? Can you use data elements that are already being collected? Are you revisiting the plan throughout the year?
Use of Data: A comprehensive school counseling program is data driven. The use of data to effect change within the school system is integral to ensuring that every student receives the benefits of the school counseling program. School counselors must show that each activity implemented as part of the program was developed from a careful analysis of students’ needs, achievement and/or related data. Student Monitoring: monitoring students’ progress ensures that each student receives what he or she needs to achieve success in school. Areas to be monitored include student achievement data, achievement-related data and standards and competency based data. Collection, analysis and interpretation of student achievement data may be systemic by district, or specific to school, site, grade, class, or individual. Closing the Gap: The needs surface when disaggregated data is analyzed for every student. Where are we now? Where should we be? Where are we going to go?
Existing data sources: report cards, discipline reports, post-graduation plans, EOGs/EOCs, Attendance reports, referrals. New Data sources: Pre/post activity surveys, needs assessments, focus groups, case studies, student portfolios

33. Agreements To ensure effective implementation of the program
Based on delivery systems and needs
Negotiated every year

34. Advisory Council Group appointed to review the guidance program
Counselor, administrator, teachers, parents, students, community members

35. Use of Time Elementary Guidance Curriculum – 35 – 45%
Individual Planning – 5 – 10%
Responsive Services – 30 – 40%
System Support – 10 – 15%

36. Use of Time Middle School Guidance Curriculum – 25 – 35%
Individual Planning – 15 – 25%
Responsive Services – 30 – 40%
System Support – %

37. Use of Time High School: Guidance Curriculum – 15 -25%
Individual Planning – 25 – 35%
Responsive Services – 25 – 35%
System Support – 15 – 20%

38. Calendars Master Calendar Weekly Calendar Published
Ensures planned activities are completed
PR Tool

39. Action Plans Domain, standard and competency Description of activity
Curriculum and materials to be used
Time Allotment
Person(s) responsible
Evaluation of student success
Expected result

40. Action Plan Reflections
Are your objectives measurable?
Can you use data elements that are already being collected?
Will the plan lead to results data?
How will you measure?
Pre/post tests
Comparison to baseline data

41. Use of Data
Student Monitoring – collection, analysis and interpretation of data to ensure all students achieve academic success
Closing the Gap – Use of disaggregated data which discerns the discrepancies between the desired results and the results currently being achieved

42. How do Counselors Fit Into NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND?
What can school counselors do to promote AYP, Closing the Gap, School Safety, etc.?
Study skills and test-taking skills groups for low-performing students
Conflict Resolution Training
Counseling students with suspension and absenteeism issues
Staff training on behavior management and school climate

43. Academic Results Interventions (Grades 6 – 8)
After Academic Counseling Groups:
37% of 6th Graders (64)
24% of 7th Graders (47)
72% of 8th Graders (46)
Demonstrated GPA Improvement

44. Freshmen Promotion
Incoming 9th grade students who had one or more D or F in the 8th grade were placed in a mentoring program with upperclassmen. 95% of participating students were promoted to the 10th grade, versus 80% of those outside of the program

45. Academic Goal Setting
After classroom guidance lessons pre-post tests indicated…
Student knowledge of goal setting increased from 10% to 90%
90% achieved their identified goal

46. ACCOUNTABILITY Results Reports
School counselor performance evaluations
Program Audit
Results Reports – Results reports, which include process, perception and results data, ensure that programs are carried out, analyzed for effectiveness, and changed and improved as needed. Sharing these reports with stakeholders serves to advocate for the students and the program. Immediate, intermediate and long range results are collected and analyzed for program improvement.
S.C.P.E. – The school counselor’s performance evaluation contains basic standards of practice expected of school counselors implementing as school counseling program. These performance standards serve s both a basis for counselor evaluation and as a means for counselor self-evaluation.
Program Audit/Evaluation – The program audit provides evidence of the programs alignment with the ASCA National Model for School Counseling Programs. The primary purpose of collecting information is to guide future action within the program and to improve future results for students.
Why Accountability? Shows that school counselors intentionally and purposely act to “close the gap”, focuses activities on student achievement, demonstrates commitment to school improvement, highlights school counselors’ skills

47. Results Reports Data: Process Perception Results
Over Time: Immediate, Intermediate, Long Range

48. Results Reports – Impact over Time
Personal/Social Results
Conflict Resolution ( K – 5)
Number of students who could peacefully resolve a conflict INCREASED from 55% to 88%
Following implementation of a Conflict Manager program the number of suspended students was REDUCED from 13% in 97/98 to 3% in 01/02

49. Career Development (over 3 years)
Scholarship dollars for students increased from $750,000 to $825,000
Parent attendance increased from 150 – 500 at guidance sponsored events
Number of students visiting the career center increased from 30 to 200 daily
Graduation rates increased from 84 – 89%

50. What does an Audit tell us?
Major strengths of the program
Areas that need to be strengthened
Categorizes the rate of progress of each criteria
Helps to determine short and long range goals for improvement

51. IMPLEMENTATION Administrator Support Planned Steps
On-going Program Evaluation

52. Steps to Implementation
What if my school doesn’t want to change?
Ask yourself…
What are my students’ needs?
What do I want to change?
What do I have the power to change?
What am I already doing that can be measured?
START SMALL and use that data to support further expansion and change

53. Steps to Implementation
1. Planning the Program
2. Building Your Foundation
3. Designing the Delivery System
4. Implementing the Program
5. Making the Program Accountable

54. Next Steps Review action plans Learn from experience
Look at ways to implement new pieces of the National Model each year for 3 -5 years

55. National Model Best Practices
Start with what you can manage
Align with school and district goals
Define “at-risk”
Data! Data! Data!
Write measurable goals and objectives that are reasonable
Write plans early, review them regularly

56. Best Practices Understand the trends, work with the details
Collaborate with others at your school
Collaborate with other schools

57. In Closing…..
All this will not be finished in the first one hundred days. Nor will it be finished in the first thousand days, nor in the life of this administration, nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet.
BUT LET US BEGIN.
John F. Kennedy

58. And Finally…. “WE NEED TO BE THE CHANGE WE WANT TO SEE HAPPEN.
WE ARE THE LEADERS WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR.”
Gandhi

59. Questions?