On the Road to a Data Informed School Counseling

ProgramJeannie Maddox, School Counselor, NBCT

George Marks Elementary

FSCA Convention Orlando, Florida

October 23, 2015

DATA

• Smart phone- text Jeanniemaddo018 to 37607

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The following live polls are brought to you by: PollEverywhere.com

Your thoughts and questions about data…

Overview

• What is data informed school counseling?• Why is it important for School Counselors to use data?• Demystifying data! The 6 types• Accessing data• Using data to identify a goal• Writing an action and results plan

Feelings about Data

• On a smart phone? Text jeanniemaddo018 to 37607 to join • Wait to type “leave” until our last poll

• On a laptop or tablet? Go to pollev.com/jeanniemaddo018• Select the picture that best depicts how you feel about data

Trish Hatch says at the end of her book, The Use of Data in School Counseling,

“… I do know that some of the most amazing work school counselors will ever do, they will never be able to measure. I truly and deeply know that. Some of the “work” we do as school counselors is work we are called to do. I was called to be a school counselor. Some of my best days as a school counselor were truly the very worst days for others, and it was on those days, when I left my school, I knew, I truly knew that I was there for a reason. School counseling is a calling. It is my calling. It is my purpose on the planet.”

Encouraging words forSchool Counselors

What’s up with all this data talk?

“School counselors traditionally have offered time-on-task data (Gysbers & Henderson, 2000) or a numerical summary of the different types of activities delivered as a means of assessing and evaluating the impact of a school counseling program. Merely presenting the numbers of students seen individually, in groups, or in classrooms is no longer enough.”

“Legislators, school boards, administrators, and faculty concerned with accountability issues may not see the work of school counselors as being an effective utilization of financial resources to improve student achievement. Accountability offers the opportunity for school counselors to demonstrate how they can effectively identify and rectify issues that impede student achievement and provide suitable educational opportunities.”

“Leaving No School Counselor Behind” Carol A. Dahir and Carolyn Stone

“Accountability involves using data to improve comprehensive school counseling programs and student achievement outcomes, and in reporting information to stakeholders which subsequently increases school Counselor credibility.”

Dr. Tyler Kimbal, The Development and Validation of the School Counseling Report Card – Student Version

Data driven or data informed?

Data driven:• Describes decisions made solely on the data• Just the cold, hard facts • Does not allow you to make decisions based on other sources or factors (outliers, med changes, program changes, new curriculum, etc.)

Data informed:• Use data “in context” to help your school excel• Continuous improvement (reviewed regularly)• Flexible, responsive, intelligent• Measure, observe, improve, refine

“Data doesn’t drive anything—professional judgment does. The data just informs what is going on.”

Dr. Jeffrey Wayman, 2012

DATA

How prepared are you?

Looking at our data…

• What does this data say about this sample of School Counselors practicing in Florida today?

• What need would you identify for our group of School Counselors?

• What it doesn’t say…

• We have to go from knowing about data to knowing how to use data• Face our fears• Start small and build• Remember: it is a learning process

“We must always remember that the goal is for us to learn from the data, not to be evaluated on the data.” ~Trish Hatch

Moving forward…

“…the intentional use of the best available evidence in planning, implementing, and evaluating school counseling interventions and programs.”Evidence-Based School Counseling: Making a Difference with Data-Driven Practices, Dimmitt, Carey, and Hatch, 2007

• designed and delivered based on student data • standards based ie: ASCA Mindsets and Behaviors, other standards and initiatives

at state and district levels• measures the results of our school counseling programs• promotes systemic change where necessary

What is a data informed school Counseling program?

• Provides relevant and effective programs based on data• Provides lessons/information for ALL students (Tier 1)• Assists student in obtaining standard or competency based skills• Identifies specific needs (Tier 2)• Increases achievement data• Takes non-counseling jobs off the counselor’s plate• Gives students and Counselors more time together

How does a data informed school counseling program benefit students?

• Eliminates random acts of guidance• Counselors can use data to tell their story, create policy change• Advocate for practices that promote academic achievement and success for ALL

–addresses discrepancies between behavior/academic data between students of different demographic groups (closing the gap plan)• Creates collaborative School Counselor calendar• Demonstrates the effectiveness of School Counselors• Builds a strong comprehensive program

Shows how students are different because of what school counselors do.

How does a data informed school counseling program benefit School Counselors?

Two Prong approach to a Data Informed School Counseling Program

School wide goals, standards basedcurriculum

Some students need more

Intentional Guidance Identified by data as needing additional

interventions

Small number of students with special needs, not

appropriate for intentional guidance plan;

may need to refer out

ALL students need to know

Why is data important?

“It is no longer enough for Professional School Counselors to answer the question, ‘What do school counselors do?’ Professional School Counselors must now respond to the question, “How are students different as a result of what we do?” ~ASCA National Model

COLLECT DATA

“Data” defined

DATA

School Generated

Achievement Data

Achievement Related

Data

CounselorGenerated

Achievement Data

• EXAMPLES:Standardized test results (FCAT, FSA)Retention rate Pass rate for HS exit exam Algebra pass rate GPA SAT/ACT scores Changes in achievement levels (math/reading) Drop out rate Completion of college prep requirementsCollege freshmen remediation rates

Difficult for SC to prove their activities

had a direct impact on these scores, not

enough linkage between activities and

results

Often looked at as the measure of success in schools, used to compare one school to another, can close schools and reassign personnel. Measures a student’s academic progress.

Achievement-Related Data

• EXAMPLES:Discipline referrals and suspension ratesAttendance ratesCourse enrollment patternsHomework completion ratesReport Card gradesParental involvement

• This data is more easily available to SC• These activities more directly align to SC services

Achievement related data can provide valuable information about how to improve Achievement Data

“elements impacting or correlating to student achievement.” Hatch, 2013

When students behave, attend school, do HW, enroll in rigorous courses they perform better.

Competency Attainment

Achievement-Related Data

Achievement Data

Believe it is important to

come to

school

Increase Attendance

Increase Achieve

ment (GPA

)

Demonstrat

eSelf-

contol

Reduced Discipline Referrals, Improved

School climate

Improved

Achievement

(Benchmarks)

Making Data Connections

Increased achievement

related data increases

achievement data

More TYPES of DATA

Process Data

• What you did for whom?• Where did you spend your time?• How many students did you impact?• Are these services directly related to students?• Can only a professional school counselor perform these functions?

• EXAMPLES: time in responsive services, in classes, in small groups• All 120 incoming 5th graders were seen individually for minute meetings in Sept. and Jan. • All students in grades 6-7 (270) received 2 lessons on cyber safety• Four counseling groups of 10th graders each with 6 students each met for 6 study skills

sessions• 30 hours this month spent in before/after school bus duty

“What did you do for whom?”

Does not show degree of

impact!

Recording Process Data

Process Data Tools

• https://sconlineprofessionalexchange.wikispaces.com/EZAnalyze FREE• https://www.google.com/forms/about/ FREE• https://www.notecounselorweb.com/ free for 30 day trial, then $49 yr• http://counselorapp.com/ $20 for 30 day trial, $120 yr

Perception Data

• From documenting to demonstrating• What do students think they know? (knowledge)• What do they believe? (attitude)• What can they do or demonstrate as a result of a lesson, activity, or intervention? (skills)• Measures competency achieved

• A attitude 29% of students feel unsafe in the bathroom

• S skills 95% of students can figure their GPA

• K knowledge 91% of students can name 3 ways to handle a bully

Perception Data Tools

• Needs assessments• Pre/post tests• Survey/ratings scales Tools:• Clickers (personal response device)• Kahoot!• Plickers.com• PollEverywhere.com• Exit slips• Completion of an activity• Fist rating

Outcome (results) Data

• Measures the impact of a lesson, activity, intervention• The “so what” • The proof behavior has changed• Proof of SC program effectiveness• Hard data that shows how students are different• Compared to previous achievement related data

• 60% of students with F’s brought their grade up to a C or better from Q1 to Q2• 31% decrease in discipline referrals from Q1 to Q2• 77% increase in daily attendance of targeted students for 2014-15 SY

Outcome (results) Data Tools

• Action plans• Results reports• School and Counselor generated data reports

• What does the data tell you?• Was the program a success?• What worked, what didn’t, what needs to be changed?

Data over time

Data collected in 3 time frames• Immediate: pre/post test, surveys, needs assessments• Intermediate: end of a group or grading period• Long range: data impact from year to year

• Example: behavior data• Immediate- pre test with students, survey Teachers/parents on student behavior• Intermediate- end of group post test• Long range: EOY behavior data

Process Data Perception Data Results Data

Hatching Results Conceptual Diagram (Hatch 2005b)

School Counseling Curriculum

Intentional Guidance (Intervention)

CompetencyAttainment Data

Achievement Related Data

AchievementData

Guidance LessonsGroup CounselingIndividual Counseling

Who?What?When ?Where?How long?

• Attendance School Data Base

• Discipline referrals Assistant Principal, School Data Base

• Report cards with D’s and F’s Gradebook Contact, School Data Base

• Report Cards with 2’s and 3’s School Psychologist

• Climate surveys Principal/SAC contact

• Student, parent, faculty needs Generated/created by you

assessments/surveys, pre/post tests

Accessing Data Sources

• Data refined into subgroups• Create School Data Profile• Gender, ethnicity, SES, ESE, ESOL, grade level, teacher, language,

location, discipline offense• Compares data from different groups to better understand the

implications and meaning of data• Where and how to intervene can occur at various levels, individual,

class, group, school wide, home, community

Disaggregating data

Interpreting Your Data

• What pictures, patterns, or gaps does the data suggest?• What problems or needs surfaced?• What inequities exist?

• Achievement gaps?• Opportunity gaps?

• Are there systems changes that need to be made?• Which programs impact students? • Which programs meet the identified need?• Does the data implicates some programs?• Are there components/programs that to be re-evaluated, eliminated, or replaced? • How are students different because of what I’ve done?

Counselors Using Data

• Shelia is a middle school counselor in a low income, urban school that has a high number of detentions in the 8th grade. She decides to develop and implement a social skills training intervention consisting of both peer-to-peer conflict resolution training and student teacher communication skills training. Shelia develops the materials and trains personnel. The program is implemented in the advisory period. Her pre/post test evaluation indicates most students learned the targeted concepts and can describe instances in which they use the conflict resolution skills.

• What do you think of Shelia’s action plan?

Counselors doing data right!

• Shelia does a quick analysis of the reasons for detention and finds that 70% of the students are sent to detention for chronically missing homework and 30% for inappropriate conduct. She recommends to her administration that detentions be for conduct problems only, and sets as her goal reducing the weekly referral rate by 50% by midyear. She organizes a school homework group and publicizes this group to both the general student population and specifically to students with chronic homework problems and to the parents of these students. She also establishes a conflict resolution group, recruiting as members students who were sent to detention for inappropriate conduct. Shelia tracks participation in both interventions and tracks the weekly detention rate. By midyear it has dropped 55%.

• What do you think of Sheila’s action plan now? What is different?

Setting Goals

SMART• S specific Gap/Problem/Issue impacting student success

• M measurable Based on existing data • A attainable Challenging but achievable• R results-oriented Collect/analyze process, perception, outcome data • T time-bound Timeline to accomplish goal, analyze/share data

• See handout for SMART goal samples

The (who) will _______ (increasing/decreasing) the (identified need) for (identified group) by (%) in the 2014-25 school year to (%) in the 2015-2016 school year.

• The School Counseling Department will assist with reducing the number of discipline referrals by students with 4 or more referrals by 15% by providing weekly small group counseling and check-in intervention.• During the 2015-2016 SY, the School Counseling Department will assist in

decreasing the absences of 7th and 8th graders with 15 or more absences by 50%.

Setting SMART Goals

Action and Results plans

Action plan: specific plan for addressing data needs, who ,what, how, when, materials, procedures, permissions, create perception data collection instruments?

Results plan: same plan as above plus data effectiveness- process, perception, outcome and implications (reflections)

How do I begin to implement a data informed counseling program?

Start small. Just choose one thing!• Data “scavenger hunt”(what is needed? ATT, grades, EWS, ODR)• Analyze your data• Look for trends/problems• Set SMART goal(s)*• Develop an action plan(s)*• Set a calendar• Prepare lessons(curriculum and materials)• Deliver lessons/group/intervention*• Evaluate (all data –immediate, intermediate, long range)• Advocate and Share• Repeat

Ten Steps to being

datainformed!

Summing it all up…

• “The purpose of collecting data is to simply inform what you already do.”• DATA gives credibility to our profession, it demonstrates how School

Counselors make a difference.• It demonstrates the value of School Counselors and how we impact the

bottom line, student learning.• It gives administrators visuals and concise facts that demonstrate program

effectiveness.• Administrators, legislators, and taxpayers must have knowledge and

evidence of what we do to justify and advocate for our positions.Young and Kaffenberger, 2011

Resources

• Evidenced-Based School Counseling Conference, Dr. Trish Hatch, Keynote Erlanger, Kentucky March 2015

• Evidenced-Based School Counseling Conference, Erlanger, Kentucky, March 2015 presenters from Lindemen Elementary School and Lewis and Clark College

• The Use of Data in School Counseling, Dr. Trish Hatch, 2014, Corwin Press.• Evidenced Based School Counseling: Making a Difference with Data Driven

Practices, Carey Dimmitt, John C. Carey, Trish Hatch, 2007, Corwin Press.• “The Beliefs and Practices of School Counselors Who Use Data to Implement

Comprehensive School Counseling Programs,” Anita Young and Carol Kaffenberger, 2011. https://www.questia.com/library/journal/1G1-276135160/the-beliefs-and-practices-of-school-counselors-who

• ASCA website, www.schoolcounselor.org • The Development and Validation of the School Counseling Report Card – Student

Version, Dr. Tyler Kimbal

Resources

• Andrew Chen andrewchen.co Data Informed v. Data Driven• Beth Kanter Why Data informed v. Data Driven, Feb.21, 2013,

http://www.bethkanter.org/data-informed/• American Counseling Association, Vistas Online, Article 18Leaving No

School Counselor Behind, Carol A. Dahir and Carolyn Stone,http://www.counseling.org/Resources/Library/VISTAS/vistas04/18.pdfData, Data, Data: Steps and Tools for Planning and Using your Datahttp://schoolcounseling.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/file/view/C.+Data+Literacy+for+School+Counselors.pdf

Thank you for joining me!For more information contact me at:

jmaddox@volusia.k12.fl.us orjeanniemaddox87@gmail.com

Follow my blog at http://exploringschoolcounseling.blogspot.comFacebook: Exploring School Counseling Twitter @ExploringSchC