Accountability

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Accountability

• Carey Dimmitt, Ph.D.
• Center for School Counseling Outcome Research
• UMass-Amherst
• Providence, RI
• February 4, 2005

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Accountability

• From
• Monitoring what we do and how much of it we are
  doing (process data).
• To
• Focusing on results and measuring outcomes.

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Accountability

• Evaluation of interventions, programs, and
  personnel
• Report of evaluation results to constituencies
• School Board
• School Administration
• School Community/Teachers
• Parents
• Students
• Use of evaluation results in decision-making

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Accountability Purposes

• Builds understanding and support
• Documents the value of the program to consumers
• Generates data for better planning
• Lets people know about your successes!

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Who Needs to Know About Your Successes?
Administrators School Boards Parents Teachers Coll
eagues Students Community Members
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Accountability Measures

• Activities and time spent
• Students served
• Stakeholder surveys
• Teachers
• Parents
• Students
• Administrators
• Performance Evaluations
• Student Outcomes
• Cost-benefit analysis

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The ASCA National Model Accountability System

• Yearly Results Reports, including quantitative
  data on student change, are shared with all
  stakeholders.
• School Counselor Performance Standards are used
  in constructing job descriptions and in annual
  performance evaluations.
• A Periodic Program Audit is used to ensure that
  the SC program is targeted at the right goals and
  implementing interventions effectively.

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The ASCA National Model Accountability Forms

• Sample Yearly Results Reports from ASCA National
  Model Workbook
• Closing the Gap Results Report
• HS Curriculum Results Report
• Results Report Impact Over Time

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Yearly Results Reports

• Example Trish Hatch, Annual Report to School
  Board Moreno Valley Unified School District
  School Counseling Program

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Comprehensive School Counseling Program
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Comprehensive School Counseling Program
Lori Holland, Secondary Counselor on Assignment
Patty Rucker, Elementary Counselor Faye Arco,
Middle School Counselor Anthony Lopez, High
School Counselor Vanessa Gomez, Student
Assistance Program
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Comprehensive School Counseling ProgramASCA
National Standards
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Academic Development

• Guidance Curriculum
• Developing Academic 4/6 year Plans (VITA)
• Promotion/Retention Criteria
• Organization, Study and Test- Taking Skills
• Registration, College and High School Graduation
  Requirements
• Post-High School Options
• Transition into the Real World
• 2. Intentional Guidance
• Individual and Group Counseling
• 3. Monitoring Student Progress

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Career Development

• Guidance Curriculum
• Career Exploration
• Transition to the Real World
• Parent Workshops
• 2. Intentional Guidance
• Career Interest Inventories
• Financial Aid Workshops
• 3. Other Support
• Career Day
• Career Center
• Bilingual Financial Aid Workshops

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Personal/ Social Development

• Guidance Lessons
• Violence Prevention
• Social Issues
• Intentional Guidance
• Individual and Group Counseling
• Conflict and Peer Mediation
• Crisis Intervention Counseling
• Parent Support
• Student Assistance Program
• Prevention and Intervention Activities
• Insight and Support Groups

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Overall Program Goal

• Promoting Academic Achievement
• For Every Student

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Tonights Presentation

• Sample Results

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Academic Results Goal Setting (K-5)

• After classroom guidance lessons pre-post
  tests indicated
• student knowledge of goal setting increased from
  10 to 98
• 90 achieved their identified goal

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Academic Interventions Problem Solving (K-5)

• PROBLEM
• Monthly After-School detentions increased
  from
• 65 to 120 students
• Counselor determined reasons for detentions
• 66 Missing Assignments
• 34 Inappropriate Behavior
• SOLUTION
• Established a Homework Club and multiple
• after-school tutoring classes

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Personal/Social ResultsConflict 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 percentage of suspended students was
  reduced from 13 to 3 over the period of 3
  years

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Academic Results Education (6-8)

• The number of students who could evaluate
  transcripts, identify promotion retention
  criteria, and apply study skills increased from
• 55 to 98 (6th graders)
• 52 to 92 (7th graders)
• 38 to 98 (8th graders)

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Academic Results Interventions (6-8)

• After Academic Counseling Groups
• 37 of 6th graders (64)
• 24 of 7th graders (47)
• 72 of 8th graders (46)
• 157 Students Demonstrated
• GPA Improvement!

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Academic ResultsIntervention (6-8)

• Counselors met with identified students either
  individually, in groups, or in SST to analyze
  grades, map outcome goals, and teach skills
  necessary to avoid retention.

72 Students Avoided Retention
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Academic Results Knowledge Gained inTest-Taking
Strategies
Total of 442 6th Graders
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Academic Results Test-Taking (6-8)

• Number of students demonstrating knowledge of
  test-taking strategies increased from 13 to 63
• Number of 6th graders completing the
• SAT 9 test increased from 40 to 96

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Career DevelopmentResults (6-8)

• At one site, the number of students who could
  demonstrate career knowledge increased from 24
  to 79
• At another, the number of students setting a
  career goal increased from 45 to 100

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Personal/Social ResultsConflict Resolution (6-8)

• At one site the number of students resolving
  conflicts with the help of peer mediators
  increased from 0 to 346
• At another site, the number who took advantage of
  peer mediation increased from 47 to 149

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Academic Results (9-12)
Goal Each ninth grader has a 4-year plan on file.
Over 90 of the ninth graders had a 4-year plan
on file in the counseling office by June of 2001.
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Moreno Valley High School ELL Population Growth
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Moreno Valley High School ELL Academic
Intervention Program

• 1991/1994 No Bilingual Counselors
• 1995 One Bilingual Counselor
• Parent Conferences
• 1997 Two Bilingual Counselors
• Parent Conferences
• Parent Workshops
• 1999/2001 Three Bilingual Counselors

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Improved Programs and Services

• Started the Saturday Program with Field Work
  Students
• Started the UCR Student Mentor Program
• Started the 60 Day Recovery Program
• Increased Parent Conferences and Workshops
• Increased Home Visitations
• Increased Group Support
• Increased Guidance Lessons for ELL students
• Increased Parent Phone Contacts
• Utilized Parent Volunteers

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Closing the Gap MVHS GPA vs. ELL GPA
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Career DevelopmentCanyon Springs High School

• In the last three years the number of students
  visiting the career center has increased from
  30 to over 200 students per day.
• Parent attendance at evening guidance events has
  increased from 150 to 500 parents
• Scholarship dollars for students increased from
  857,000 to 950, 000
• Finally, graduation rates have improved from
• 84 to 89

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Getting Help

• 48 Insight Groups (6-10 students per group)
• Alcohol and Other Drug Use
• Anger Management
• Behavior Management
• 388 Referrals to Outside Agencies
• Department of Mental Health (5150)
• Juvenile Justice System
• Mental Health Agencies and Services

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Change in Student Behavior as Measured by the
Number of Referrals and Suspensions at VVHS
Before, During, and After Involvement in SAP
Insight Group

• From September 2000 to May 2001

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Change in Chemical Useas a Result of SAP Insight
Groups
93 of the Students Chose Healthier Behaviors
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Violence Prevention Education

• 453 Time to Tell Guidance Lessons
  presented to students
• 11,525 Students Impacted
• 673 Staff Trained in recognizing the
• Early Warning Signsof violence

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Documented Changes in Student Behavior as a
Result of Guidance Lessons at March Mountain and
March Valley Schools
First Semester (Before lessons)
Second Semester (After lessons)

• Conflict Mediations 11
• Pre-Fights 11
• Fights 27

• Conflict Mediations 59
• Pre-Fights 12
• Fights 9

Number of fights reduced by 200
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Improvement in Attendance at Bayside as a Result
of Classroom Presentations and Attendance
Intervention
Positive Attendance
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Overall Program Improvement

• Aligning school counseling program with the ASCA
  National Standards and state content standards
• Setting measurable goals
• Implementing a consistent program district wide
• Collecting data about the results of the
  counseling program
• Using results for program improvement
• GOALS Removing barriers to learning and
  promoting academic success for every student

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School Counselors
Thank you for your support!
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Yearly Results Reports

• Counseling and Student Support Personnel
  Accountability Report
• Bob Tyra Jackie Allen, Los Angeles County
  Office of Education
• Standardized Annual Report Card
• Report categories based on market research
• Central support and production
• High Schools, Middle Schools and Elementary
  Schools