Accountability in School Counseling Brittanie Mosbaugh CPSY 685 Fall 2012

History of Accountability Completeness of guidance program Measured by number of guidance lessons given, time for each activity, and consistency of organization of guidance program 1930s Myers & Edgerton developed standards for guidance programs Proctor developed scorecard to assess effectiveness of guidance program (later the program audit) Gysbers, 2004 1940s & 1950s Focus on how counselors are trained to evaluate effectiveness National Defense Education Act (NDEA) passed in 1958 1960s Guidance programs held accountable for outcomes because schools are more accountable for student outcomes 1970s Focus on goals, objectives, plans, & evaluations for guidance Number of programs countrywide in place to help guidance programs implement & develop guidance programs

History of Accountability Given budget cuts, accountability grew in importance – focus on program evaluation 55% of 239 school counselor respondents reported collecting accountability data Those who did not reported not knowing how to measure it or not having time to do it 1990s & 2000s Trend continued with focus on developing ways to evaluate programs Still heavy focus on accountability in school counseling programs Gysbers, 2004

History of Accountability 2001 No Child Left Behind (NCLB) passed that mandates states to address academic needs of all students to improve academics More funding is given to schools that can show effectiveness Gysbers, 2004 2010 A Blueprint for Reform: The Reauthorization of Elementary and Secondary Education Act passed that builds on NCLB Calls on educators to collect, aggregate, and disaggregate data to close achievement gaps

Accountability ASCA (2004) says that accountability answers the question “How are students different as a result of the program?” This does not allow counselors to count the number of students seen or activities done Counselors are required to collect data and use empirically supported interventions and programs to show HOW students are different

Accountability The National Institute of Mental Health: 1 in 10 children are diagnosed with a mental illness that causes impairment Fewer than 1 in 5 receive treatment Most common disorders: anxiety, oppositional-defiant, depression, and conduct Relationships with family and peers may suffer, students may become violent, and school work may suffer without intervention Cognitive-Behavior Therapy (CBT), systematic desensitization, modeling, and reinforced practice have been found to be effective in treating fear, anxiety, and phobias, as well as depression School counselors could use this with their students Brigman, 2006

Recognized ASCA Model Program (RAMP) Highlights importance of collecting, analyzing, integrating, and disseminating data RAMP award given to schools who demonstrate how their guidance program aligns with the ASCA National Model Once a RAMP school, counselors are required to review data and target a specific area to work on by creating three goals to help it match the mission and philosophy statement of the program Schools must also identify interventions that include outcome, process, and perception data

Barriers to Accountability Gatekeepers Systemic policies Aversion to change Lack of self-efficacy by school counselors in making data driven decisions Young & Kaffenberger, 2011

Suggestions to Overcome Barriers Use comprehensive school counseling programs to create goals for the program Combine scheduling of classes with college preparedness The earlier students are exposed to the idea of post-secondary education, the more empowered the students will be to take rigorous courses Identify students of need by looking at the achievement gap and provide services to those students Use graphs and charts to present outcome data to administrators and other stakeholders (Young & Kaffenberger, 2011)

Showing Accountability Use the ASCA National Model and ASCA National Standards as a foundation for a comprehensive school counseling program Create a foundation, delivery system, and management system and use data from all interventions to show accountability in a school counseling program Apply to be a RAMP school by submitting all documents and following up each year with goals and a plan to improve

References American School Counselor Association (2005). The ASCA national model: A framework for school counseling programs, second edition. Alexandria, VA: Author. Brigman, G. (2006). Research methods in school counseling: A summary for the practitioner. Professional School Counseling, 9(5), 421-424. Gysbers, N.C. (2004). Comprehensive guidance and counseling programs: The evolution of accountability. Professional School Counseling, 8(1), 1-14. Young, A., & Kaffenberger, C. (2011). The beliefs and practices of school counselors who use data to implement comprehensive school counseling programs. Professional School Counseling, 15(2), 67-76.