A Logical Model to Evaluate Guidance Activities Kathryn Leach and Brian Mathieson

Dr. Susan Whiston, Indiana Univ. “My vision for the future of school counseling is to determine what programs and activities are most beneficial to students and to have school counselors implement these empirically supported interventions on a daily basis.” Dr. Susan Whiston, Indiana Univ.

Dr. David Berliner, Arizona State “You have to have at least some of what you do related to outcomes.” Dr. David Berliner, Arizona State “You can’t have a concept of effectiveness if you don’t have a concept of outcomes.” (Berliner, 01/15/2003)

Logic Model Description of what a program is expected to achieve and how it is expected to work Or, in other words, it is a map linking together a project’s goals, activities, services, and assumptions

Logic Model Develops understanding Helps monitor progress Serves as an evaluation framework Helps expose assumptions Helps restrain over promising Promotes communications

What is program evaluation? The process of systematically determining the quality of a program and how the program can be improved

Evaluation is critical because it tells us . . . What works What doesn’t work What to improve How to improve it

Collecting Data Use existing data whenever possible!

Writing Measurable Goals Make a list of negative behaviors and concerns Create statements that are the opposite (replacement behaviors) Connect the statements with observable, positive behaviors

Evaluation is: Systematic and open Recorded and traceable Clearly and accurately communicated Reported in writing Shared and available

Why is the School Counseling Program Being Evaluated? Is the evaluation being conducted for your own reasons, or are you responding to a request from someone else? Who will see and/or use the evaluation results? What will you and/or the others do with the results? What decisions will be based on the results?

“School counselors do not have to be skilled statisticians “School counselors do not have to be skilled statisticians . . . Simple percentages . . . create powerful pictures. . .” - ASCA National Model for School Counseling Programs, Bowers and Hatch (2003) Validity - Whether the instrument or methods hits the target in providing you with the information you need Reliability - Whether the instrument or method is giving a you a suitable reading