Lighting the Way: RI, WI & CA Ignite School Counseling Accountability Barbara Crudale, Bob Tyra, Steve Schneider & Belinda Wilkerson ASCA National Conference Atlanta 2008

Support Personnel Accountability Report Card A continuous improvement document developed by the California Department of Education and Los Angeles County Office of Education

3 Is This Familiar?

4 “The World is Flat” You can share 10 essential factors about your school counseling program and student support team via the Internet.

5 SPARC Categories  Principal’s Comments  Student Support Team Personnel  School Climate/Safety  Student Results  Community Partnerships/Resources  Measurements  Volunteer Involvement  Focus for Improvement  Keeping You Informed  Major Achievements

Five Key Components of SPARC  Principal’s Comments  Student Support Team Personnel  School Climate/Safety  Student Results  Community Partnerships/Resources

7 Principal’s Comments Key Question: To what extent does the administration support the implementation of a comprehensive, results-based student support program?

8 Principal’s Comments  Statement of support for implementation of the ASCA National Standards for School Counseling Programs  Emphasis on the vital role of the student support personnel team in academic success and school safety ASCA Model Applications Management Agreements (Page 46)

9 Student Support Personnel Team Key Question: To what extent do the members of your counseling and student support team provide a coordinated support network for students?

10 Student Support Personnel Team  Represent the inclusive nature of the student support personnel team  Profiles highlighting the education, experience, and qualifications of the student support personnel team  Role of school counselors in the design, coordination, implementation and evaluation of the student support system ASCA Model Applications Delivery System (Page 39) Mission/Beliefs (Page 27) Use of Time (Page 55)

11 School Climate and Safety Key Question: To what extent is the school safer and a more conducive place to learn as a result of your counseling and student support program?

12 School Climate and Safety  Lead paragraph on relationship of student support system to overall climate and safety  Graphic representations of school climate and safety data (minimum of two)  Written explanation of each graphic representation ASCA Model Applications Delivery System (Page 39)

13 Student Results Key Question: What data can you provide to show how students are different as a result of your counseling and student support program?

14 Student Results  Lead paragraph on importance of student results and relationship to National Standards  Graphic representations of data (minimum of three)  Written explanation of each graphic representation ASCA Model Applications Use of Data (Page 49) Action Plans (Page 53) Results Reports (Page 59)

Data Collection Rhode Island: School Accountability for Learning & Teaching (SALT) surveys from parents, teachers, students Center for School Counseling Outcomes Research (CSCOR), UMASS Wisconsin: Wisconsin Information Network for Successful Schools Wisconsin Information Network for Successful Schools which contains data collected by the state for each school. 15

16 Community Partnerships/Resources Key Question: Who are your community partners and resources, and how do they work with you to help students in the areas of academic, career, and personal/social development?

17 Community Partnerships/Resources  Lead paragraph on the importance of partnerships and how your program works with them  Listing of partnerships/resources by domain (academic, career, and personal/social) ASCA Model Applications System Support (Page 43)

Five Additional SPARC Components  Major Achievements  Measurements  Volunteer Involvement  Focus for Improvement  Keeping You Informed

19 Major Achievements Key Question: What activities, programs, or modifications has your counseling and student support program implemented that made a positive difference at your school?

20 Major Achievements  Describe how the student support system is related to the achievement being cited  Report on last year’s Focus for Improvement items (2 nd year SPARC) ASCA Model Applications System Support (Page 43) Use of Data (Page 49) Results Reports (Page 59)

21 Measurements Key Question: To what extent does your counseling and student support program use assessment instruments to help students or modify programs?

22 Measurements  Explanation of each measurement administered  Explanation of how reviews of surveys, assessments, and evaluation data are incorporated into management and responsiveness of program ASCA Model Applications Use of Data (Page 49)

Collaborative Goal Setting Become part of (or create) a building data review committee Use data to identify the achievement gaps Seek agreement from administration that any new goals fit with the building action plan Join the school improvement team Present student results to the local school board/committee Work with the Parent – Teacher Association 23

24 Volunteer Involvement Key Question: How are volunteers involved in your counseling and student support program?

25 Volunteer Involvement  Minimum of two volunteer activities directly related to student support service  Invitation to families to become more involved with your student support system  Contact name with phone number and of person to contact about becoming involved ASCA Model Applications Advisory Council (Page 47)

26 Focus for Improvement Key Question: What are the primary objectives your counseling and student support program plans to accomplish within the next year?

27 Focus for Improvement  Lead paragraph on commitment to improvement and link to school improvement plan  Identification of needs from surveys, assessments, community feedback, an evaluation data  Prioritization of areas of improvement ASCA Model Applications Use of Data (Page 49) Advisory Council (Page 47) Program Audit (Page 65) Results Reports (Page 59)

28 Keeping You Informed Key Question: What languages and media (print, electronic, etc.) are used to keep your school community informed about the counseling and student support program?

29 Keeping You Informed  A variety of methods your school has to keep the school community informed  Efforts to provide material in the primary language(s) of your students’ families  Sharing information with faculty, administration, and the local school committee ASCA Model Applications Calendars (Page 57) Individual Student Planning (Page 41) Responsive Services (Page 42)

Moving School Counseling Programs Forward CA: SPARCs delivered to the governor in support of school counseling legislation RI: SPARCri submitted to RI Department of Education Annual Commissioner’s Review 30

31 Keeping School Counseling Programs Current in Wisconsin The SPARC-W is a dynamic document that can change from year to year The Wisconsin School Counselor Assoc. maintains the scoring rubric, and annually determines what, if any, new components are added. Wisconsin is one of 6 states that is a 21 st Century Skills Partner. We are discussing adding a 21 st Century Skills “bonus” to the scoring rubric. School counseling programs that complete the SPARC-W process can be confident that they have included data that will resonate with other leaders in education in the state

32 SPARC Contacts Bob Tyra, Project Director, Los Angeles County Office of Education Barbara Crudale, Immediate Past President, RISCA Steve Schneider, President, WISCA Belinda Wilkerson, Past President, RISCA

Resources Los Angeles County of Education RI Department of Education – Infoworks SALT Reports National Center on Public Education and Social Policy

34 Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced. James A. Baldwin