Accountability Made Easy: Ensuring Effective Practices in Career Development

Virginia Career VIEWFall 2014 Workshop

Discussion in Groups:Where are we now?

• Has your school system implemented any accountability measures for school counselors?

• What do you know already know about accountability measures for school counselors?

• What would you like to know about accountability measures?

• What are your questions or concerns?

A breakdown of accountability

• ASCA’s National Model

• What are the components of RAMP (Recognized ASCA Model Program?

• How RAMP came to be: Study 1

• Virginia Counselors: Study 2

• What are the requirements to be RAMP-Ready?

• Using VIEW Resources as part of the process

• RAMP-Ready Strategies

• Group Activity

• Discussion

As we will refer to it in this workshop session

Why Accountability?How are students different because of what school counselors do?

RAMP= Recognized ASCA Model Program

• Is based on the ASCA National Model.

• Is a recognition program for individual schools, not districts or school counselors.

• Gives you the confidence that your program aligns with a nationally accepted and recognized model.

• Helps you evaluate your program and areas for improvement.

• Increases your skills and knowledge.

• Enhances your program's efforts to contribute to student success.

What does it mean to be RAMP Ready?

ASCA (2014) http://www.ascanationalmodel.org/learn-about-ramp. Accessed 9 September 2014.

What is your confidence level in becoming RAMP-Ready?

1 not at all confident

2 somewhat confident

3 very confident

Why Accountability?

• How are schools different as a result of a comprehensive school counseling program?

• Research Methodology• Elementary schools

• 2003-2008

• Student achievement data and counselor survey administered

• Survey: examined school counselors’ perceptions of changes in student achievement (grades, retention rates, behavior, motivation, etc.)

Ward, C. A. (2010) RAMP and Student Achievement. http://www.schoolcounselor.org/magazine/blogs/july-august-2010/ramp-and-student-achievement. Accessed 9 September 2014.

Why Accountability?• Research Results

• Student Achievement -

• Significantly higher

• Overall student achievement

• Attendance rates

• Third-grade reading achievement

• Third-grade, low-income student reading achievement

• Reading achievement gap decreased by 12% (from year prior to receiving RAMP designation)

• State reading achievement gaps increased 6%

• RAMP schools’ math achievement scores higher (not significant)

Ward, C. A. (2010) RAMP and Student Achievement. http://www.schoolcounselor.org/magazine/blogs/july-august-2010/ramp-and-student-achievement. Accessed 9 September 2014.

Why Accountability?• Counselor Survey

• Positively affected student performance on classwork, homework, GPA and motivation to succeed

• Positively affected disciplinary referral rates, absences and tardies, parent involvement and support

• Changes in ways that cannot be measured with achievement data

• Increase in:

• Students’ abilities to understand and manage feelings

• Number of individuals benefiting from counseling services

• Students’ conflict-resolution skills

• Students’ studying/test-taking skills

• Students’ abilities to accept individual responsibility

• Students’ knowledge of career and post-secondary education opportunities

• Improvement in school climate

• Decrease in students’ bullying behavior

Ward, C. A. (2010) RAMP and Student Achievement. http://www.schoolcounselor.org/magazine/blogs/july-august-2010/ramp-and-student-achievement. Accessed 9 September 2014.

More recent research• Study conducted in 2012, Dr. Michele Seibert

• Survey sent to 1178 elementary school counselors in Virginia via email

• 387 responders met criteria for the study (full or part-time elem. counselor in 2010-2011)

• 1/3 of elementary school counselors in Virginia represented in the study

• What Activities are being used by Counselors with the Highest Self Efficacy?

Used online career exploration programs

Informed parents of career development school counseling standards

Informed teachers of ways to incorporate career development into the classroom (Seibert, 2013)

• Top 3 Career Activities conducted by counselors indicating “all standards were met”

• K-3: classroom career exploration (101), using print materials (98), completed online career exploration programs (82)

• 4-5: classroom career exploration (106), using print materials (99), completed online career exploration programs (89)

• Classroom career exploration (90.59%), using print materials (84.21%), completed online career exploration programs (66.76%)

Seibert, M.G. (2013). The impact of elementary career development practices and elementary school counselor self-efficacy (Doctoral dissertation, Virginia Tech). Retrieved via email communication.

More recent research cont’d• Implications

• Approximately 30% of Virginia elementary school counselors may not actively pursue the goal to meet career development standards.

• School counselors may not be held accountable for meeting state standards for career development (affecting transition to the middle school)

• Assists counselor educators to prepare students to meet the state and national standards in particular for career development at the elementary level.

Seibert, M.G. (2013). The impact of elementary career development practices and elementary school counselor self-efficacy (Doctoral dissertation, Virginia Tech). Retrieved via email communication.

Your Program:

• Has measurable goals that tie into the school’s goals

• Has administrator support

• Has an advisory council dedicated solely to the school counseling program that includes all the stakeholders

• Has annual and weekly calendars that reflect the suggested use of school counselor time

Your School Counselors:

• Create a yearly classroom guidance action plan and regularly deliver classroom guidance

lessons tied into program goals

• Regularly deliver small-group lessons based on students’ and the school’s specific needs

• Regularly collect process, perception and results data on all areas of the program

• Analyze and evaluate the data to guide the program

• Identify achievement and learning gaps and develop interventions to address the gaps

• Regularly evaluate and reflect on the program and how leadership, advocacy and

collaboration efforts have an impact on

systemic change in your school and district

What are the requirements to be RAMP Ready?

RAMP Application Components

• Vision

• Mission

• Program Goals

• Student Standards

• Annual Agreement

• Advisory Council

• Calendars

• Core Curriculum: Action Plan and Lessons

• Core Curriculum: Results Report

• Small Group Responsive Services

• Closing-the-Gap Results Report

• Program Evaluation Reflection

How VIEW resources can help you reach your RAMP-Ready goals

To learn more, visit http://www.ascanationalmodel.org/learn-about-ramp/application-process

Parent/Family Barriers

Teacher/Instructional Barriers

Parent/Teacher Interaction Barriers

Student Barriers

School/Educational System Barriers

Perceived Resources for School Success Barriers

Internal: beliefs students and

parents have about school or

community Student self-efficacy, previous

student experiences, parent

school experiences, parents

feeling welcome/unwelcome in

the school External: socio economic status,

immigrant/minority status, language

Internal vs. External

Barriers to Career Development

To learn more, check out VIEW’s Barriers Toolkit

RAMP-Ready Strategies

• Be intentional

• Think long-term

• Be patient

• Take ownership

• Follow through and follow up

• Collect and use your resources

• Be confident

VIEW Resources

• Career development standards checklist; available in print and PDF form for easy entry

• Postcards to document resources shared with teachers and to request feedback

• Student feedback forms• Student perceptions of resources (elementary and middle versions)• Motivation – pre/post survey via MUSIC Model of Academic

Motivation Inventory

• Strategic Resource Booklet

Group Activity

1. Go to http://www.schoolcounselor.org/.

2. Click on the ASCA National Model/RAMP link on the left side of your screen.

3. Click on the Learn About RAMP tab.

4. Click on RAMP Resources on the left side of your screen.

5. Click on Examples of Outstanding RAMP applications.

6. Working with a partner, choose 2 schools to further explore. Consider:

• How is each school similar to and different from your school regarding barriers and makeup?

• What were the strengths of each application?

• What do you think could have been improved in their application?

• Summarize: What are your “takeaways”?

What is your confidence level in becoming RAMP-Ready?

1 not at all confident

2 somewhat confident

3 very confident

Questions to consider

• What is a feasible timeline?

• Why is this important to your school?

• Why is this important to your students?

• Why is this important to you?

• What are your biggest challenges?

Getting a running start

RAMP-Ready Strategies

• Be intentional

• Think long-term

• Be patient

• Take ownership

• Follow through and follow up

• Collect and use your resources

• Be confident

Emily Fielderfieldere@vt.edu