Monroe Clark Middle School

Monroe Clark Middle School

School Counseling ProgramIntentional Guidance

7th & 8th Grade Study Skills Eberheart and Zañartu (2011)

Monroe Clark School Counseling Mission

The Mission of Monroe Clark Middle School’s Counseling Program is to provide all students with the opportunity to acquire the attitude, knowledge, and skills for academic, career, and personal/social development in a safe and supportive environment. The comprehensive school counseling program will educate and empower a collaborative community of learners to achieve academic success and develop life skills to become life-long learners, creative thinkers, and responsible community members in a diverse, changing world.

Eberheart and Zañartu (2011)

2010-2011 Guidance Curriculum Plan 6th Grade 7th Grade 8th Grade

1) Study Skills(Academic, Personal/Social)

1) Value of Education(Academic, Personal/Social, Career)

1) Goal Setting (CAC)(Academic, Career, Personal/Social)

2) Bullying & Cyber-Bullying(Academic, Personal/Social)

2) Ask for Help, Youth Suicide Prevention Program

(Personal/Social)

2) A-G Requirements & College Avenue Compact Benchmarks

(CAC)(Academic, Career, Personal/Social)

3) Respect & Sexual Harrassment( Personal/Social)

3) Goal Setting & College Avenue Compact Benchmarks (CAC)(Academic, Career, Personal/Social)

3) College Knowledge (CAC)(Academic, Career, Personal/Social)

4) Conflict Resolution(Academic, Personal/Social)

4) Career Key/Naviance (CAC) (Academic, Personal/Social, Career)

4) Conflict Resolution(Academic, Personal/Social)

5) Part II: Study Skills( Academic, Personal/Social)

5) Roadway to Success: Post Secondary Options (CAC)

(Academic, Career, Personal/Social)

5) My Dream/Naviance (CAC)(Academic, Personal/Social, Career)

6) Introduction to College Avenue Compact (CAC)


6) Transition to become a successful 8th Grader


6) Transition to High School (CAC)



Delivery of Counseling Services


Target Group

All 7th and 8th grade students in danger of failing


Target Group selected on basis of following data:

Students with a GPA below 2.0 on first progress report.


Why Intervene? Research says… College Board identified Academic Preparation as one of the four

key pieces for first generation students to succeed in postsecondary education.

Lee and Wiley, (2008)

“After learning study skills, students are able to ask questions they need answered instead of sitting mute in the back row.”

Bafile, C. (2007) National Education Association

“When students are taught learning to learn (study skills) they gain a deeper understanding of content and are more empowered to take risks in learning.”

Darnell, B (1999) Association for Standards and Curriculum development


The American School Counselor Association National Model

Academic Development

Career Development

Personal/Social

ASCA National Standards for Students(Student Competencies

& Indicators)


ASCA National Standards

Academic Standard A

Students will acquire the attitudes, knowledge, and skills that contribute to

effective learning in school and across the life span.


Personal/Social Standard AStudents will acquire the attitudes

knowledge and interpersonal skills to help them understand and respect self

and others

Student Competencies

A:A1 Improve Academic Self-ConceptA:A2 Acquire Skills for Improving LearningA:A3 Achieve School SuccessA:B2 Plan to Achieve GoalsPS:A2 Acquire interpersonal skills


What we DO we know?

6th Grade 7th Grade 8th Grade0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

66

102

144

Students are Failing at Dangerous levels

Below a 2.0 Fall 2010 Progress Report 1


6th Graders: 359 7th Graders: 390 8th Graders: 380

• 20% reduction in the number of students

academically at risk (below a 2.0 GPA)

• 25% reduction in the number of full day

unexcused absences (3 or more)

• 25% reduction in recidivism (repeat

offenders) for behavior Eberheart and Zañartu (2011)

Academic Target Group:Students academically at risk (below 2.0 GPA)

• Intervention:– Query and disaggregate data – Pre-conference survey, Post-conference survey, Student agreement– Group Counseling (Study Skills & Motivation)

• Implement individualized intervention plan:– Individual meetings with School Counselor– Parent/Teacher conference– Home visit– Referral to Mental Health Provider (Providence/SAY)– SST Referral– Mentoring program (TKF)– Weekly Progress Report



Collecting Data by Need

DATA: First Progress Report (October 2010) all students

# of

Students Below 2.0

# of Students with 3 full day

unexcused absences

# of students with 3

behavioral referrals

6th Grade

66 21 8

7th Grade

102 57 25

8th Grade

144 58 25


15 Students have problems in all 3 Areas (School Wide)

How many Students were placed in counseling groups?

6th - 547th - 38 8th - 46


Students below 2.0 GPA at Progress Report 10

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

6

7

8

Types of Groups by Counselor


Counselor A (on going)

Counselor B Counselor C Counselor D Counselor E/F

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

Study Skills (9)Motivation (5)

What Did the School Counselors Do?8 weekly group sessions: one period per day on rotating basis

Study Skills– Organization skills– Homework

completion strategies– Note taking– Using an Academic

Planner– Responding to results– Test Taking Strategies

Motivation– Reality Ride– Tearing off Labels– Defense Mechanisms– Peer Pressure – Problem Solving– Resilience Buidling


The Process• Pre-screened students • Sent letter home to parents• Cooperated with teachers to create schedules– Created letter to be sent to participating teachers

• Created Hall Passes for students• Developed group curriculum and weekly lessons– Using materials from Avid, College Board, Channing-

Bete workbooks and the Why Try program • Delivery of motivation and study skills groups


RESULTS


Results Sample

Counselor E/FStudy Skills

16 students chosen7th and 8th graders


Knowledge of the steps to staying “OnTRAC”*


*Think, Record, Act, Check

Knowledge of OnTRAC0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

12%

88%

Pre-testPost-Test

Data for Counselor EF

Believe filling out an agenda everyday is important (students who strongly agree)

Series10%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

25%

56%Pre-TestPost-Test

That’s a 125% In-crease!!!

Eberheart and Zañartu (2011) Data for Counselor EF

Skill: Students who could demonstrate a S.M.A.R.T. Goal

Series10%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

12%

63%

Pre-Test

Post-Test



Our Goal….

• Students will get the extra support they need to succeed academically

• Increased GPA between progress report 1 and progress report 2 – More students above 2.0 GPA

• Increase in students qualifying for “Promotion” to high school (8th graders)


Results – GPA Improvement

56% of the targeted students earned a 2.0 or better GPA from Progress

Report 1 to Progress Report 2.

88% of targeted students increased GPA

Including one student who increased from 0.5 to 2.66!!! (HUGE increase!!!)


Average Change in GPA from Progress Report 1 – Progress

Report 2

Series10

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

1.3

2.1

Fall Grades 2010

PR 1 Spring 2011

PR 2 Spring 2011 (July Projected)

That’s an aver-age of 0.6 point increase!


TBA


Average GPA Change by Counselor


Counselor A

Counselor B

Counselor C

Counselor D

Counselor E/F

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

1.5

0.92 11.4 1.3

2.6

1.81.9 1.9 2

Fall Grades 2010

PR 1 Spring 2011


TBA TBATBA

TBA

TBA

GPA Change by Group


Counselor A Counselor B Counselor C Counselor D Counselor EF

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

1.5 1.4 1.4 1.3

2.62.3

2.09 2.1

1.5

0.93

0.5

1.39

2.4

1.86

1.44

1.93

SS Pre

SS Post

Motiv. Pre

Motiv. Post

Average Change in GPA


Students Served by School Counselors

Students refered to other services

All Students0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

1.151.39

2.47

1.751.93

2.72

Fall Grades 2010

PR 1 Spring 2011


TBA

TBATBA

50% Increase

30% Increase

10% Increase

In Summary…

• Students are learning and retaining attitudes knowledge and skills with structured content lessons.

• Rotating class periods created minimal distraction from teachers.

• Students did improve overall!!!


Limitations

–Not all students attended each week due to fieldtrips, unexpected fire drills and assemblies– Time limitations restricted content delivery

(e.g. starting group 10-15 min late)–Room changes created some confusion with

staff and students–Professional development needed to enhance

program integrity of Why Try?


Recommendations and Next Steps

• Implement additional group counseling to students not placed in counseling groups but still “at-risk.”

• Follow up with students and teachers about how to link this to improvements in behavior and grades

• Transfer knowledge to future guidance lessons• Share final results data with ALL stakeholders


Thank you!

• Teachers who participated and supported• Administration for consultation and support of

the program• Working together we are succeeding!


The school counseling program is contributing in a meaningful way to

the academic achievement of all students.

Thank you to all teachers and the leadership team for your support of the

school counseling program.


The End


Documents

Monroe Clark Middle School