Accountability in School Counseling Program
Accountability and the Use of Data in School Counseling and Educational Systems
Melissa Hattaway
Lamar University
CNDV 5330
Accountability and the Use of Data in School Counseling and Educational Systems
Over the years, literature has expressed the need for, and importance of, accountability for student outcomes in order to give school counselors valuable data to assess and improve goals (Dahir & Stone, 2009). The ASCA National Model also supports the importance for accountability by including it as one of the essential elements, which provide structure and framework for the school counselor and counseling program (ASCA, 2005). The element of accountability, under the ASCA National Model, includes results reports, school counselor performance evaluation, and the program audit (ASCA, 2005). Analyzing the data obtained through these efforts allows counselors to evaluate the effectiveness of the program (ASCA, 2005). The three types of data most widely used in a school counseling program are achievement data, attainment or access data, and school culture and climate data (Dollarhide & Saginak, 2012).
Types of Data
Achievement Data
Achievement data is gathered to mainly assess student performance and learning outcomes in the form of grades, performance, and standardized test scores (Dollarhide & Saginak, 2012). The ASCA National Model outlines a variety of methods that can be used in order to obtain this data. One method defined is the Results Report, which aligns with results data. The Results Report collects data is recorded and distributed to administrators, parents, and teachers in order to be disaggregated and reviewed in order to evaluate program effectiveness and areas that need improvement (Dollarhide & Saginak, 2012). The Results Report includes components such as grade level, lesson content area, curriculum and materials used, process data, short-term perception data, intermediate and long-term results
Melissa Hattaway
Lamar University
CNDV 5330
Accountability and the Use of Data in School Counseling and Educational Systems
Over the years, literature has expressed the need for, and importance of, accountability for student outcomes in order to give school counselors valuable data to assess and improve goals (Dahir & Stone, 2009). The ASCA National Model also supports the importance for accountability by including it as one of the essential elements, which provide structure and framework for the school counselor and counseling program (ASCA, 2005). The element of accountability, under the ASCA National Model, includes results reports, school counselor performance evaluation, and the program audit (ASCA, 2005). Analyzing the data obtained through these efforts allows counselors to evaluate the effectiveness of the program (ASCA, 2005). The three types of data most widely used in a school counseling program are achievement data, attainment or access data, and school culture and climate data (Dollarhide & Saginak, 2012).
Types of Data
Achievement Data
Achievement data is gathered to mainly assess student performance and learning outcomes in the form of grades, performance, and standardized test scores (Dollarhide & Saginak, 2012). The ASCA National Model outlines a variety of methods that can be used in order to obtain this data. One method defined is the Results Report, which aligns with results data. The Results Report collects data is recorded and distributed to administrators, parents, and teachers in order to be disaggregated and reviewed in order to evaluate program effectiveness and areas that need improvement (Dollarhide & Saginak, 2012). The Results Report includes components such as grade level, lesson content area, curriculum and materials used, process data, short-term perception data, intermediate and long-term results
References: American School Counselor Association (2005). The ASCA National Model: A framework for school counseling programs (2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: Author. Dahir, C., & Stone, C. (2009). School counselor accountability: The path to social justice and systemic change. Journal of Counseling & Development, 87, 12-20. Dollarhide, C.T. & Saginak, K.A. (2012). Comprehensive school counseling programs: K-12 delivery systems in action (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.