Week 11

            It seems very sad to me that, given the depth and breadth of issues in our world today, especially in the face of many recent tragedies, counselors need to defend their importance to a school district.  If anything, I believe that schools should have more counselors and mental health services in general.  However, the education budget crises in this state and many others unfortunately warrant such a defense, and solid data is the only way to do so.  This week’s article seems to be a helpful reference for tackling this task in the future.

            I understand the concerns behind reluctance to use data-collection methods to show accountability.  One of my biggest concerns would be the fact that administrators are reluctant to approve of data collection of students due to the belief that they are not reliable sources for obtaining information.  In my mind, this goes back to our discussions in class about the lack of self-awareness or inaccuracy of self-reporting.  Students also sometimes show bias in questionnaires or rating scales based on how much they personally like the teacher or counselor involved.  I think that, to more successfully conduct such research, collateral sources, especially parents and teachers, should very often be used.  Time is another huge factor.  I have thought for the past couple of years of conducting action-based research with my students. However, with being pulled in many different directions at once, having a constant flow of paperwork, and with working toward my Master’s degree, actually doing so has been difficult.  I have done action-based research on a small scale for my guided supervision goal.  Two colleagues and I have used data to show effectiveness of our after school Homework Club, although it is not nearly as comprehensive as I would like it to be.  To do so would take much more time than we can feasibly spare.

            Assessment measures must be carefully chosen, as discussed in the textbook.  In addition to the factors discussed, it seems like another factor in what assessment to utilize would be what is available in your school district, and what you are told to use for different reasons for assessment (i.e. our district uses the WISC-IV for all gifted testing).  One factor to consider, as the book discussed, is the format of the assessment. Assessment format is a very important factor, and not just for standardized assessments.  This goes back to my question to Matt last week about the Self-Directed Search.  Students with learning disabilities and with ADHD greatly benefit from larger font, chunked and well-organized material, and extra white space.  It helps them to organize and process information; otherwise, they will often give up out of frustration just because something looks difficult.  If they have to put more effort into processing and understanding an assessment tool than they are willing, they will be less likely to give accurate information, if they provide any information at all.

            Data may also not show any kind of effectiveness, although this could be due to a variety of factors.  In my experience, student motivation is a huge factor.  The example given in the article relates to study skills and a pre- and post-assessment in the form of a questionnaire.  I used to teach a study skills class, and getting students to want to learn and apply the skills was quite a challenge.  While it was helpful for students who truly wanted to improve their study and organizational habits, it did not make a lick of different for those who did not want to be there.  Just like in counseling, progress is difficult to make if the client does not want to make a change.  In my current experience with Homework Club data, the data overall does not show effectiveness of Homework Club; however, this is data based on students who attend fairly regularly, and if they did not attend, I would presume that their work completion rates and grades would be much lower than they are.  I believe that it helps them stay “afloat.” The data suggests that perhaps we should put more supports in place (i.e. run small groups during homework club that focus on specific study and organizational skills) but if not interpreted carefully and with other considerations in mind, it could be a reason to shut down homework club completely.

References

Drummond, R. J. and Jones, K. (2010). Assessment procedures for counselors             and helping professionals. (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Studer, J.R., Oberman, A.H., and Womack, R.H. (2006). Producing evidence to             show counseling effectiveness in the schools.  Professional School             Counseling, 9 (5).