Assessment

The chapter on assessment in education was very interesting due to the push of various assessments being administered to look at the students’ progress.  There are many reasons why schools use assessment such as kindergarten readiness, determination of whether or not a student has mastered a skill, placement, and identifying students with special needs.  Throughout this process, there are many people involved and it is important that everyone plays a role in the students’ education.  Next, it was noted the importance of the steps that should be followed in designing an assessment program.  First and foremost, it is vital that the goals and purposes be identified.  There has to be a reason and rationale behind the assessment or it will not be taken seriously.  Then, the information that is needed needs to be identified along with the instruments that will used to gain this powerful insight.  There are a variety of tests and you want to ensure that you are giving the appropriate test in order to receive the information you are looking for.  Next, you need to ensure that all staff members are properly trained and aware of their responsibilities in this program.  Finally, one of the most important steps is that the program is continuously monitored so that you are able to determine the effectiveness.  As a school counselor, you are required to present evidence of the success that comes out of the program and should be reviewing components regularly.

            The next important section that that stood out to me was the competencies for school counselors.  It makes me wonder how counselors are held accountable for these competencies.  When reviewing the areas that a counselor should be aware of, I question how knowledgeable the counselors are in my district due to assessment being a limited role they play.  The school psychologists are the ones that administer the various assessments and discuss the results.  I feel that as teachers we analyze data all the time and determine what we need to do next.  As practicum is right around the corner, I am interested to see the difference of the classroom compared to the counselor’s world.  After taking program development as well as this class, there have been many questions that I am curious about in terms of what happens within my district and what I will have to do as a future counselor.  In conclusion, there has been more of a focus on assessment and we need to be conscious when looking at data that will be presented to us and determine what the next steps are.  It is very important that everyone plays a vital role in a child’s education and as a school counselor we can advocate for that to ensure success.

Drummond, R. J. and Jones, K. (2010). Assessment procedures for counselors and helping professionals. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc.