Accountability: a M.E.A.S.U.R.E of the impact school counselors have on student achievement

Professional School Counseling, Feb, 2003 by Carol A. Dahir, Carolyn B. Stone

WHY USE DATA?

Data inform and challenge our thinking to determine the need for systemic change, confirm progress, and reveal shortcomings in student performance. Closely examining critical data elements in the areas of attendance; socio-economic impact on class enrollment, graduation and postsecondary planning rates; and standardized testing results as examples not only identifies the needs of students but also the school/system-wide issues that impact success.

By using data, school counselors also can present a picture of the current situation of student needs and issues and examine the practices that can lead to higher levels of success.

Disaggregating data, that is separating out the data by variables such as ethnicity, gender, socio-economic status, or teacher assignment, is very important in the analysis of student performance. The disaggregation of data makes it possible to determine how policy and practices affect issues of equity, enabling all school counselors to work closely with building administrators and faculty to close the achievement gap. School counselors who focus their efforts on moving data in a positive direction demonstrate a strong commitment to sharing the responsibility and accountability for student outcomes.

Every high school collects data on each year's graduating class. As shown in the table above, when the data is disaggregated by ethnicity it clearly depicts limitations of student opportunity after high school. What contributed to this over time? How do you, the school counselor, want this picture to look next year, and in subsequent years? How can your intentional and focused efforts measure the results of a concerted effort to contribute toward positively improving, these results?

A M.E.A.S.U.R.E. FOR SUCCESS

Accountability requires us to show that school counselors collaborate with faculty to positively influence student achievement. M.E.A.S.U.R.E. is an acronym to help you remember:

Mission

Elements

Analysis

Stakeholders

Unite to Strategize

Reanalyze

Educate

M.E.A.S.U.R.E. is a seven-step accountability process that requires school counselors to collaborate and team with administrators and faculty to identify and positively impact the critical data elements that are the important barometers of student success (Stone & Dahir, in press). M.E.A.S.U.R.E. supports the accountability component of the ASCA National Model (2003) by helping school counselors move from a "counting tasks" system to aligning the school counseling program with standards-based reform. School counselors demonstrate how they too are accountable for results and contribute to student achievement.

Step One: Mission--Connect to the Mission of School

Student success in rigorous academics is at the heart of every school's mission statement. The first step is the alignment of the school counseling program to the mission of the school and to the annual goals of the school improvement plan. By connecting what they do with school improvement, school counselors are focused on helping every student graduate high school fully prepared to participate in the 21st century society and economy. School counselors can now move from the periphery of school improvement to holding a key position on the principal's site-based leadership team.