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MEASURE
Mission, Element, Analyze, Stakeholders-Unite, Results, Educate
A Six-Step Accountability Process for School Counselors
Name and Address of School:
Knollwood School, 333 Willow Avenue, Piscataway, NJ 08854
Principal: Patricia McFall
Name of Counselor(s) Leading the Initiative: Susan Manley, School Counselor
Enrollment: K-3, 472 students
School Demographics:
Caucasian/Non-Hispanic 140 (30%)
African American 144 (31%)
Hispanic 50 (11%)
Asian American/Pacific Islander 127 (27%)
Multiracial 1 (less then 1%)
Free/reduced lunch 43-free, 22-reduced (14%)
English as Second Language 12 (3%)
Exceptional Student Education/Special Education 59 (12.5%)
STEP ONE: MISSION
Mission
Connect your work to your school’s mission in keeping with the ASCA or your state’s comprehensive school counseling model.Your school or department’s mission statement is:
The mission of the Piscataway Public Schools is the continual development of each child’s intellectual, aesthetic, social, and physical abilities in a positive environment that fosters self-esteem. Students in Piscataway will be confident, productive members of a changing society.
The Knollwood School community consists of students, staff, families, and community members who strive to promote the intellectual, social, emotional, and physical development of each child to his or her highest potential in a safe and nurturing environment. Knollwood School is dedicated to creating a learning atmosphere, which fosters academic excellence, cooperation, and discovery. We celebrate diversity and the uniqueness of all individuals, encourage creativity and risk-taking, and instill responsibility and respect.
Knollwood Piscataway Strategic Action Goal: Piscataway Strategic Action Plan Goal 3: All students must achieve at the highest level of their ability.
STEP TWO: ELEMENT
Element
What critical data element are you trying to impact? (Examples include grades, test scores, attendance, promotion rates, graduation rates, postsecondary going rate, enrollment into honors or AP courses, special education, discipline referral data, and so on.)What is the baseline for the data element? Where do you hope to move it (goal)?
Element: 3rd grade homework completion
Baseline: 81% of the students in the third grade classes were completing homework every day
Goal: Increase the homework completion rates by 5%.
STEP THREE: ANALYZE
Analyze the Data ElementYou can use percentages, averages, raw scores, quartiles, or stanines. You can aggregate or disaggregate the data to better understand which students are meeting success. You can disaggregate by gender, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or in a multitude of ways to look at student groupings.
The disaggregated baseline data revealed:
Baseline January 2005
Measure of homework (HW) completion rate from week to week starting January 2 for five 3rd grade classes through May.
Class
/ Number in Class / Week # / % of HW CompletedTeacher 5 / 25 / 1 / 76%
Teacher 8 / 24 / 1 / 54%
Teacher 1 / 23 / 1 / 91%
Teacher 7 / 24 / 1 / 92%
Teacher 3 / 23 / 1 / 91%
Total / 81%
STEP FOUR: STAKEHOLDERS-UNITE
Beginning Date: January 2005 Ending Date: May 2005
Stakeholders
/ StrategiesSchool counselor(s) / § For each third grade class, created a “Homework Helper” MEASURE support period meeting weekly.
§ Facilitated group counseling, parent conferences, and additional class lessons to support homework completion.
§ Provided educational tools and strategies to students.
§ Communicated homework goals and strategies to parents.
§ Met with parents to provide management strategies as needed.
§ Allowed students to take part in counselor-sponsored weekly class reward (such as a snack, ice cream, or additional recess time).
§ Participated in Public Address announcements acknowledging classes achieving 100% homework.
§ Facilitated a Student Success Session to redirect student homework habits (recess time).
§ Solicited community members for token rewards.
Administrator / Supported class-wide reinforcements with announcements and class visits.
Teachers / § Monitored homework completion on a daily basis with a weekly report to counselor.
§ Continued to provide consequences for homework incompletes (such as recess detention, or a call home).
§ Displayed 100% banner.
§ Reinforced 100% achievement with counselor rewards.
Principal / Principal congratulations each class achieving 100%.
Students / § Participated in “Homework Helper” MEASURE group.
§ Practiced strategies (such as copy homework, complete homework, buddy-check, prepare and seek out necessary supplies, sign contract).
§ Called a buddy.
§ Checked Homework Hotline.
Parents / § Reinforced and implement strategies at home.
§ Parent volunteers made banners to support program.
§ Reinforced MEASURE goal with contract signature.
Community agency members / § Supported program with donations (student incentives).
Business partners / § Contributions to reinforce and reward student success (movie tickets, coupons, bowling privileges).
Resources (grants, technology, etc.) / § Created Homework Hotline.
§ Designed Web sites.
STEP FIVE: RESULTS
Did you meet your goal?
Restate baseline data: Results (data now): Met goal: Yes X No ____
Data After Action Plan May 2005
Class
/ Number in Class / Week # / % of HW CompletedTeacher 5 / 25 / 20 / 88%
Teacher 8 / 24 / 20 / 83%
Teacher 1 / 23 / 20 / 91%
Teacher 7 / 24 / 20 / 100%
Teacher 3 / 23 / 20 / 91%
Total / 96%
Overall Homework Completion (HW) increased from 81% to 96%.
Increase per Class
Class
/ Baseline % / After Action Plan %Teacher 5 / 76% / 88%
Teacher 8 / 54% / 83%
Teacher 1 / 91% / 91%
Teacher 7 / 92% / 100%
Teacher 3 / 91% / 91%
Total / 81% / 96%
2 classes maintained their % at 91%
1 class increased from 76% to 88%
1 class increased from 54% to 83%
1 class increased from 92% to 100%
Of the five grade three classes, 100% weekly homework completion was earned 8 times.
Decrease in students turning in incomplete homework or not turning in homework:
23 students missed assignments in week 1
11 students missed assignments in week 20
Questions to consider as you examine results and revise your MEASURE:
Which strategies had a positive impact on the data?
All strategies worked interdependently. Students were especially engaged by community donations, wall banners, and public announcements. Parent involvement increased. Students became much more responsible. Students encouraged each other and used positive peer pressure to encourage homework completion.
Which strategies should be replaced, changed, or added?
None at this time. We may consider making this effort school-wide next year.
Based on what you have learned, how will you revise Step Four, Stakeholders-Unite?
§ Streamline data collection.
§ Allow teachers to post homework completion rates on stationary data collection board (display).
§ Make weekly announcement to share progress and motivate students.
§ Host a parent assembly to introduce MEASURE, share MEASURE results, and solicit parent-based community involvement.
How did your MEASURE contribute to systemic change(s) in your school and/or in your community?
§ Parents became more involved in holding students accountable to complete homework.
§ Children took ownership of completing homework, and used positive peer pressure to impact positive change.
§ Homework buddies were established.
§ Counselor called parents of students who had chronic homework completion problems, and met with parents individually when necessary to share strategies.
§ Counselor met with each third grade class weekly to support student concerns.
STEP SIX: EDUCATE
Educate others as to your efforts to move data. Develop a report card that shows how the work of the school counselor(s) is connected to the mission of the schools and to student success. Following is an example of a report card.MEASURE OF SUCCESS
Knollwood School
Principal: Patricia McFall
Enrollment: 472 K-3
Counseling Department Member: Susan Manley
Principal’s Comment
Knollwood School was fortunate to have a program of support for students who habitually did not do homework. Our counselor, Mrs. Sue Manley, monitored the five third grade classes weekly. Students were encouraged to become responsible for their long-range and short-range assignments. They were rewarded with various incentives provided by the Piscataway community. Data gathered supports their success.Critical Data Element
Third grade homework completion.Stakeholders Involved
Counselor: Designed data forms. Collected data forms weekly. Solicited community members for class rewards. Helped organize rewards. Provided group and individual support for students not completing homework. Held parent conferences as needed.Teachers: Provided daily data to counselor. Supported reward system. Allowed counselor support times for class and individual students. Distributed and collected homework parent contracts (Mrs. Bennane, Mrs. Fields, Miss Kloptosky, Mr. Ahrens, and Mrs. Spasiano).
Grade 3 parents: Signed homework contract with students.
Parent volunteer: Created banners and helped solicit rewards from community.
Parents/community members: Provided reinforcements for classes earning 100% completion.
Administrator: Supported class-wide reinforcements with announcements and class visits. /
Results
Homework completion rate for 3rd graders increased from 81% during Week 1 to 96% during Week 20.Systemic Changes
Parents became more involved in holding students accountable to complete homework. Children took ownership of completing homework and used positive peer pressure to impact positive change. Homework buddies were established. Counselor called parents of students who had chronic homework completion problems and met with parents individually when necessary to share strategies. Counselor met with each third grade class weekly to support student concerns. Homework completion percentages improved.Faces Behind the Data
· A parent called the school to have teacher fax him homework that his child forgot.· Students arrived to school early to complete assignments missed, if they forgot homework.
· Students worked with partners to complete homework.
· One teacher stated: “The Knollwood School MEASURE helped remind students of their responsibility in regards to homework by allowing the class to work together toward class goals. Many students were influenced by others to keep up. One of my students who is very competitive took very well to the incentives and worked much harder to complete and return homework. As a teacher it helped me to have another adult professional holding the students accountable.”
· Another teacher claimed: “There were improvements with my class. My kids worked well with positive reinforcement. They enjoyed working hard for something and getting credit for it. They loved the gifts. Some of my students completely turned around.”
NOTE: The Educate step in MEASURE has been adapted with permission from the Student Personnel Accountability Report Card sponsored by the California Department of Education and Los Angeles County Office of Education.