REVISED-

The tier 2 small group counseling interventions, as outlined in the Small Group Action Plan, were developed based on review of data sources and established as key strategies for program goals. Data was collected and reviewed from outcome sources (report card, standardized testing results, attendance, and office behavior referral data: see artifacts in program goals and CCAP sections). These data sources showed needs for several different types of groups, for example, emotion and anger management and impulse control groups due to high level of referrals for defiance and disruption and academic skills groups due to low levels (approximately 30% in grades 3-5) of students testing at grade level in state standardized testing. Similarly, process data, such as enrollment, showed each grade enrolling several new students, some having been very transient in their elementary years, so a new student group was established to support that transition.



Stakeholder perceptions (staff and guardian needs assessment, see artifact in program goals section) were considered. For example, results from the staff and family/guardian survey showed a high need for friendship skills at a tier 2 level. Further, teacher and guardian referrals received throughout the year demonstrated a need for some of these topics, for example, the relational aggression group for 5th grade girls and anxiety management.



Several groups were key strategies for school counseling program goals, such as attendance, emotion management, anger management, and impulse control. Students for all groups were chosen based on their identified need and fit to the above groups, based on data. For example, students for the relational aggression group had 2 or more office behavior referrals for fighting and identified by teacher referral as having difficulty with peer relationships.



The submitted small group example was an Attendance small group. As outlined in the artifact labeled, “5th Grade Attendance SGRR (REVISED),” the submitted group lesson plans was an attendance group comprised of six 5th grade students (4F, 2M), 4 students were black, 2 were white, who had 10 or more absences from 4th grade year. The group met over student lunch period, approximately 25 minutes, for 7 weeks. ​Each​ ​lesson,​ ​when​ ​developed,​ ​was cross-checked​ ​with​ ​and​ ​referenced​ ​for​ ​alignment​ ​with​ matched ​ASCA​ ​Mindset 5​ ​&​ ​Behaviors learning strategies 3 and self-management skills 5.​ ​​​ Lesson topics surrounded student sense of belonging at school and understanding the impacts of successful attendance (establishing confidence and motivation towards establishing and persevering towards an attendance goal) and skills to help them ultimately set a long-term attendance goal (strategies such as time management, problem solving, and goal setting).



When​ ​looking​ ​at​ ​the​ ​outcome​ ​data​ from ​this​ ​group,​ ​I​ ​pulled​ ​attendance​ ​data​ ​several​ ​months​ ​after​ ​completion​ ​of​ ​the​ ​group​ ​to​ ​look​ ​at​ ​the​ ​full​ ​school​ ​year impact​ ​and​ ​outcomes​ ​for​ ​students.​ ​​ ​I​ ​was​ ​elated​ ​to​ ​find​, and described in the implications section, ​that​ ​the​ ​long​ ​term outcomes​ ​were​ ​positive,​ ​suggesting​ ​that​ ​student​ ​recall​ ​and​ ​implementation​ ​of​ ​the​ ​taught​ ​mindsets​ ​&​ ​behaviors​ ​were​ ​high.​ ​I​ ​will​ ​continue​ ​this​ ​group​ ​with​ ​appropriate​ ​edits​ ​based​ ​on​ ​next​ ​group’s​ ​unique​ ​needs. In​ ​the​ ​future,​ ​I​ ​will​ ​also​ ​dig​ ​further​ ​into​ additional outcome data sources, including​ ​spring​ ​standardized​ ​testing​ ​scores and report​ ​card data ​to​ analyze improve attendance implications on academic progress.​ ​​



The area in need of several modifications and improvement is within the perception data and information collected from students that better match the established mindsets and behaviors. ​ ​​ As​ ​mentioned​ ​in​ ​the​ ​implication​ ​section,​ ​after​ ​completion​ ​and​ ​reflection​ ​of​ ​this​ ​group,​ ​student​ ​assessment​ ​questions are​ ​going​ ​to​ ​be​ ​altered​ ​to​ ​better​ ​align​ ​with​ ​the​ ​intent​ ​and​ ​goals​ ​of​ ​group​ ​lessons​ ​and​ ​target Mindsets​ ​&​ ​Behaviors​ ​as​ ​I​ ​recognized​ ​too​ ​much​ ​weight​ ​was emphasized​ ​in​ ​student​ ​awareness​ ​of​ ​attendance​ ​impacts​ ​and​ ​outcomes​ ​and​ ​less​ ​on​ ​their​ ​confidence​ ​and​ ​beliefs​ ​around​ ​their​ ​abilities​ ​to​ ​achieve successful​ ​attendance. One specific example, the revised assessment will ask, “I use time management strategies to help me get to school everyday on time,” and "I believe if I make an attendance goal, I can achieve it,” with Yes/No student response options. This will better align with MS&B’s and allow for a “cleaner” resulting data story.



Regarding attachments:

*"5th Grade Attendance SCRR (REVISED)" should read SGRR, not SCRR

*"LESSON #__: SPMA Attendance SC Lesson Template" should read SG not SC

Group Name: 5th Gr Attendance Group

Goal: Identified 5th grade students will have a 20% reduction in absenteeism in two data points: 1. Semester 2 (spring 2016) in previous school year (4th grade) to Semester 1 (fall 2016) in current school year (5th grade) and 2. Entire previous school year attendance (4th grade) to entire current school year (5th grade).

Target Group: 5th grade students with 10 or more absences in previous school year

Data Used to Identify Students: School Attendance Data

School Counselor(s): Keela Kuhlers

ASCA Domain, Mindsets & Behaviors Standard(s): Mindset 5: Belief in using abilities to their fullest to achieve high-quality results and outcomes. Learning Strategies Behavior 3: Use time management, organizational, and study skills; Self-Management Skills 5: Demonstrate perseverance to achieve long- and short-term results.

Outline of Group Sessions Delivered: 1: Pre-assessment, group norms and expectations 2: "Belonging" Objective: I can explain why I feel I belong at SPMA 3: "Why is successful attendance important?" Objective: I can describe the connection between attendance, learning, and my future 4: "Time Management" Objective: I can pick one time management strategy to try to help me come to school everyday on time 5: "Barriers to successful attendance" Objective: I can identify one problem solving strategy to support successful attendance 6: "Goal Setting" Objective: I can create an attendance goal for 5th grade 7: Post- assessment, group closing. Objective: I can describe how my 5th grade attendance goal will help me in Middle School

Process Data (Number of students affected): 6 identified 5th grade students, 4 female, 2 male students. 4 black, 2 white students

Perception Data (Surveys or assessments used): Student Assessment survey results showed an increase in student understanding and knowledge around the impacts of missed school on short and long term academic achievement. On average, students were able to identify 1.3 additional reasons it is important to come to school everyday, 100% more students accurately identified an expected average of 4-6 days of missed school per year (as per county averages according to the county attendance intervention program), list nearly 1 additional negative impact absences have on their learning (.9), increasingly report a belief that absences in 5th grade will have a negative impact on middle school (20% more students able to elect that belief), and 100% more students elected that, "I know strategies to help me get into school everyday on time."

Outcome Data (Achievement, attendance, and/or behavior data): Attendance Data was collected in 2 forms. First, absences in semester 2 of students' 4th grade school year (previous year) was compared to semester 1 of students' 5th grade school year (current year) Data showed that, on average, students attended 7 more days in semester 1 in 5th grade than in semester 2 of 4th grade (absent an average of 13 days down to 5.8 days), percent change showing a 55.4% improvement. Second, total absences in the 4th grade year (previous) were compared to the entire 5th grade year. Data resulted in an overall average increase in nearly 3 days attended or that students missed an average of 15.7% less days of school throughout the entire year.

Implications: The​ ​content​ ​and​ ​strategies​ ​in​ ​this​ ​group​ ​were​ ​shown​ ​to​ ​be​ ​effective​ ​as​ ​evidenced​ ​in​ ​post-​ ​assessment​ ​perception​ ​and​ ​outcome​ ​data.​ ​​ ​Even​ ​long term​ ​attendance​ ​data​ ​(comparing​ ​the​ ​entire​ ​4th​ ​grade​ ​to​ ​entire​ ​5th​ ​grade​ ​school​ ​year)​ ​shows​ ​that​ ​outcomes​ ​were​ ​not​ ​just​ ​positive​ ​while​ ​the​ ​group was​ ​in​ ​session,​ ​but​ ​the​ ​remainder​ ​of​ ​the​ ​year,​ ​suggesting​ ​that​ ​mindset​ ​and​ ​behavior​ ​recall​ ​and​ ​implementation​ ​remained​ ​high in the long term.​ ​​ ​Small​ ​group​ ​services in​ ​the​ ​area​ ​of​ ​successful​ ​attendance​ ​is​ ​an​ ​integral​ ​component​ ​in​ ​supporting​ ​student​ ​achievement​ ​and​ ​is​ ​one​ ​that​ ​needs​ ​to​ ​continue​ ​to​ ​be​ ​targeted and​ ​intentional​ ​in​ ​practice.​ ​​ ​Upon​ ​reflection​ ​of​ ​the​ ​data,​ ​the​ ​service/group​ ​delivery​ ​will​ ​continue​ ​as​ ​is​ ​with​ ​continued​ ​efforts​ ​to​ ​increase​ ​use​ ​of technology​ ​and​ ​grow​ ​to​ ​include​ ​supportive​ ​relationships​ ​for​ ​students​ ​with​ ​other​ ​adults​ ​in​ ​the​ ​school​ ​building.​ ​​ ​Questions​ ​in​ ​student​ ​assessment​ ​will be​ ​modified​ ​to​ ​better​ ​align​ ​with​ ​student​ ​mindsets​ ​&​ ​behaviors​ ​and​ ​more​ ​accurately​ ​reflect​ ​the​ ​skill​ ​development​ ​from​ ​group​ ​lessons.​ ​​ ​ASCA Mindsets​ ​&​ ​Behaviors​ ​targeted​ ​in​ ​the​ ​group​ ​will​ ​remain​ ​as​ ​is​ ​and​ ​continue​ ​to​ ​be​ ​analyzed​ ​with​ ​the​ ​modification​ ​of​ ​student​ ​assessment​ ​questions​ ​in the​ ​following​ ​school​ ​year​ ​to​ ​make​ ​informed​ ​decisions​ ​on​ ​their​ ​fit​ ​and​ ​appropriateness​ ​for​ ​the​ ​group.

Attachments