In the 2016-2017 school year, the school counselors were able to offer 13 small groups to students in kindergarten-fifth grade. Small group counseling is a tier 2 intervention for struggling students needing additional support outside of tier 1 classroom instruction and school-wide programs and activities. Each small group directly aligns with academic, social, or emotional development of our students. The counselors offer a variety of group topics including problem-solving, academics, friendship, behavior, changing families, and social skills. We believe providing small group responsive services fulfills our program Mission and Vision by meeting the needs of all students.

Small group counseling consists of five-ten students participating in 8-10 sessions depending on the group’s focus. Our academic groups last 10 weeks, while most social small groups are 8 weeks in duration. Each small group meets once per week for 40 minutes, with an exception of kindergarten meeting bi-weekly for 25 minutes. The number of participants, frequency of sessions, and session duration is determined by the developmental level of the participants. Evidenced-based curriculum and developmentally appropriate activities are used to ensure students receive effective lessons during small group instruction. All of our curriculum aligns with ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors, student competencies, ASCA Domains, and process for data collection.

The small group action plan is developed in collaboration with all stakeholders. For social small groups, we rely on recommendations from parents and teachers. The Counseling Department sends home a Small Group Interest Survey at the beginning of the year listing possible group offerings. We use parents’ responses to solidify which small groups are needed. The School Counseling Needs Assessment includes a section for teachers to identify small group topics would be most helpful for their students.

Weekly meetings with administration were instrumental in identifying small groups as an intervention for struggling students. In November, we noticed that eight third grade students triggered for behavior referrals. The counselors responded with an Anger Management group to equip these 8 students with coping skills and anger management strategies.

Our School Success participants are chosen based outcome data from the previous year including students’ MAP test scores, report card grades, and teacher recommendations. School Success small groups are our key delivery system for accomplishing our Academic Program Goal.

This past year, the School Counseling Needs Assessment indicated all 6 Fourth Grade teachers requested social skills as a small group need. After further investigating this request in a grade level meeting, two main themes emerged being relational aggression and making friends. In the spring, counselors provided small groups to address both of these needs. Teachers were helpful in recommending students who could benefit from both of these groups. Additionally, counselors worked with Administration throughout the fall semester to identify 11 girls with frequent office referrals for behavior and inability to get along with peers.

The Girls’ Drama Club for relational aggression aligned with Mindsets & Behaviors identified for 4th grade students. The curriculum allowed girls to explore their strengths, learn what it means to stand up for themselves and others, make healthy choices, put an end to gossip, practice strategies for critical thinking, appropriate ways to handle conflict, and learn how to respect themselves and others. Our perception data asked the girls to self-report how they saw themselves in each of these areas providing us with a measure for attitudes, skills, and knowledge before and after the group.

The counselors were hesitant about conducting this group because of the potential risks involved in putting 11 girls who cannot get along in a room together. Several factors could impact the success of this group including trust with one another, willingness to open up, group dynamics, and their motivation for wanting to change. This group was also conducted over their lunch period which we usually avoid, but lunch is a social time when many of these adverse behaviors typically surface.

The results from their pre- and post-tests, behavior outcome data, and teacher survey outcome data indicated this small-group was extremely successful. Office referrals decreased by 91%, teachers reported “somewhat improved” or “very much improved” for every participant in every category of the survey. In the future, we will provide this group again if the needs arise. Lunch is a difficult time as eating takes away time for activities, and we will cap the participants at 10 girls. It was difficult for each girl to have the amount of time she deserved to share in the allotted time. We saw significant improvements despite these few challenges.

Group Name: Girls Relational Aggression Group

Goal: By the end of March, the number of student behavior referrals will decrease by 30% from 36 referrals to 10 referrals for inappropriate behavior.

Target Group: Eleven 4th grade girls

Data Used to Identify Students: IMS Behavior data, Teacher recommendation, Administrator referral

School Counselor(s): Beasley

ASCA Domain, Mindsets & Behaviors Standard(s): M1: Belief in development of whole self, including a healthy balance of mental, social/emotional, and physical well-being. B-SMS 2: Demonstrate self-discipline and self- control B-SS 2: Create positive and supportive relationship with other students B-SS 9: Demonstrate Social Maturity and behaviors appropriate to the situation and environment

Outline of Group Sessions Delivered: Session 1: Choices Materials Needed: Choices Handout Pens Confident/Challenge Bingo Worksheets Session 2: Looking Within Materials Needed: Visualization script Paper/journal Pens Session 3: Attitude of Gratitude Materials Needed: Slips of paper with “every day” things written on them Bucket Session 4: Stop & Take a Breather Materials Needed: Stop & Take A Breather Handout Scenario Cards Poster Paper Markers Session 5: I-Messages Materials Needed: I-Message Handout Social Scenarios Cards Session 6: Ending Gossip Material needed: Stop & Take A Breather Poster Session 7: Standing Up for Others Materials Needed: Red paper heart Stop & Take A Breather Poster Bullying poster Bullying scenarios Session 8: Best Friends Materials Needs: Stop & Take A Breather Poster Friendship Quality Matching Game Confident & Challenge Bingo Worksheet

Process Data (Number of students affected): 11 girls; 4th grade; Teacher/ Admin recommended; 8 sessions; 35 minutes each

Perception Data (Surveys or assessments used): A pre-test was given during our very first session together and the same test was given as a post-test at the end of our final session. The results are as follows (Graphs included below) Girls’ responses to question items: ATTITUDE/BELIEFS: I like myself. Pre: Never Sometimes 2 Often 2 Always 6 Post: Never 1 Sometimes Often Always 9 I make good choices. Pre: Never 1 Sometimes 7 Often Always 2 Post: Never Sometimes 4 Often Always 6 I believe in myself. Pre: Never 2 Sometimes 1 Often 2 Always 5 Post: Never Sometimes 1 Often Always 9 I believe I am a good friend. Pre: Never Sometimes 3 Often 2 Always 5 Post: Never Sometimes Often 2 Always 8 I have a good attitude about myself and others. Pre: Never 3 Sometimes 5 Often Always 2 Post: Never Sometimes 2 Often 3 Always 5 I know how to solve problems between me and my friends Pre: Never 1 Sometimes 5 Often 3 Always 1 Post: Never 1 Sometimes 2 Often 1 Always 6 There is drama between me and my friends. Pre: Never 1 Sometimes 5 Often 1 Always 3 Post: Never 5 Sometimes 2 Often 1 Always 2 It is easy for me to talk about how I feel. Pre: Never 4 Sometimes 2 Often 1 Always 3 Post: Never 1 Sometimes 3 Often Always 6 I stand up for myself. Pre: Never Sometimes Often Always 10 Post: Never Sometimes Often Always 10 I stand up for others. Pre: Never Sometimes 1 Often 2 Always 7 Post: Never Sometimes Often 1 Always 9 I sometimes participate in gossip. Pre: Never Sometimes 5 Often 2 Always 2 Post: Never 5 Sometimes 4 Often Always 1

Outcome Data (Achievement, attendance, and/or behavior data): The behavior outcome data for this group was remarkable. Per Administrator’s records between Oct. 3, 2016- February 6, 2017 the participants of this group totaled 36 office referrals, as well as 2 group conferences with the district Behavior Interventionist. From February 7, 2017- June 2, 2017 the participants of this group totaled 3 office referrals with no additional help needed from this district level. Behavior Outcome Data: The number of office referrals for the participants in this group decreased by over 91% by the end of the school year. Behavior Outcome Data continued: Our school uses the IMS, Information Management System, Program to log documented, written behavior referrals. This system logs formal referrals, not informal office referrals. According to our IMS system, the participants in this group had a total of 7 formal referrals before attending this group. After beginning this group, the participants had 0 formal referrals for the remainder of the school year. The formal referrals decreased from 7 total to 0 for the remainder of the school year. The girls’ teachers also completed a follow-up survey 3 weeks after the group ended to give us feedback on each girl’s behavior improvement. Each teacher ranked their student on the following items: 1. Student respects herself. Not Applicable: Very Little Improvement: Some Improvement: 6 Very Much Improved: 2 2. Student respects her peers. Not Applicable: Very Little Improvement: Some Improvement: 7 Very Much Improved: 1 3. Student respects her teacher. Not Applicable: Very Little Improvement: Some Improvement: 3 Very Much Improved: 5 4.Student models self-control. Not Applicable: Very Little Improvement: Some Improvement: 5 Very Much Improved: 3 5. Student displays a positive attitude. Not Applicable: Very Little Improvement: Some Improvement: 4 Very Much Improved: 4 6. Student makes good choices. Not Applicable: Very Little Improvement: Some Improvement: 6 Very Much Improved: 2 7. Student is a good friend to others. Not Applicable: Very Little Improvement: Some Improvement: 5 Very Much Improved: 3 8. Student gets along well with others. Not Applicable: Very Little Improvement: Some Improvement: 5 Very Much Improved: 3 9. Student can resolve conflict with peers. Not Applicable: Very Little Improvement: Some Improvement: 5 Very Much Improved: 3 Of the 11 participants, we received 8 follow up surveys. 100% of the teachers’ surveys showed “Some Improvement” or “Very Much Improved” in all areas for each girl.

Implications: At the beginning of the year, the 4th grade teachers requested that the counselors focus on Friendship as a major topic for their grade level. The counseling program did this through Core Curriculum for the first half of the year. In January, the counselors attended the 4th grade Grade Level Meeting to follow up. We wanted to see what needs were being met and what areas still needed attention. The 4th grade teachers requested that we do something about the “girl drama.” At the end of the 2016 school year, from mid-October until Christmas, the behavior of 11 specific girls had gotten out of control. So much so that the District Behavior Interventionist was brought in on two occasions. After consulting with Administration and analyzing the data from the Fall, the counseling department decided to take a risk. We proposed doing a small group with the 11 girls that were instigating this relational aggression. This was very risky because some of these girls are extremely close, some are enemies, and some are frenemies. There were a lot of factors that could impact the success of this group- their trust with one another, the dynamics of the girls in the room, their willingness to open up, and their motivation for wanting to change. This group was wildly successful. Not just from a data standpoint, but these girls came to really care for one another. It was evident in how they spoke to one another, the information they shared in our sessions, their willingness to work with one another. Our hope is to be able to intervene earlier in the future should this same situation arise. We will continue looking at our behavior data, Needs Assessments completed by the teachers, consulting with our administrators about behavior trends, and attending those Grade Level Meetings where teachers can voice concerns.

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