RESUBMIT SECTION



To prepare for our 2016-2017 Closing the Gap Project, the McEachern High School Counseling Department used the 2015-2016 graduation data to identify achievement gaps within our school. Increasing our school graduation rate is one of the achievement predictors indicated in the College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI). To identify our gap, we used information gathered from our Cobb Student Information System (CSIS) to identify the amount of students who only needed 3 to 4 core classes to graduate and compared this with the number of students who needed between 6 to 10 in order to graduate. The purpose of the project was to identify 4th year students in the 2013 cohort who still required 7-10 total credits to successfully complete their graduation requirements by May 2017, therefore putting them off-pace for graduation. The selection of this project aligns with our desire to develop the mindset of self-confidence in our students’ ability to succeed demonstrated by the students’ use of time management; as well as develop a belief in using their abilities to the fullest to achieve high quality results and outcomes. Behaviors that we believe will follow these mindsets include the ability to apply self-motivation and self-direction to learning and perseverance to achieve long term results.



The counselors decided to implement a multi-tiered intervention system. We utilized collaboration and communication with parents, small group strategies, and individual meetings as the intervention to support these students. All lessons were intentionally selected to ensure each student was encouraged and supported to develop a positive self-image, both academically and socially. For our initial group meeting, we invited a former student who had to overcome numerous public academic, emotional and environmental barriers in order to graduate. To build on the momentum of the initial meeting, we taught the students to create SMART goals using a goal ladder and assisted the students in creating such goals for themselves. After learning to create SMART goals, the students created vision boards with an emphasis on categorizing their boards into short, intermediate and long term goals. Following the creation of their boards, the students presented as they so desired. Lastly, we held individual meetings with each student to track their progress towards accomplish their initial goal of graduating on time utilizing a status sheet. We wanted to be sure that we had a systemic approach to closing this gap, which led us to utilizing both larger groups with all the participants at the same time, smaller groups of students within a groups of 2 or 3 as well as individual meetings. Post Intervention Perception data showed an increase of 2% of students who believed it is important to graduate on time with their class. The achievement outcome data showed that 36% of the students graduated by May 2017 and 60% of the students graduated by July 2017.



In reviewing outcome and perception data from the Closing the Gap project, in the future we could implement a better way to monitor students throughout their high school career and collaborate more with teachers and parents in the process. We also decided to collaborate with our school social worker to identify and address external and environmental factors that negatively affect school attendance and performance. We discussed the need to adjust our core curriculum lessons by providing study skills to our students. We noticed that we discuss expectations and graduation requirements but do not discuss in detail study skills that can help the student. We discussed how we can also share note taking strategies and organizational techniques at our 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th grade parent breakfasts. Hopefully these changes to the interventions would yield a higher percentage of graduating seniors.

Goal: By May 2017, 75% (30) of students in cohort 2013 who need 7-10 credits to graduate (40), will successfully meet graduation requirements.

Target Group: Cohort 2013 students who need 7-10 credits to graduate by May 2017

Data Used to Identify Students: McEachern cohort report for students entering 9th grade Fall 2013

School Counselor(s): Antionette Dickerson, Counseling Department Chair Ayesha Fawzi, School Counselor Reginald Hurns, School Counselor Melissa Lynch, School Counselor Kristy Royer, School Counselor

ASCA Domain, Mindsets & Behaviors Standard(s): ASCA Domain(s), Standard(s), & Competency: Academic Development Domain A:A1.1 Articulate feelings of competence and confidence as learners A:A1.2 Display a positive interest in learning A:A1.3 Take pride in work and achievement A: A1.5 Identify attitudes and behaviors that lead to successful learning A:A2.2 Demonstrate how effort and persistence positively affect learning A:A2.3 Use communications skills to know when and how to ask for help when needed A: A2.4 Apply knowledge and learning styles to positively influence school performance A: B1.1 Demonstrate the motivation to achieve individual potential A:B1.3 Apply the study skills necessary for academic success at each level A:B1.4 Seek information and support from faculty, staff, family and peers A:B2.5 Use problem-solving and decision-making skills to assess progress toward educational goals A:B2.6 Understand the relationship between classroom performance and success in school Career Development Domain: C:A1.6 Learn to set goals C:A1.7 Understand the importance of planning C:A2.9 Utilize time- and task-management skills Personal/Social Development Domain PS:A:1.1 Develop positive attitudes toward self as a unique and worthy person PS:A1.2 Identify values, attitudes and beliefs PS:A1.5 Identify and express feelings PS:A1.9 Demonstrate cooperative behavior in groups PS:A1.10 Identify personal strengths and assets PS:A2.6 Use effective communication skills

Type of Activities to be Delivered in What Manner?: RESUBMIT SECTION 1. Counselors mailed a letter to the parents or guardians of targeted students to inform them that their students were invited to participate in an academic small group facilitated by McEachern Professional School Counselors. The letter further explained that counselors would provide academic support through offering instructional tips on the following topics: organization, goal setting, increasing school confidence, establishing student strengths and talents, time management, and classroom success. 2. Counselors implemented a series of six small group lessons with an emphasis on school success. These lessons consisted of a hybrid model of delivery in both an individual and group format in which students met with counselors on a monthly basis. • Lesson 1: Motivational Speaker -- The speaker is a person who faced many obstacles, but beat the odds to become successful at the capacity in which he is currently serving. • Lesson 2: Individual Introductions – A pre-test was administered and the “Student Success” video was shown. Students received their transcripts, completed a status sheet, and reviewed graduation requirements. • Lesson 3: Responsibility & Organization – Counselors passed out a monthly calendar, and students completed the interactive worksheet, 8 Steps to Effective Organization. Students organized their backpacks and notebooks. • Lesson 4: Reach Your Goals – Students were taught how to develop smart goals, and completed the Goal Ladder worksheet. The visual image of the ladder was used to demonstrate moving toward the direction of the achievement of a goal and students completed vision boards. • Lesson 5: Individual Meetings – Counselors met individually with each student to check their grades, school attendance, and progress in applying the skills learned during sessions. • Lesson 6: Closing the Session – Students completed the post-test giving them the opportunity to provide feedback to the counseling staff. Based on need, students were also given additional resources at school – where and to whom they could reach out for help upon conclusion of the group. 3. Individual meetings with students.

Process Data (Number of students affected): Total number of students in the target group: 25 Total number of students who received the intervention (participants): 25

Perception Data (Surveys or assessments used): The group overwhelmingly believed that it is important to graduate with their class, 92.6% agreeing prior to participation and 94.8% agreeing with this statement at the conclusion of the group. In contrast, 92.6% of students believed that good grades are important to future success prior to group participation however, 88.4% of students agreed with this at the conclusion of the group, which resulted in 3.45% decrease. Two other perception questions showed a decrease after our initiative. Attendance as it relates to school success decreased by 3.03% and students knowing how to set achievable goals decreased by 1.35%. Only two evidenced a decrease in knowledge. Students’ knowing the total number of credits needed to graduate from high school decreased 3.38% and understanding good organizational strategies decreased by 10.22%. The knowledge of how many credits are needed to graduate from high school decreased by 2.26%. Due to the number of students who started and students who finished the group, our data is definitely skewed.

Outcome Data (Achievement, attendance, and/or behavior data): In short, only 9 of the students participating in the group were successful in graduating by May 2017. By July 2017, 6 more students were able to graduate. 10 students in the either returned to McEachern Fall 2017 or found alternative placements to complete their degree. A reoccurring theme amongst those students who were unsuccessful in finishing on time was the feeling of being overwhelmed due to the pressure of having to add extra courses on top of their classes throughout the day. With this in mind, we slowly moved from simply teaching time management and organization to encouragement and motivation to stay the course.

Implications: 1. The percent change was not positive for all students, however we will continue to work with this population using more creative approaches to reach them. 2. Follow up with the students and continue to encourage them to see the value of attending school regularly and graduating on time. 3. Keep building rapport with students, even outside of the individual sessions. 4. Counselors will share the findings with the principal and faculty, as well as collaborate on core curriculum lessons. 5. Continue to work with students at risk of not graduating with their cohort. 6. The counseling team will look at the Class of 2019 and 2020 to identify students who are at risk of not graduating with their initial cohort group. 7. Through collaboration with school social worker, we will identify and address external and environmental factors negatively affecting school attendance and performance. 8. We did not meet our goal, however, we discussed as a department rather we are too little too late in trying to catch students up senior year when they are so far behind with high school credits. 9. Target at risk students as early as 9th grade to identify early intervention techniques.

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