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Montrose Alternative Learning Center (2018)

Alexandria , VA

Closing the Gap

Our gap group was identified through academic data collected during the 2016-2017 school year. In analyzing the data, we noticed that 8 8th grade students had D’s/F’s as a final grade for 2 or more core classes. Specifically, 3 students had 2 D’s/F’s, 2 students had 3 D’s/F’s and 4 students had 3 D’s/F’s. Our 8th grade students showed a greater challenge in maintaining passing grades in comparison to our 7th graders. We deduced that this was probably as a result of the difficulty in transitioning to middle school from elementary school and facing a significant discipline problem at the same time. The transition to middle school means increased rigor and need for increased organization, time management, independence, resilience, self-discipline and other academic skills students often lack. That coupled with a major discipline infraction left many of our 8th graders with failing final grades as seventh graders.

These interventions were chosen to maximize support and ensure that students were able to remain in class. Best practice research tells us that students should have the opportunity for remediation- to ensure that students can make up tests and learn the material that caused a poor grade. Creating this time during the school day ensured that all of our students would be able to access additional time with teachers. In addition, collaboration with teachers and flexible schedule changes ensured that any systemic barriers were minimized. The small group counseling sessions were held during the Creating Success class, so that students were not missing out on academic time. These sessions helped students learn academic skills in isolation to then infuse into their school day. Individual meetings with students created a sense of accountability for students. They could share what challenges they were facing and we were able to problem solve and collaborate with anyone necessary. The core curriculum goal-setting lesson was delivered to all students in class. These smart goals were loaded into the “student learning plan,” a requirement of Fairfax County Public School students. This lesson could have been more effective, but the whole class delivery will stay the same. Recognizing students individually for academic achievement was designed to improve student moral around grades. Students received token positive reinforcement after grades during quarter 1 (14 out of 25 students). The following quarter, more students were recognized for their improved grades (27 out of 35).

In the future, the goal setting lesson will need to be improved to be more relevant and meaningful for students. I would like to collaborate with the teachers and do a follow up lesson around how to make small steps/actions in order to move toward your short or long term goals. I will also place a greater importance on teaching the behaviors and mindsets implicitly. I would like for all the students to know what skills they should be walking away with after each lesson. I will continue to recognize academic achievement and would like to collaborate with the current students and staff to identify new motivating reinforcement items. I will continue to hold individual student academic meetings. I would like to create a data collection tool to measure the effectiveness of these meetings. I can log each time we meet to gather data on the content of our meetings and any actions that arise from it. The Creating Success class will also continue. We will continue to remain flexible and collaborative in nature to adjust the class to meet the current students’ needs and keep up with trends. I will also continue the high school transition lesson, and consider moving it to earlier in the year depending on what level of concern there is with students and their promotion to 9th grade. I would like to add an additional core curriculum lesson directly linked to academic achievement and skill sets. I would like to collaborate with classroom teachers to identify what specific skills students are lacking and how we might address those needs. The addition of this lesson will be in direct response to the needs of the current students at the time and can not be predetermined. It should also be noted that this particular group of students who needed intense academic support was relatively small compared to years prior. Because of our transient population, we must respond to student need and can’t base all interventions on prior school year trends/data. I will likely create these lessons based on the mindsets and behaviors and tailor the lesson to meet the student need.

Goal: By June 2018, 100% of identified eighth grade students will increase their final grade in at least one core class by one or more letter grades

Target Group: 8th grade students with 2 or more D's/F's as final grades in core classes

Data Used to Identify Students: 2016-2017 progress reports- final grades

School Counselor(s): Erika Davis

ASCA Domain, Mindsets & Behaviors Standard(s): Academic, M5, B-LS7

Type of Activities to be Delivered in What Manner?: Activity 1: Goal Setting Lesson (CC) Powerpoint -students identified individual goals and entered them into an online platform: Naviance Materials: -Pre/post tests “-SMARTR goal” handout -Student computers Activity 2: Creation of Creating Success class: -Remediation -Executive Functioning lessons -Structured free time -Team building -Small group counseling Activity 3: Academic group (SG) Session 1: Intro, team building, set group rules Materials: index cards, Session 2: Pre- Asses, team building, Growth Mindset Materials: computers , cups, Mindset handout Session 3: Link previously created academic goal to study skills/ learning styles and previous experience with goal setting Materials: index cards, candy, MOM assessment, SMARTR Goals, “What do I Want” handout Session 4: ID distractions {internal and external} Materials: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sXi2wakGuI “Ignoring Distractions” hand out. Session 5: Who can help? ID goals and school staff who can help you succeed at your goals. Materials: index cards, large poster paper https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpZgWXT23bg Session 6: What do I need to do to get back to base school? Materials: Index cards, construction paper Session 7: Reflect on Group, ID learned study skills, Post-assessment Materials: Computers Session 8: Celebration, share things learned. Materials: snacks, Activity 4: Individual Academic conferences Activity 5: Quarterly Achievement Recognition Activity 6: High School Transition Core Curriculum Lesson Powerpoint -students learn about graduation requirements for VA. (Advanced studies and standard) -Students explore classes available at their base high school. -students set a sample high school class plan to achieve identified goals. Materials: -Pre/post tests -computer/projector -HS planning sheet -computers for student research.

Process Data (Number of students affected): Activity 1: Fall: 28 students, Spring: 35 students, Total: 63 Activity 2: 93 students (total enrollment) Activity 3: 7th- 1 student, 8th- 8 students, Total students: 9 Activity 4: 93 students (total enrollment) Activity 5: 93 students (total enrollment) Activity 6: 33 students

Perception Data (Surveys or assessments used): Activity 1: Pre/Post Assessment Goals are important to success. (True/False) Pre True: 35 False: 28 Post True: 47 False: 16 I have personal academic goals. (True/False) Pre True: 20 False: 43 Post True: 30 False: 33 I am in control of my success. (True/False) Pre True: 20 False: 43 Post True: 32 False: 31 Number of students who completed a Smart Goal: Sept. 9, 2017: 89% Feb 15/16: 87% Activity 2: 100% of teachers surveyed identified an increase in student achievement as a result of Creating Success. 100% of students identified Creating Success as a key component to their academic and behavioral success at Montrose. Activity 3: School comes easy to me: likert scale 1(yes)- 5(no). Pre 1- 2/9 2- 2/9 3- 1/9 4- 4/9 5- 0/9 Post 1- 2/9 2- 6/9 3- 1/9 4- 0/9 5- 0/9 I know a growth mindset is. Pre True 0 False 9/9 Post True 8/9 False 1/9 A growth mindset is: -When you say you can’t do it but you keep practicing then you can you do it. -To pay attention -Walking away from a fight -I can’t do this, I can do this What did you learn in group? To ignore distractions: 6/9 Growth Mindset: 3/9 Academic Skills Pre Post Take notes in class 8 8 Ignore distractions 8 9 Study for tests 5 6 Plan my time well 8 9 Prioritize assignments 8 8 Balance school and home 8 8 Complete and turn in assignments 5 8 Use an agenda or assignment book 8 9 Ask for help when needed 8 8 Work in a group with others 8 5 Tell me about a time when you did not feel successful in school. when i got fs When I failing some classes When I didn't understand when i had 4 F's last year When I got kicked out When I always had to stay with a teacher at lunch When I was failing when i was failing mostly all my classes (no response) How you would use what we learned in group to change the outcome? "following directions" when i let the distractions get to me pay attention Ignore distractions Stay organized Tell a teacher I didn't understand Not goof off pay attention pay attention Activity 4: 100% of students identified ways to improve their academic progress. Activity 5: 100% of teachers surveyed indicated increased student motivation as a result of this incentive. Activity 6: Pre/Post Assessment I know what classes I need to take to graduate high school. Pre: True: 5/33= 16% False: 28/33= 84% Post: True: 31/33= 94% False: 2/33= 6% Classes I take as a 9th grader could impact career goals I have. Pre: True: 2/33= 6% False: 31/33= 94% Post: True: 30/33= 91% False: 3/33= 9% Graduating on time is a goal of mine. Pre: True: 25/33= 76% False: 8/33= 24% Post: True: 27/33= 82% False: 6/33= 8% I have a goal for my life after high school. Pre: True: 15/33= 45% False: 18/33= 55% Post: True: 19/33= 58% False: 14/33= 42%

Outcome Data (Achievement, attendance, and/or behavior data): Activity 1: 8/25 Students received a D/F in 2 or more core classes (2016-2017) 8/8 students increased their final grade in one or more core class by at least one letter grade. (2017-2018) Activity 2: 79% of Tier 3 students decreased the overall number of discipline referrals during the 2017-2018 school year. Overall decrease in discipline referrals by 53% in 2017-2018 compared to 2016-2017 Activity 3: 8/25 Students received a D/F in 2 or more core classes (2016-2017) 8/8 students increased their final grade in one or more core class by at least one letter grade. (2017-2018) Activity 4: 8/25 Students received a D/F in 2 or more core classes (2016-2017) 8/8 students increased their final grade in one or more core class by at least one letter grade. (2017-2018) Activity 5: 8/25 Students received a D/F in 2 or more core classes (2016-2017) 8/8 students increased their final grade in one or more core class by at least one letter grade. (2017-2018) Activity 6: 33/33 students who received this lesson were promoted to 9th grade.

Implications: Activity 1: This lesson was not quite as successful as I would have liked. I would like to collaborate more with teachers so that students realize that goal setting is not a stand-alone exercise and that it should be embedded into each class throughout their day. I think it will continue to take time for students to realize what steps they need to take daily to meet their short/long term goals. I’m troubled that students don’t believe they’re in charge of their own success. I would like to collaborate with other counselors to see how others are helping students understand this topic. SMART goal creation is a part of student requirements for their learning plans in Fairfax County Public Schools. I will continue this lesson but will work to make it more applicable to classes and collaborate with teachers to make it more meaningful and embedded in the culture. Activity 2: The creation of the Creating Success class has been a monumental pillar in our success. In creating this class, we tell our students that social/emotional learning, taking breaks, and resiliency (through academic remediation) are just as important as academic rigor. The drastic decline in discipline referrals is a great evidence in the success of this class. This class also gave clinicians nonacademic time to work with students in small groups. Teachers were given time within the day to build relationships with the students assigned to them for this class. Teachers helped collaborate and reinforce these skills by teaching EF lessons and offering remediation assignments and test make-ups. This class will continue in the years to come and we will continue to tweak it based on the current student need. Activity 3: This group was very successful. Of the 9 students who participated, 5 of them went back to their base school and continued to maintain improved grades compared to the 2016-2017 school year. I would like to hold this group both semesters this year, and intend to track students beyond the current school year to measure continued academic success. I would also like to add in-class observations into the group. I think students would benefit from immediate feedback on their behavior and how it impacts their academic achievement. Students clearly learned about growth mindset. I would like to encourage teachers to post growth mindset language in their classrooms to further infused this thinking into our school culture. I also would like to collaborate with teachers to update the “academic skills” portion of the pre/post assessment and group learning to match what is happening in their classes. Activity 4: These individual conferences were prioritized by highest need. I met with each student at minimum once a month regarding their grades (I met with some students weekly). We would discuss how classes were going, where they’re struggling and where they’re finding success. I scheduled these meetings ahead of time, but some occurred in response to a celebration or concern with a certain teacher. Activity 5: I began Quarterly recognizing students who achieved A and A/B honor roll in an effort to motivate students towards high academic achievement. Many students had never been honored in this way at their base school because of poor grades. Our small environment provides our students the opportunity to close the gaps in learning and achievement. I got great feedback from both students and staff that this intervention was highly motivating for students. I will continue to do this next year. I would like to find additional positive reinforcement techniques. Activity 6: This lesson was very successful. Students were very surprised with the idea that signing up for the correct classes in 9th grade could impact their ability to graduate on time. I think it would have been beneficial to have this lesson earlier in the year so that I could link grades and completion of 8th grade and promotion to 9th grade a little clearer. We did not have any students in this particular group of students who were at risk of not being promoted. If we had, this lesson would have been too late to have an impact.

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