Understand human diversity and apply this knowledge to ensure that the developmental guidance and counseling program is responsive to all students.
Objective
Graduates Will Demonstrate An Understanding Of Ways To Create A Positive School Environment In Which Diversity Is Respected.
Graduates of the MEd in School Counseling will demonstrate an understanding of ways to evaluate, create, and maintain a positive school environment in which diversity is acknowledged and respected.
Indicator
School-wide Cultural Competency Observation Checklist (SCCOC)
MEd school counseling students enrolled in COUN 6335 will have developed skills and knowledge required to evaluate the school environment concerning diversity utilizing the SCCOC.
Criterion
Successfully Complete The SCCOC
Competence as a school counselor includes the ability to successfully complete the SCCOC and do the following: 1. respond to all items on the SCCOC 2. interpret the results of the SCCOC 3. report the results of the SCCOC to the school administrators and staff 4. make recommendations to improve the school environment in which diversity is acknowledged and respected.
For 2012-2013 school year, the plan is to have COUN 6335 students complete the SCCOC and develop an Action Plan at mid-term rather than at the end of the course. School administrators and staff will be encouraged to implement Action Plan immediately. If we are able to accomplish this task, COUN 6335, students will re-evaluate the school environment looking for improvements to the three challenges based on the results of the SCCOC. In previous years, students were unable to complete the fourth step within the semester timeline.
Finding
Results Of SCCOC And Action Plan
Faculty teaching COUN 6335 modified the SCCOC and Action Plan assignment this year by requiring counseling student to meet with a Leadership Team of representatives from their school (administrator, staff, and teachers) and train group members to use the SCCOC to evaluation the school environment concerning diversity. Having a Leadership Team rather than the SHSU counseling student complete the SCCOC checklist provided multiple input sources of data. After Leadership Team members completed the SCCOC checklist they met as a group to compile results and determine the greatest areas for improvement. Based on the identified areas for improvement, the SHSU counseling student developed an action plan for remediation. All students enrolled in COUN 6335 completed the assignment by developing, implementing, and evaluating the action plan they developed to address limitations and challenges of maintaining a positive school environment that acknowledges and respects diversity.
Action
Respecting Diversity
To meet the objective of respecting diversity, students enrolled in COUN 6335 along with the members of their assessment team had to complete the School-wide Cultural Competency Observation Checklist (SCCOC) assignment. Students have successfully met this objective,; therefore, at this time, the action recommended is to continue implementing the assignment of completion of SCCOC. See Findings section for this objective to view a student report after implementing the SCCOC.
Goal
Planning And Implementing The Developmental Guidance And Counseling Program
Students in the MEd school counseling program understand how to plan, implement, and evaluate a developmental guidance program, including counseling services, that promotes all students' success.
Objective
Closing The Gap Plan
Students in the school counseling program will develop a needs assessment and use to assess the needs of students in a school and based on the results of the needs assessment will develop a Closing the Gap Plan that is proactive and preventative in design.
Indicator
Implement Counseling And Guidance Activities To Close The Gap
MEd school counseling students enrolled in COUN 6335 will develop and carry out a school-wide needs assessment to determine activities and learning experiences needed as part of a proactive counseling and guidance program designed to support closing the gap for students in areas of learning, social and emotional needs.
Criterion
Needs Assessment Completed By 100%
School Counseling students in COUN 6335 will obtain a 100% response rate of teachers in the school completing the needs assessment designed to develop guidance and counseling activities/experiences designed to close the gap.
In an effort to improve the response rate over last year’s results, COUN 6335 students will be required to schedule an appointment with campus administrators prior to requesting teachers complete the student needs assessments and seek permission to administer the needs assessment at a faculty meeting rather than individually.
Finding
Needs Assessment Results
All of the students in COUN 6335 developed a needs assessment instrument appropriate for the grade level of the student at their school. The needs assessment was introduced and completed by teachers at a faculty meeting. Most students were successful obtaining 100% response rate from the teachers attending the faculty meeting. However, a small number of students were unable to secure 100% response rate from the total number of teachers in the school because some teachers did not attend the faculty meeting.
Action
Needs Assessment Aimed At Closing The Gap
The expectation of obtaining a completed needs assessment response rate of 100% from the teachers at the school campus where the counseling student is doing the field assignment is going to be modified for next school year (2013-2014). While most students were able to obtain 100% response rate from teachers (after several attempts to do so) the length of time it took to obtain the 100% response rate impacted student's ability to meet the due date for the assignment. Therefore, the expectation will be that 90 to 100% of the teachers on the school campus will complete the needs assessment.
Goal
Research Competence
To develop graduate research compentencies that result in action research projects designed to address a current need in a school.
Objective
Graduate Students Will Demonstrate Competency In Research
School Counseling MEd students enrolled in COUN 6335, Leadership, Advocacy, and Accountability will demonstrate competencies as professional reviewers of school counseling outcome research.
Indicator
Research Project Grading Rubric
MEd school counseling students enrolled in COUN 6335 will develop and present a scholarly presentation based on their review of outcome research addressing an identified counseling concern for the student population they plan to service. MEd students will critically evaluate research relevant to their respective areas of concern (i.e., social skills, respect for diversity, anger management, divorced families, self-esteem)and understand best practices and outcome research to apply findings to practice resulting in research driven and supported counseling.
Criterion
At Least 80 Points
Students must score 80 out of 100 points on the Research Project Grading Rubric. Last year, we decided that Counseling MEd students would be encouraged to take the results of their research projects one step further and use the results to identify a weakness or strength of the population surveyed and share the results of their study school personnel includng building administrators and all of the teachers.
Finding
Reseach Competence
All of the MEd school counseling students successfully meet this objective and demonstrated skills of evaluating outcome research and connecting research results to practice of school counseling. All students scored 80 points or better on the Research Project Grading Rubric.
Action
Professional Review Of Literature
For the next school year (2013-2014) students enrolled in COUN 6335 will present a "Talking Points" paper based on the professional review of literature report assignment they submitted as part of the course requirement. Students review of professional literature is to be based on an age appropriate topic relevant to the student population on the campus where they are doing their field work for the course. It is recommended that students select a topic or areas identified on the needs assessment completed by teachers on the school campus. The "Talking Points" paper will be presented to teachers, administrators, and staff at the school campus. Ideally, students can briefly present the "Talking Points" paper at a faculty meeting - however, this is only a suggestion not a requirement for the course assignment.