Nowadays, learning institutions are under constant pressure to achieve high educational standards. Different organizations have developed various mechanisms for ensuring that this goal is achieved. Some of the developed strategies have worked while others have made some schools to struggle to attain success. Nevertheless, some strategies have been proved to be most effective than others.
A report by ASCA (2015) suggested that school counselors ought to embrace peer support programs. These programs would help in developing students’ social and emotional competencies. On the other hand, Young & Kaffenberger (2011) noted that school counselors could improve the performance of their institutions if they embrace data driven school counseling programs (DDSCPs) . For school counselors to improve students’ performance as well as close the achievement gap, they ought to embrace accountability strategies. Notably, school counseling activities have shifted from traditional norms to evidence-based and accountability practices (Chapter 10). All these aspects require data collection and analysis (Bemak & Chung, 2014).
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School counselors who utilize RAMP have insight into the importance of using DDSCPs (Young & Kaffenberger, 2011; Wilkerson, Pérusse, & Huges, 2013). Young & Kaffenberger (2011) established that DDSCPs have fourfold merit. First, they promote goal setting depending on school data and mission statements. Second, DDSCPs provide counselors with an opportunity to study enrollment patterns and to ensure that all students have equal opportunities to access services. Third, counselors can use data to close academic achievement gaps that are apparent among students of color and the underrepresented populations. Lastly, school counselors can share their data on best practices thereby helping to improve the outcomes of learning activities (Young & Kaffenberger, 2011).
Concisely, school councilors should adopt data-driven school counseling programs so that they can improve the performance of their students. Through such programs, they can manage to address educational gaps evident between the Whites and the minority groups. Besides, they would be able to set goals based on the evidence from data. Moreover, school councilors can ensure that students access services equally as well as share data on best practices. These methods would help to improve the performance of the school.
References
ASCA (2015). The school counselor and peer support programs. American school counselor association. Retrieved on 21 August 2017 from https://www.schoolcounselor.org/asca/media/asca/PositionStatements/PS_PeerHelping.pdf.
Bemak, F., & Chung, R. C. Y. (2014). Four critical domains of accountability for school counselors. Professional School Counseling , 18 (1), 100-110.
CHAPTER 10: Getting Results: The Effective School Counselor.
Wilkerson, K., Pérusse, R., & Hughes, A. (2013). Comprehensive school counseling programs and student achievement outcomes: A comparative analysis of RAMP versus non-RAMP schools. Professional School Counseling , 16 (3), 172-184.
Young, A., & Kaffenberger, C. (2011). The beliefs and practices of school counselors who use data to implement comprehensive school counseling programs. Professional School Counseling , 15 (2), 67-76.
