Section 2.2: Build, Implement, Monitor

Facilities & Resources School counselors must have systems in place that are focused, student centered, and well planned to run smoothly and effectively. Activities in Build, Implement, and Monitor are those that help counselors construct the foundation of the CCSC and to put the framework in place. Counselors will learn what is needed to develop the core beliefs, mission, and vision, as well as to identify student needs, implement programming, and monitor the impact of the programs on student success in a systematic manner.

Schools can assess the status of their own programming using the Annual School Counseling Framework Assessment to determine where to start in the process of developing a CCSCF.

Foundation

Having a foundation on which to build the CCSCF helps school counselors identify goals, strategies, and a shared set of ideas about how they will impact their students through the services they provide. The foundation guides all programmatic activities and can be measured. The foundation should be aligned with the goals and strategic plan of the school and district.

To build a foundation, three elements are needed: A set of common beliefs, a vision statement and a mission statement. All three elements should be agreed upon by all members of the school counseling team. There should be continuity between the beliefs, vision and mission. The CCSCF beliefs, vision and mission should align with those of the school and district.

Beliefs	Vision	Mission
Beliefs are shared set of thoughts and principles that school counselors hold true about the role they play in a school. Belief statements include the school counselors’ convictions about the ability of all students to achieve and clearly delineates that the school counseling framework is for all students.	A Vision statement projects what students will know, understand, and be able to do as a result of completing participation in the school counseling programming. Vision statements often project 5-15 years into the future and are believable and achievable.	A Mission statement defines the objectives of the school counseling department and outlines the path that counselors will take to reach the objectives. The mission should be clear, concise, and aligned to the school/district mission and vision and to the CT Themes.
Example: School Counselors in Nutmeg Middle School believe: All students can achieve success. We are advocates for family, students, staff, and our profession. Collaboration within the school and in the community enhances student achievement. All students can benefit from participating in the school counseling program Data helps us identify and support student needs.	Example: Nutmeg Middle School Alumni: Are resourceful and resilient in facing challenges Collaborate effectively with others Understand that their behaviors impact others Have goals for the future	Example: The mission of the Nutmeg Middle School Counseling Department is to help every student be their best self. This will be accomplished through advocacy, collaboration with the school community, and the delivery of a needs-based comprehensive school counseling program.

Use of Data in Plan

School counselors will use data to help determine the needs of the student and school community and to drive the focus of the CCSCF in their schools. There are several sources of data that can be useful to school counselors in developing the CCSCF. These include school data profiles, annual framework evaluation, and needs assessments.

School Data Profiles

Achievement data provides a focus for counselors when developing curriculum and individual student planning. School data profiles contain information about trends in student academic performance, graduation rates, behavior, attendance, and other relevant topics that can help school counselors have a better understanding of their student body. Many of the elements in the achievement data and behavioral data are useful for counselors to help plan programming and to evaluate their impact on students. Counselors can find holistic data on the levels of college and career readiness of students, school discipline, chronic absenteeism and much more in their district by visiting EdSight.

Early Indicator Tool (EIT) EdSight Secure

The Connecticut State Department of Education created the Early Indication Tool (EIT), a K–12 system that uses statistical methods to predict student performance and identify clusters of students who are at risk of missing milestones and/or dropping out, and ultimately facilitates more timely interventions. The primary purpose of this tool is to allow for timely student interventions by district/school staff with the ultimate goal of improving student engagement and outcomes. The EIT is a critical component of Connecticut’s Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) plan, especially to inform the provision of a MTSS to students. The EIT report in EdSight Secure identifies a targeted support level (i.e., high, medium, or low) for a student, while also presenting demographic information and two years of attendance, behavior, mobility, and achievement data. The report allows users to apply a variety of filters to the data, create charts and cross tabs, study trends, and identify students that need additional support. Users can sort, filter, and compare information across grades and schools within a district. Additionally, the EIT report allows users to set their own criteria for the various metrics like attendance rates, disciplinary events, mobility occurrences, or achievement levels to identify particular students for targeted support. As with any EdSight Secure report, users can export the information for their own analysis. Contact the district’s data administrator for permission and more information on EdSight Secure.

Annual School Counseling Framework Assessment

The School Counseling Framework Assessment (Appendix F) evaluates the degree to which school counselors have implemented a framework that is aligned with the CCSCF. This assessment guides program design and development and helps the school counseling department analyze annual progress. The results of the assessment provide school counselors with information on strengths and gaps in their framework. Additionally, the information gathered can be used to revise annual goals and establish priorities.

Needs Assessment

School counselors can survey families, students, faculty, and other school community stakeholders to determine topics and concerns that are important to the education community. The data from surveys help school counselors plan the type of services to include in their schools’ CCSCF, including designing curriculum for school counseling lessons, small groups, and family programs. Needs assessment data is also used to help school counselors select which student competencies from the CCSCF Student Standards are appropriate for students in their schools.

Goal Setting

School counselors should set goals annually to help monitor the impact of the CCSCF. Goals help guide the implementation of school counseling programming and can be used by school counselors to close identified achievement gaps among groups of students in their schools.

A written goal statement or statements provide a clear declaration of the general outcomes to which the school counseling framework is committed. The goals answer the questions: “What do counselors want students to know and be able to do as a result of their participation in the school counseling framework?” and “How are students better off as a result of the school counseling framework?”

Advisory Council

The formation of an Advisory Council is an important step in seeking support for the development and implementation of a comprehensive school counseling framework. The council serves as a sounding board and offers feedback on framework development, programming, and outcomes. The council is critical at the beginning of the comprehensive school counseling framework development process and becomes a supportive link to the framework and to the counselors once the framework is fully implemented. Members of the advisory council include those who receive direct and non-direct services from the counselors (teachers, administrators, community members, Board of Education members, families, and students). When deciding who should be a part of the advisory council, it is recommended to include a diverse group of members in order to provide various perspectives on the school counseling program.