Article Review for Counseling

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SCHOOL COUNSELORS: CLOSING ACHIEVEMENt GAPS ANd wRItING RESULtS REPORtS

Charged with closing the achievement gap for marginalized students, school counselors need to be able to identify gaps, develop interventions, evaluate effectiveness, and share results. This study examined100 summary results reports submitted by school counselors after having received four days of training on the ASCA National Model. Findings indicate that school counselors were able to identify gaps and develop interventions but needed additional training to evaluate outcomes and report findings.

Charged with closing the achievement gap for underserved and marginalized students, today’s professional school counselors must demonstrate that their school counseling program is making a difference and closing gaps in achievement (American School Counselor Associa-tion [ASCA], 2012; Educa-tion Trust, 2003). School counselors are aware that not all students have the same resources; therefore, they must

analyze data to discover inequities, develop programs or interventions to address these inequities, and measure their results to determine the effective- ness of the programs or interventions (ASCA, 2012). By documenting how the school counseling program is help- ing to narrow the achievement gap with school counseling interventions, school counselors are moving “from the periphery of the school’s mission to a position where the educational community views [school counselors] as critical to student success” (ASCA, 2005, p. 53).

School counselors must receive training in order to implement data-driven comprehensive school counseling programs (Dimmit, Carey & Hatch, 2007). Wilkerson and Eschbach (2009) found that graduate students in school counsel- ing programs perceived themselves as better prepared to implement the ASCA National Model (ASCA, 2012) after receiving training developed by the Education Trust. School coun- selors need to receive training on the ASCA National Model just as teach- ers receive professional development when new concepts are introduced (Dahir, Burnham, & Stone, 2009). Although comprehensive developmen- tal programs were first implemented in the 1970s, the data skills needed to

Julie hartline is a school counseling and advisement consultant with Cobb County School District. E-mail Julie.hartline@ cobbk12.org debra C. Cobia is associate dean of the College of Education, University of West Georgia, Carrollton, Ga.

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implement a comprehensive program are not taught in all school counselor education programs. Consequently, the need exists for training and opportuni- ties for professional development for practicing school counselors in the understanding and implementation of a comprehensive school counseling program based on the ASCA National Model. Unfortunately, such opportuni-

ties still are not widely available (Dim- mitt et al., 2007).

Within a comprehensive, data-driv- en program, school counselors deliver intentional guidance interventions, also referred to as “closing the gap” activities, and measure the impact of these interventions on student achieve- ment via the linkage between change in attitude, skill, and/or knowledge and the change in achievement or achievement-related data (Dimmitt et al., 2007, p 39; Hatch & Holland, 2004). The basic idea behind closing the gap or intentional guidance is that “some kids need more” (Dimmitt et al., 2007, p 39; Hatch & Holland, 2004). To determine equity issues within the school, school counselors must disaggregate and examine school data (Dimmitt et al., 2007; Hatch & Holland, 2004). Once he or she identifies gaps, the school counselor provides counseling interventions for under-performing groups of students to close the gaps. School counselors document the results of closing the gap interventions via the causal link- ages of change in achievement and achievement-related data (ASCA, 2012), and this evaluation provides valuable information as to whether the intervention narrowed the achieve- ment gap and whether the interven- tion should be continued, modified, or

discontinued (Dimmit et al., 2007). It is imperative for today’s professional school counselor to perform inten- tional guidance activities and to collect data to demonstrate that gaps in the areas of achievement, opportunity, and information have been closed for all students (Dahir et al., 2009).

The purpose of this study was to determine whether school counselors

who had been trained to implement data-driven, comprehensive school counseling programs based on the ASCA National Model were able to design, implement, and evaluate an intentional intervention to close an achievement gap for a specific group of students in their schools. This study also sought to determine in what ways, if any, the academic success of students was improved as a result of the implemented interventions.

mEthod The first author conducted a qualita- tive examination of school counselor closing the gap reports in order to determine whether school counselors were able to design, implement, and evaluate an intentional intervention to close the achievement gap for a spe- cific group of students in their schools after having participated in four days of training. This section presents the training process, participants, proce- dures, and data collection and analysis procedures.

ASCA National Model training A four-day training regarding the components of comprehensive school counseling programs based on the ASCA National Model (ASCA, 2012)

was provided for all K-12 school counselors and at least one adminis- trator from 116 schools in a subur- ban district of a large metropolitan area in the Southeast. The schools included 18 high schools, 26 middle schools, and 72 elementary schools. Approximately 300 school counselors and a minimum of 116 administra- tors made up 116 school counseling teams; each team was required by the district school counseling supervisor to attend all four days of training. One third of the schools received training each academic year over a three-year period from 2007-2008 to 2009-2010. Although the objectives of the train- ing remained consistent from year to year, some modifications were made to training procedures (e.g., including more peer examples in years two and three and the order in which topics were presented).

During the first day of training, the school counseling teams developed mission statements and statements of philosophy, cross-walked the ASCA National Standards (ASCA, 2004), established program goals, discussed the use of calendars in the manage- ment of programs, were introduced to data concepts, and examined their own school data to determine criti- cal areas of need. Further, teams were asked to identify at least one gap in achievement within their schools and to discuss potential interventions to close the gap.

Following day one of training, par- ticipants attended a two-day work- shop conducted by Dr. Trish Hatch, co-author of the ASCA National Model (ASCA, 2012). Dr. Hatch’s training focused on the components of the ASCA National Model, data concepts, guidance curriculum action plans, intentional guidance action plans, results reports, and advocacy. An additional day of training later in the academic year covered the estab- lishment of an advisory council; the development of management agree- ments; the integration of technology via the utilization of an online calen- dar; the time analysis tool of School Counselor Accountability and Task

tOdAy’S PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL COUNSELORS MUSt dEMONStRAtE tHAt tHEIR SCHOOL

COUNSELING PROGRAM IS MAkING A dIFFERENCE ANd CLOSING GAPS IN ACHIEVEMENt.

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Analysis Program (SCAATAP); other technology programs such as Excel; a discussion of the Georgia Keys (Georgia Department of Education, 2010), which provides a framework for Georgia schools to make improve- ments; and the process of applying to become a Recognized ASCA Model Program (RAMP). RAMP is a desig- nation given by the American School Counselor Association that recognizes exemplary data-driven, comprehensive school counseling programs.

Procedures Once trained, each school counseling team was expected to provide a clos- ing the gap intervention annually and to write a closing the gap summary results report that identified the gap targeted for change, the intervention implemented to close the gap, and a measure of the effectiveness of the intervention using the results report template provided by the district (see Appendix A). These reports were sub- mitted to the district school counseling supervisor who shared the outcomes with the district superintendent and other stakeholders who provided support for the training. One hundred school teams submitted 33 reports in August 2009 and 67 reports in August 2010. Sixteen trained school teams out of 116 failed to submit reports in years 2009 and 2010; therefore, 100 closing the gap summary reports were analyzed for this study.

The first author, who was a prac- ticing school counselor and the lead school counselor at a high school in the district, was asked by the district level supervisor to co-train the school counselors in the district during the 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 academic years after her program became the first in the district to receive RAMP in the spring of 2008. Both the first author and the district level supervisor were interested in the effectiveness of the training. The first author assumed primary responsibility for evaluating the results reports, which the teams were required to submit to the district in August 2009 and 2010, to deter- mine whether school teams were able

to design, implement, and evaluate a closing the gap intervention after having received training. The first au- thor and district level supervisor also wanted to determine future training needs for the counselors in the district. The content analysis of these summary reports was completed as the disser- tation for the first author’s doctoral program. The district level supervisor informed the school counselors that the reports would be reviewed for this study, and the 100 submitted reports were examined by the first author.

the Closing the Gap report rubric Summary closing the gap reports were examined using a rubric that was developed by the first author (see Ap-

pendix B). The reliability of the rubric as an instrument to be used in this study was established through peer ex- amination. Independent raters used the rubric to score completed closing the gap summary reports to see whether two people could agree on the quality of the reports. The first author and a counselor educator, the first author’s dissertation chair, scored five results reports independently. The scores were compared to determine any discrep- ancies. For four of the five reports scored, the ratings given independently by the first author and the dissertation chair were identical. For one report, there was a discrepancy in ratings for elements one and three with ratings of 1 assigned by the dissertation chair and ratings of 2 assigned by the first author. The authors resolved these discrepancies through discussion and reached an agreement regarding how all elements of the report should be rated.

Analysis of results reports The first author analyzed the 100 reports based on a rubric to deter- mine whether counselors identified an achievement gap based on data, developed a quality intervention, and measured outcomes. The reports were first sorted based on whether the intervention was led by a school counselor or another party. If the re- port indicated that a school counselor played a primary role in the design and implementation of the interven- tion, the report was rated with a 3. If the report indicated that the school counselor participated in the interven- tion under the direction of another party, the report was rated with a score of 2. Reports on interventions

that were conducted by a party other than the school counselor were given a rating of 1.

The next step in data analysis involved rating each report based on three elements of the plans. The first element determined whether school counselors were able to use school data to identify an achievement gap in their schools. Items from the closing the gap summary report, including the purpose of the project and the num- ber of students served, were used to determine the score for this category. A rating of 3 was given to the reports that indicated that school data were used to identify a group of students for whom a gap existed. Reports on in- terventions for a group of students for whom a gap may have existed with- out the gap being identified based on data or the data being discussed in the report received scores of 2. Reports on interventions for students for whom a gap did not exist were rated a score of 1 for this element.

ONCE tRAINEd, EACH SCHOOL COUNSELING tEAM wAS ExPECtEd tO PROVIdE A CLOSING tHE GAP INtERVENtION ANNUALLy ANd tO wRItE A CLOSING tHE GAP SUMMARy RESULtS REPORt.

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The second element of the reports rated was whether the school counsel- ors were able to develop and imple- ment an appropriate intervention to close the achievement gap. The sum- mary report sections of the purpose of the project, the duration of the project, the ASCA domain, the setup of the project, and how the project was assessed were used to determine the answer to this question. To receive a score of 3, the counselors had to provide interventions that addressed the identified needs, were based on one or more of the ASCA domains (academic, career, or personal/social), were conducted over a sufficient period of time to close the gaps, and had the means to determine success based on perception data (change in attitude, knowledge, and/or skill) and results data (change in achievement- related indicators and/or achieve- ment). The reports on interventions that were based on an ASCA domain, were designed to close an achievement gap, and used either perception or results data to determine whether the intervention was successful received a rating of 2. A score of 1 was given to reports on interventions that were not for the purpose of closing an achieve- ment gap and that did not have a method of assessment.

The third element of the reports that was scored based on the rubric was whether the school counselors were able to measure the outcomes of the intervention. This question was answered by examining the summary of findings, the conclusions drawn,

and the future plans from the reports. If the report included both clear per- ception and results data with logical conclusions and realistic future plans, it was rated with a 3 for this element.

The reports that included perception and/or results data with at least one conclusion and some future plans received a score of 2. Reports that in- cluded outcome data and conclusions without any future plans received ratings of 1.

Whether the outcomes of the inter- ventions were positive did not im- pact the rating of the reports for this portion of the study as the purpose was to determine whether counselors

had the skills to identify gaps, provide interventions, and measure outcomes. However, the first author also main- tained an audit trail by recording a journal page for each report to deter-

mine if and how the academic success of students had been improved as a re- sult of the implemented interventions. These notes were also used to identify themes and patterns that emerged.

rESultS Based on a review of 100 school counseling closing the gap summary reports, the authors reported the fol- lowing results. Table 1 presents the percent of school counselor reports receiving a score of three for each criteria element. Eighty-eight reports (88%) indicated that the school counselors designed and delivered interventions to close achievement gaps (x̄ = 2.84). Of the 100 reports reviewed, 48 (48%) indicated that school counselors used data and reported on the data used to identify a group of students for whom a gap existed (x̄ = 2.25). Thirty-five (35%) were able to develop and implement an appropriate intervention to close an

tHE AUtHOR ANALyZEd tHE REPORtS tO dEtERMINE wHEtHER COUNSELORS IdENtIFIEd AN ACHIEVEMENt

GAP BASEd ON dAtA, dEVELOPEd A qUALIty INtERVENtION, ANd MEASUREd OUtCOMES.

RUBRIC SCORES FOR SCHOOL COUNSELING PROGRAM CLOSING tHE GAP SUMMARy REPORtS Score* Criteria 3 2 1 x̄

Counselor Led Intervention Total 88 8 4 2.84 Elementary 59 2 1 Middle 20 5 0 High 9 1 3

Identification of an Achievement Gap Total 48 29 23 2.25 Elementary 33 15 14 Middle 10 10 5 High 5 4 4

Quality of Intervention Total 35 36 29 2.06 Elementary 27 19 16 Middle 4 11 10 High 4 6 3

Quality of Results Total 12 77 11 2.01 Elementary 11 45 6 Middle 0 20 5 High 1 12 0

Note. n = 100 Rubric scores: 3 = exceeds; 2 = adequate; 1 = emerging or not met

tABLE 1.

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achievement gap (x̄ = 2.06). Twelve re- ports (12%) reported outcomes of the intervention based on both perception and results data, drew logical conclu- sions, and made realistic future plans based on the outcomes (x̄ = 2.01).

Of the 100 reports scored, 71 (71%) lacked sufficient information to fully explain the interventions delivered and the results found. Items that were not adequately described on the reports included details regarding the identi- fied gaps, specifics on the interven- tions, descriptions of the outcomes, explanations of the activities provided, and elaboration on the conclusions and summary. The reports also often used unfamiliar acronyms, making it difficult for an outside reader, includ- ing all stakeholders, to gain a full understanding of the intervention and its outcomes.

Of the reviewed school reports, 92 (92%) indicated definite gains in outcomes based on perception and/or results data as a result of the inter- ventions. Specifically, 54 out of 92 (59%) of the schools reported gains as measured by perception data, and 79 out of 92 (86%) of the reports in- dicated that the intervention impacted

student success via achievement or achievement-related data. Forty-two of the 92 (46%) schools that reported gains showed gains in both types of assessment data on their reports. Table 2 indicates the types of outcome data counselors used to report gains for each targeted intervention category.

diSCuSSion Overall, a majority of the school counselor teams reported that they designed and implemented closing the gap interventions in their schools, a promising outcome since this is an es- sential skill for school counselors who implement and manage comprehensive school counseling programs. How- ever, most teams failed to fulfill all the requirements necessary to produce a quality closing the gap summary results report in the areas of identifica-

tion of a gap, quality of intervention, and quality of results.

The ability to identify a group of students for whom a gap exists is an important skill for school counselors in order to advocate for equity and access for all students. However, fewer than half of the reports included the data used to identify gaps. School counselors who were trained in years two and three were more likely to include in their reports the school data used to identify the gaps. This may be due in part to modifications that were made in the training from year to year as areas in need of improve- ment were gleaned; however, it may have also occurred because the later trainings included more peer examples of closing the gap projects since school counselors are more likely to trans- late training into actual practice if they receive peer training (Holcomb- McCoy, Gonzalez, & Johnston, 2009).

NUMBER OF REPORtS tHAt INdICAtEd GAINS By tARGEtEd AREA ANd tyPE OF OUtCOME dAtA Gains in Results Gains in Both Targeted Area of and/or Perception Gains in Gains in Results and Achievement Gap Data* Results Data Perception Data Perception Data

n % n % n % n %

Test Scores 42 46 40 51 26 48 24 57

Grades 17 18 15 19 9 17 7 17

Discipline/Behavior 15 16 12 15 7 13 6 14

Attendance 10 11 10 13 4 7 4 10

Other** 8 9 2 3 8 15 1 2

Total 92 92 79 79 54 54 42 42

Note. N = 100

* Gains reported in this column include all reports that reported any type of gain, whether perception data only, results data only, or perception and results data. (For example, 42 reports indicated gains in results and/or perception data for interventions targeting test scores. Forty of those 42 reported gains in results data with 24 of those 40 reporting gains in results and perception data and the other 16 of the 40 reporting gains in results data only. Twenty six reports indicated gains in perception data with 24 of those 26 showing gains in perception and results data and two of the 26 indicating gains in perception data only.)

** Eight schools that reported gains submitted reports on interventions to impact other factors beyond test scores, grades, discipline/behavior, and attendance. Five of the eight interventions targeted problem-solving, one report targeted student organizational skills, and two reports targeted student reading goals and homework completion.

tABLE 2.

OF tHE 100 REPORtS SCOREd, 71 LACkEd SUFFICIENt INFORMAtION tO FULLy ExPLAIN tHE INtERVENtIONS dELIVEREd ANd tHE RESULtS FOUNd.

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Although most counselors were able to identify a group of students in need of an intentional guidance activity, they were not as skilled at explaining or un- derstanding the data used to identify that gap.

Another finding of this study is that most school counselors do not assess and document changes using both perception and results data. Counselors must create a causal link between the school counseling activity and student achievement via percep- tion and outcome data (Dimmitt et

al., 2007). Although the counselors received training on the different types of data and the importance of creat- ing a causal link, more than half of the reports showed that the school counselors failed to develop and assess an intervention through the collec- tion and analysis of all types of data. While most reports included results data, only a little over half reported perception data. However, even those that included perception data generally only reported post-intervention data and some counselors reported percep- tion data as students’ perceptions such as “were surprised to learn.” True perception data requires the measure- ment of attitude, knowledge, and/or skill from both before and after the intervention in order to determine if a difference exists (Dimmitt et al., 2007). Those who reported some form of perception data often failed to demonstrate a true understanding of such data.

Equal in importance to utiliz- ing school data to identify gaps and developing quality interventions with methods of assessment based on per- ception and results data is the ability

to accurately report the details of this endeavor. However, the majority of the reports lacked sufficient detail and this made it difficult to understand the interventions provided and the results found.

Ultimately, the most important out- come of the training was the demonstra- tion of how student academic success is being improved by school counselor interventions. With the majority of schools reporting gains, students appear to be different as a result of the work of school counselors. Although some

counselors still need assistance in using data to identify and define achievement gaps, developing interventions to close the gaps, and reporting outcomes via both perception and results data, almost half of the schools were able to imple- ment a counseling intervention that could be linked to actual improvements in achievement or achievement-related student gains by showing improve- ments in student attitude, skill, and/or knowledge from before and after the intervention.

limitationS Lack of sufficient details impacted the various elements of the reports; therefore, the first author could not determine the quality of many of the interventions provided and outcomes reported. Possibly affecting the sum- mary results reports were the counsel- ors’ abilities to write quality reports, the time designated or allowed for writing the reports, and the importance that the counselors placed on writing the reports; therefore, the reports may not truly represent the outcomes of the

interventions. As a consequence, this study may represent more of a measure of whether school counselors have the ability to present findings and write summary results reports than their abil- ity to impact achievement gaps.

An additional limitation of this study is that the evaluation of the reports and the use of the rubric was a subjective process completed by the first author. As with any subjective process, the possibility of error exists and may have occurred with the scores assigned to the various elements of the rubric for the reports. These errors would impact the validity of this study.

imPliCationS Based on their interviews with school counselors, Astramovich, Coker, and Hoskins (2005) recommend con- tinual training in evaluation methods that provide “hands-on practice and application of evaluation skills” (p. 53). Overall, the review of reports indicates that, in spite of four days of training, participants need further training and more hands-on prepara- tion in school data usage and evalu- ation. For many school counselors, identifying gaps based on data, as well as assessing and documenting changes based on perception and results data, is a new skill set since the majority of them were not educated in these areas in their graduate level preparation for the profession. Initial exposure to these new concepts is simply not enough for most school counselors. As with the development of any new skill, both time and repeated exposure to the use of data and the measure- ment of outcomes via perception and results data are needed to become proficient in this area. School counsel- ors need continual training, feedback, and mentoring to master these skills and they would benefit greatly from examples of how their peers are implementing appropriate, counselor- led interventions to close achievement gaps and how peers are reporting the outcomes based on perception and results data. For many school coun-

ALtHOUGH MOSt COUNSELORS wERE ABLE tO IdENtIFy A GROUP OF StUdENtS IN NEEd OF AN

INtENtIONAL GUIdANCE ACtIVIty, tHEy wERE NOt AS SkILLEd At ExPLAINING OR UNdERStANdING

tHE dAtA USEd tO IdENtIFy tHAt GAP.

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selors, the expectation to measure the impact of an intervention is a para- digm shift, which will require repeated exposure and practice for full under- standing to occur and self-efficacy to develop.

However, in addition to the fact that these topics need reinforcement for school counselors, this evaluation revealed an additional area of concern. Writing results reports is a new skill that school counselors must develop and they need training on how to do this. Accompanying training on writing quality results reports, school counselors need feedback on their own reports. Both such training and feed- back on written reports would result in higher quality results reports that could be shared with stakeholders.

ConCluSion The findings of this study demonstrate that school counselors who receive training to implement comprehensive school counseling programs can im- pact student achievement. According to gains reported on the summary re- sults reports, the intentional interven- tions delivered by counselors impacted student test scores, grades, attendance, and discipline/behavior. However, the findings of this study also indicate that the majority of school counselors need additional training before they can fully implement comprehensive, data-driven procedures into their daily practice. Given that it takes three to

five years to fully implement a compre- hensive program (ASCA, 2005), pro- viding continual training and support for school counselors is important. Counselors need additional support in identifying gaps based on school data, designing quality interventions, evaluating the effectiveness of the intervention by collecting and analyz- ing perception and outcome data, and adequately reporting outcomes. Pro- viding this support will be important as school counselors continue to build comprehensive, data-driven school counseling programs that address the academic, career, and personal/social developmental needs of students. n

rEfErEnCES American School Counselor Association.

(2004). ASCA national standards for students. Alexandria, VA: Author.

American School Counselor Association. (2005, 2012). The ASCA National Model: A framework for school counseling programs (2nd & 3rd ed.). Alexandria, VA: Author.

Astramovich, R. L., Coker, J. K., & Hoskins, W. J. (2005). Training school counselors in program evaluation. Professional School Counseling, 9(1), 49-54.

Dahir, C., Burnham, J. & Stone, C. (2009). Listen to the voices: School counselors and comprehensive school counseling programs. Professional School Counseling, 12(3), 182-192.

Dimmitt, C., Carey, J. C., & Hatch, T. (2007). Evidence-based school counseling: Making a difference with data-driven practices. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Education Trust. (2003). Transforming school counseling. Retrieved from http://www.edtrust.org/dc/tsc

Georgia Department of Education. (2010). School keys: Unlocking excellence through the Georgia school standards (2007). Retrieved from http://public.doe. k12.ga.us/DMGetDocument.aspx/ SCHOOLKEYSFINAL05-29-07.pdf

Hatch, T., & Holland, L. A. (2004). Moreno Valley Unified District school counselor academy handbook. Moreno Valley, CA: Moreno Valley Unified School District.

Holcomb-McCoy, C., Gonzalez, I., & Johnston, G. (2009). School counselor dispositions as predictors of data usage. Professional School Counseling, 12(5), 343-351.

Wilkerson, K., & Eschbach, L. (2009). Transformed school counseling: The impact of a graduate course on trainees’ perceived readiness to develop comprehensive, data-driven programs. Professional School Counseling, 13(1), 30-37.

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School: ________________________________________________ Year: _______________________________________________

Counselors and other researchers: ______________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Purpose of Data Project: ______________________________________________________________________________________

Grade Level(s): _________________________________________ Domain(s): __________________________________________

Duration of Project: _____________________________________ Total Number of Students Served: _______________________

Date(s) of Project: _______________________________________

Procedures

How was your project set up?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How was it assessed?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

results

Summarize the results of your project:

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Summary and Conclusions

What have you concluded from the data project?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Future Plans

Based on the results of the data project, what is your next step?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

APPENdix A SCHOOL COUNSELING PROGRAM CLOSING tHE GAP SUMMARy

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APPENdix B CLOSING tHE GAP RESULtS REPORt RUBRIC

Counselor led intervention

The school counselor collected data on an intervention that was conducted by another party.

The school counselor participated in the intervention under the direction of another party.

The school counselor played a primary role in the design and implementation of the intervention.

1 Emerging or Not Met

2 Adequate

3 Exceeds

The report failed to identify students for whom a gap existed.

The report identified a group of students for whom a gap existed.

Based on school data, the report identified a group of specific students for whom a gap existed.

Identification of an Achievement Gap

An intervention for students was designed with some method to determine its success.

An intervention based on an ASCA domain was designed and conducted to close an achievement gap. A method of assessment via perception or results data was established to determine if the intervention was successful.

An intervention that addressed the need and was based on one or more of the ASCA domains was designed and conducted over a sufficient period of time to close an achievement gap for an identified population. A method of assessment via both perception and results data was established to determine if the intervention was successful.

Intervention

The report identified outcome data with conclusions but no future plans.

The report identified perception and/or results data. At least one conclusion was drawn from the findings with some future plans.

The report identified clear perception and results data. Logical conclusions were made based on the findings and realistic future plans were identified.

Results