We know school counseling should be data-informed, but sometimes it’s hard to know where to start! There are data points that counselors should be aware of and attuned to as they’re planning for tier 1 and tier 2 instruction and intervention. Keep reading to find 4 school counseling data sources I use as I plan for my program!
4 School Counseling Data Sources to Be Aware Of While You’re Planning
1. Attendance
It’s always good to be regularly checking in on attendance data (though managing it shouldn’t be your job!). This data gives us insight into who is missing school, who is late for school, and who might need some help in these areas. We can use this information to plan attendance groups, reach out to families, and identify students who might need support in getting to school.
2. Office Referrals
This data can offer a host of information about lagging skills. If students are being referred to the office for fighting, you might need to do conflict resolution groups. If they’re being referred to the office for classroom disruptions, you might need to do groups focusing on self regulation and appropriate behavior. Dive into the reasons for referrals to look for patterns that can inform how you plan your interventions!
3. Counseling Referrals
By the same token, diving into the reason for counseling referrals is a necessary task. If you’re getting a lot of referrals for kids who are fighting with peers or having outbursts in class, it might be time for a self regulation or anger group. If you’re getting referrals for kids who are withdrawn or giving up quickly, a self esteem group might be needed! Look for patterns to inform your next steps.
4. Grades and Test Scores
Finally, keeping an eye on grades and test scores can inform our practice as well. Students who are struggling with grades may be having a hard time with the content. But they might also be struggling with executive functions skills like planning and organization. Or they might be struggling with self advocacy skills to ask for help! Take a look here to see what skills might be lagging outside of academics.
Keep learning:
I use all of these schoolwide data points as I’m planning for my classroom guidance lessons, but also as I’m planning for group counseling! If you want to learn more about how I plan for group counseling from start to finish, click here to get the Group Counseling Game Plan! It’s a complete planning guide to take you from chaos to confidence in planning, implementing, and evaluating your group counseling program, starting with data points like these.
Read more about group counseling:
- 5 Ways to Check In During Group Counseling Sessions
- 5 Questions I Ask Students Before Group
- 5 Places to Observe Students Before Group
- 5 Closing Rituals for Group Counseling
