Kathy Granite Exemplar #1 Exemplar #1 Data Analysis Project XYZ High School-Finding Achievement Gaps CSP 769 Leadership

and Advocacy Standards Addressed: 17, 23 and 30 Introduction: The California educational system has a widespread inequity in academic achievement and opportunity across ethnic and socioeconomic groups. Known as the achievement gap, the persistent inequality of learning is measured between the performances of groups of students, usually groups defined by socioeconomic status (SES), ethnicity, gender and language. As a professional school counselor, I chose to complete the data project to better understand the achievement gap within these groups and to increase my knowledge and skills based on the data results. XYS High Schools data was compared to high schools in the same district and all high schools in the State of California. The gaps were determined by acknowledging results of examinations, such as the Standardized Testing and Reporting Results (STAR), California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE), the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), and the American College Testing (ACT). Other areas for study included assessing data from students who enrolled in Advanced Placement classes (AP), drop out rates, graduation rates, and A-G college-going completion rates. As an advocate for closing the achievement gap, I also understand the importance of knowing how to use tools to locate, collect, desegregate and analyze data. By completing this project, I gained significant knowledge and understanding in collecting, disaggregating and utilizing data, which will help close the achievement gap in my school.

Standard 17: Foundation of the School Counseling Profession

Kathy Granite Exemplar #1 According to the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Model, the purpose of the Foundation is to foster research and provide education on topics of value to school counselors and their students (ASCA, 2014). While researching for this data project, I discovered how to identify achievement gaps and how they relate to the school counseling profession. I also located, collected, disaggregated and analyzed data based on diverse groups within my school and other schools in the district and State. This gave me the understanding of how my school is succeeding at closing achievement gaps and where improvements are still prominent. Standard I-B-1: Plans, organizes, implements and evaluates a school counseling program aligning with the ASCA National Model was incorporated in this data project. After analyzing the data outcomes, the results indicated that there were several achievement gaps that needed attention. To bring awareness to the schools counseling program, I presented the data results to the school counseling team and administrators. In addition, I suggested plans to improve the school counseling program by recommending ways to close the achievement gaps. Standard 23: Advocacy Standard I-B-4: Collaborates with parents, teachers, administrators, community leaders and other stakeholders to promote and support student success was included in creating the data project. Part of the data project requirement was to compare staff perceptions from professionals at XYZ High School and a similar school in the area. I collaborated with the principal and school counselors at each school to gather school-based information such as, areas of strength and growth within the schools. As a result of this

Kathy Granite Exemplar #1 information, I advocated to make a change in the areas of growth by developing and implementing preventions and interventions to help change those views into strengths. Standard III-B-3b: Uses data to identify policies, practices and procedures leading to successes, systemic barriers and areas of weakness was demonstrated by identifying significant data that revealed an achievement gap in the school. This gap recognized students who did not graduate college-ready. With this knowledge, I approached the school counseling team and advocated to implement a community college awareness program. By doing this, I demonstrated advocacy skills by making sure all students have information on academic progress, which would close the achievement gap for community college-bound students. Standard 30: Research, Program Evaluation and Technology Standard III-B-3e: Knows how to use data to identify gaps between and among different groups of students was used throughout this project. By disaggregating the data, I was able to identify achievement and opportunity gaps between and among different groups of students. Standard V-B-1i: Uses technology in conducting research and program evaluation was the main source of my data collection. Internet based websites, such as XYZ High Schools Accountability Report Card, California Department of Education Data Quest and the California Post-Secondary Commission, were used to collect and disaggregate data. With the data results, I evaluated the school counseling program and determine what areas were strong and which needed improvement.

Kathy Granite Exemplar #1 Conclusion: In completing this data project, I was exposed to the entire process of gathering, researching, disaggregating and analyzing school achievement data. Prior to starting this project, I had little knowledge of how to collect and disaggregate data. Also, I was unfamiliar with important data-search websites and documents such as, the School Accountability Report Card (SARC), California Department of Education Data Quest and the California Post-Secondary Commission. Finding achievement gaps is essential in the school counseling profession. Knowing how to find them, however, is key. When I did not know what to look for, finding relevant gaps in the school was hard at first. I was frustrated because the data I was comparing, showed no reason for concern. My initial thought was that the school was doing very well; there were no gaps. I was wisely advised to disaggregate data in areas I did not initially think of, such as gender gaps, economically disadvantaged vs. non-economically disadvantaged, English Language Learners (ELL) verses English speakers. Once I disaggregated the data, I began finding achievement gaps at the school and some that are commonly overlooked. I learned that, even though a school might seem to be doing very well, there are multiple areas of improvement that require attention and should not be overlooked. What I would have done differently is learn ways of locating hard-to-find gaps from the beginning. Once I grasped an understanding of how to locate all achievement needs, the data project became exciting and interesting. What was once a challenging find became evident and I began to notice gaps. The pieces began to come together and the data began to make sense. At times this project was frustrating and seemed impossible to accomplish. Excitedly, the more researched data, the more I

Kathy Granite Exemplar #1 began to understand it. My area of growth derived from perseverance. I became very competent with not only how to find data, but also how to disaggregate the data in various ways. Additionally, I learned how important data is to the foundation of a school counseling program and how it relates to closing the achievement gaps within a school. I know that having a better understanding of collecting data has made me a more effective school counselor. Equipped with data results knowledge, I can be a leader in a school counseling program and advocate for change.