Running Head:

DESCRPTION OF A PRACTICE NEED

1

Angela Bell
Description of a Practice Need
Phase 1
SW 3810
February 20, 2014

Running Head:

DESCRPTION OF A PRACTICE NEED

2

For this assignment the practice setting would be a high school counselor in the Detroit
Public Schools. Within this setting, my practice problem is the increase in the illiteracy rate
among high school students. From this particular issue the practice question that emerges is,
What evidence based intervention effectively addresses and reduces the illiteracy rate among
high school students?
This is practice question is of personal interest to me because I am the director of a
mentoring program for female high school students in the Metro Detroit area. In the mentoring
program I have come across several students that will not be graduating on time because they did
not pass their required classes, or they have passed the classes but they do not meet the
requirements to attend their college of choice (ACT scores, G.P.A., etc.).
In my experience as a mentor, I have noticed that several of the young ladies are falling
behind because they are not functioning academically on their appropriate grade level. Some of
the teachers will give the students the grades that they have earned, while others will give the
students an abundance of make-up work so that they will simply skate by to the next grade.
This is considered to be a social problem because illiteracy is an issue that can put a cap
on the opportunities available to an individual. Illiteracy can be linked to unemployment, dropout
rates on both a high school and secondary education level, welfare and a host of other issues.
Illiteracy is not an issue where the effects are only limited to the individual, this problem takes a
toll on communities, school systems, families and much more.