1999 ERIC Digest

EDO-CG-99-5

Improving Academic Achievement: What School Counselors Can Do

The school reform movement has been a major societal and challenging counselors, but the message is the same: help promote
political agenda item for nearly two decades. The impetus for the reform student achievement. This digest is designed to outline a number of
movement continues to be derived from a variety of sources. Chief strategies and techniques that school counselors can use to meet this
among these are the unfavorable comparisons of the achievement challenge. A much fuller discussion of these strategies can be found in
records of students in the U. S. with students in other industrialized Proven Strategies for Improving Learning & Achievement (Brown,
countries (Peak, 1997), report cards from the U. S. Department of 1999).
Education documenting that many students are not proficient in core
academic areas, and concerns that students who graduate from U. S. Improving School Climate
schools will be ill prepared to perform the tasks in the increasing High profile school violence incidents in Colorado, Arkansas,
numbers of technical occupations (Daggett, 1997). As a result of the Kentucky, and Mississippi have focused the nations attention on
pressure stemming from the movement to make schools more effective, alienated students. However, alienated students rarely go on violent
many changes have occurred. The most obvious of the changes that shooting sprees. More often students who feel they have no place in
have resulted from the school reform movement is an increased schools disengage psychologically, and often physically, from those
emphasis on assessment. End-of-grade tests, end-of-course tests, and schools. The result is lowered achievement levels (Nelson, Covin, &
standardized achievement tests are used to measure the performance Smith, 1996) and higher dropout rates. Schools with positive school
of individual students, individual, schools, and entire school districts. climates have teachers and others who are seen as warm and caring,
The most dramatic changes involve takeovers of low functioning have educational policies that foster educational and personal
schools by state boards of education. Although takeovers may take development, and recognize students efforts and accomplishments
many forms, one approach is to send an educational SWAT team to a (Purkey & Schmidt, 1996). In-school suspension programs are policies
low-performing school and essentially redirect that school from within. that promote educational development. Out-of-school suspension
Some of the approaches to educational reform involve the carrot programs provide no benefits to students and discourage their
instead of the stick. The establishment of the National Board for achievement. Educators who know students names, recognize their
Certified Teachers (NBCT) is a more positive approach. The NBCT, efforts, and provide academic support encourage educational and
when it has completed its work, will have established criteria aimed at student development. Those who do not care, fail to listen, and refuse
improving the skills and knowledge of teachers, counselors, and others. to recognize individual differences in achievement potential contribute
States and local school boards then reward certified educators with to the alienation of students. School counselors can improve the climate
significant pay increases. Another positive approach to promoting of their schools by advocating for policies that promote rather than
increased academic achievement involves rewarding the faculties of detract from the personal and educational development of students.
high performing schools, which in essence involves the introduction They can do this by conducting in-service training of teachers and
of merit pay based on the performance of the entire school. Vouchers administrators to teach them basic communication skills, and methods
that allow parents to remove their students from low-performing public of affirming students importance and providing encouragement to
schools and place them in private schools have been introduced in them.
Florida and Ohio. Many educators in public schools oppose the voucher One of the interesting bits of rhetoric that has emerged from the
system, perhaps because it threatens their job security. However, parents school reform movement is the need for smaller schools because large
who take advantage of the system view vouchers as a positive step schools are viewed as too impersonal. It is argued that in small schools,
toward providing a sound education for their children because they teachers, administrators, and counselors will know every student
can send them to private schools and have part or all of the cost paid personally and students will have increased opportunities to participate
for by their school districts. Charter schools, which are an alternative in school activities. Arguments for smaller schools are at least partially
form of public schools, have also sprung up across the country. Charter responsible for the development of charter schools, but these schools
schools and the use of vouchers creates competition between charter serve only a very small percentage of students. However, school
schools and private schools on one hand and public schools on the counselors need not wait until schools become smaller to personalize
other, something many people believe is essential for promoting change the educational environment. They can become the students' anchor
in traditional public schools. persons so that through the use of routine conferences, students feel
School counselors, like teachers and administrators, are expected that at least one person in the school knows and understands their
to play an important role in the school reform movement. One unique concerns . Additionally, they can take the initiative to help
prominent role that counselors fill in many school districts is testing students develop a sense of belonging by involving them in school
coordinator. Paradoxically, the amount of time required to coordinate clubs and activities. One middle school counselor identified all the
the increased amount of testing resulting from school reform has students in his school that did not belong to a club or participate in an
decreased the amount of time that counselors can spend in their activity. He then created a new club for those students and helped
traditional roles. Although coordinating the testing program is labor them develop a service-oriented mission. One of their service activities
intensive, school counselors are under pressure to make other types of was to direct traffic at all school functions, which gave students in the
contributions to the efforts to improve student achievement. Recently club high visibility in the school.
the Wake County, North Carolina Schools adopted a policy that requires School counselors can also help develop a positive school
each school counselor to identify 30 at-risk students and develop climate by sponsoring and conducting awards programs. Many schools
programs that will increase their academic achievement. Other school have award programs in place, but unfortunately they are set up to
districts have not been as direct as the Wake County Schools in honor only those students who are number one in a given area. If award
programs are to positively influence the environment of the school, they that students who attend other than liberal arts institutions are often asked
must impact a wide variety of students. Students who are working to to declare majors that are tied directly to occupations upon entering
improve their achievement, extend support and assistance to others who college. Some school counselors routinely ask students about interests,
are striving to improve, exert energy to achieve even if the results are not educational plans, and occupational goals and record these in their
exemplary, all need recognition. For example, awards can be given to the portfolios as one way of emphasizing the importance of goal setting.
scholars of the week, the most improved students in math, science, Other counselors include juniors and seniors in a variety of experiences
language arts, etc., students who contribute the most to the achievement ranging from career and post-secondary opportunity days to occupational
of others, the peer tutors of the week award, and so forth. Counselors can internships to assist them in their goal-setting.
work with teachers and administrators to establish these awards and
maintain a series of bulletin boards that have the Polaroid pictures of the Involving Parents
various award winners posted. They can also name award winners in Research supports what educators have long understood: parent
Achiever Newsletters, post their names on their schools websites, issue involvement is an important factor in student achievement (Brown, 1999).
bumper stickers to students that tout their achievements, and send notices Parents who have a high level of commitment to their children, set high
to parents about their childrens achievements. Regular school assemblies standards, maintain a stable home environment, support achievement and
can also be held to honor award winners. Perhaps the spirit of what is become upset when grades are low, suggest that academic achievement
being advocated here can be found in the work of a high school counselor. brings honor to the family, and monitor their students progress
At the end of each grading period, she sent almost made it letters to continuously have children who do better in school. On the other hand,
students who narrowly missed the A-B honor roll, congratulating them parents who accept the absolute authority of the teacher, maintain homes
and encouraging them to keep aspiring. in dangerous neighborhoods, are poor, and are not proficient with the
English language, have children who achieve at a lower level than other
Direct Interventions students. Counselors can involve parents through parent consultation,
School counselors can improve the nature of the achievement parent education classes that teach parents how to support their children
climate in their schools. They can also draw from a vast array of in schools as well as parenting skills, and by advocating for parents and
interventions that will help students increase their academic achievement students when students are not treated fairly by the educational
(Brown, 1999). One intervention that has been used for more than a quarter establishment. They can also help to keep the parents of children who are
of a century is behavioral contracts. Unfortunately, this intervention has having difficulty in school apprised of their childrens progress by
not been properly applied and has not had the results that many teachers encouraging teachers to communicate more frequently with parents than
and counselors expected. If behavioral contracts are to be effective they once per grading period.
must have specific objectives, set attainable short-term goals, be monitored
regularly, allow for immediate reinforcement, and be adjusted when they Summary and Conclusion
are not promoting the desired change. Although they are somewhat more School counselors are under pressure to assist in the effort to
difficult to develop and monitor, behavioral contracts that involve groups increase student achievement. They can respond to this challenge by
instead of individuals have great potential to influence student behavior. working to improve the school climate, using direct interventions such
Other direct interventions that are frequently employed by school as teaching study skills and involving students in achievement motivation
counselors include study skills groups, time management training, groups, and by increasing the involvement of parents in the educational
classroom guidance units aimed at improving test taking skills, and process.
achievement motivation groups. Achievement motivation groups are led
by the counselor, but involve input from the teachers and support for References
increased achievement from the students in the group. School counselors Brown, D. (1999). Proven strategies for improving learning and
also establish SAT preparation courses, peer and volunteer tutoring academic achievement. Greensoro, NC: CAPS Publications.
programs, homework support networks, and refusal skills groups. Refusal
Daggett, W. R. (1997). Getting schools ready for the technology of the
skills groups are aimed at helping students resist the pressure often applied
future. Model Schools News, 1, 1-2.
by low achieving students on achievers to minimize their academic
achievement. Nelson, J. R., Covin, G., & Smith, D. (1996). The effects of setting clear
When students have educational and career goals they do better in limits on the social behavior of students in the commons areas of
schools. Counselors can facilitate the development of educational and schools. Journal for At-Risk Issues, 3, 10-19.
personal goals by engaging students in individual and group activities Peak, L. (1997). Pursuing excellence: A study of fourth grade mathematics
that focus on goal setting. Career counseling is often neglected by high and science achievement in an international context. Washington, DC:
school counselors because they believe that students, particularly those NCES.
going to college, have a number of years to choose a career. The fact is Purkey, W. W., & Schmidt, J. J. (1996). Invitational counseling. Pacific
Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.

ERIC Digests are in the public domain and may be freely reproduced and disseminated. This publication was funded by the U.S.
Department of Education, Of fice of Educational Research and Improvement, Contract No. ED-99-CO-0014. Opinions expressed in this report do not
necessarily reflect the positions of the U.S. Department of Education, OERI, or ERIC/CASS.
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