Confidential CONFIDENTIAL Town Public Schools Town, Connecticut 00000 MENTAL HEALTH INTERVENTION Name: Diane Sandoval Date

of Birth: April 1, 1996 Chronological Age: 17 years Counselor: Erika Johnson, M.A.

Sandoval, Diane

School: Town High School Grade: Ninth Date of Report: April 20, 2013

PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION: Background Information: Diane is a sixteen-year, ten month, old student at Town High School. Based on her credits at the beginning of the 2012-2013 school year, Diane is a ninth grade student. During her first year at the high school (2011-2012) she attempted 6.5 credits. However, she was only able to earn 3.5 after failing three full-year courses. According to school policy a student must have five credits to be promoted to tenth grade. As a result, Diane was retained for the 2012-2013 school year and was re-enrolled in two of the three classes she did not receive credit for. More details regarding her academic performance are available in the Baseline Data section of this report. During the Quarter 1 marking period (8/30/12-11/14/12) the school psychology intern (counselor) and the school counseling intern decided to develop a group targeting female students who were currently repeating ninth grade. During the previous school year (2011-2012) a similar group was developed and served as an initial model. Diane was recommended as a potential candidate for the group by her guidance counselor. She was described as a student who, if she stayed on track, could attain tenth grade status by January. During a screening interview for the group, Diane expressed that she was interested in participating so she could stay on track. Throughout the interview Diane took responsibility for the previous year and was focused on doing things differently. When asked what she planned to do, Diane explained that it was a new year with new teachers; a fresh start. She also expressed that she wanted to develop better study habits and improve her work completion, which was an issue the previous year. As Diane became more comfortable in the interview, she disclosed an event that she perceived as the crux of her decline in school. Diane explained that she lived with her grandparents and they were a very strong support system for her, especially her grandmother who motivated her to do well in school. However, her grandmother passed away unexpectedly in March 2012, which triggered an apathetic approach to school. When she lost her major support, Diane began to feel that school did not matter anymore. She no longer had anyone pushing her to succeed or believing she could do it. Diane hoped that this group could serve a similar purpose that her grandmother did: a connection to school and motivation to achieve. Operational Definitions of Target Behaviors: Academic motivation is defined as a students engagement with the curriculum through investment (e.g., interest, seeking help, work completion) and participation (e.g., effort,, attendance). Diane expressed that following the passing of her grandmother, she no longer felt motivated to pursue her academics. She stated that her grandfather, though supportive, does not take an interest in her schoolwork nor hold her accountable. She could not identify anyone within school that she had a connection with and encouraged her to complete her academics. As a result, Diane did not see value in her high school education and subsequently avoided her academic work and put minimal effort into assignments. 1
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Baseline Data: In order to determine Dianes current level of performance regarding academic motivation, her academic performance (grades) and work completion rates were collected from the schools database (TEMS). In the chart below are Dianes final grades from the 2011-2012 academic year, as well as her first quarter grades for the 2012-2013 year.
Year 2011-2012 Course Spanish Modern World Biology English Algebra I PE Intro to Wood
Child Development: Infants/Toddlers

Final Letter Grade F C+ F C F B+ BC+

Final Numerical Grade 53 (NO CREDIT) 79 56 (NO CREDIT) 74 56 (NO CREDIT) 86 81 79 Quarter 1

2012-2013 Spanish English Physical Science Algebra I Civics Health Art Studio C+ B C+ BBAA

(Social Studies) (Electives)

79 83 79 82 81 91 93

In order to gauge Dianes behavioral functioning within the classroom, her te achers were asked to complete a behavior rating scale (Missouri Center for Career Education; Appendix A). There was a 100% completion rate for pre-group surveys from Dianes teachers compared to 75% completion rate for her peers. Areas assessed include following directions, participation, cooperating with others, and responsibility. Diane was also asked to complete this form in order to assess her own behavior. Graphs depicting teacher and self-report ratings can be found on the following page. As indicated by ratings and Dianes verbal report, work completion, an indicator of curriculum investment, is an area of concern. Work completion rates (i.e., homework and classwork) were collected from the school database (TEMS) for Diane and other participants in the group, which served as a peer comparison. Both Diane and her peers had an overall average work completion rate of 70% .

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Discrepancy Analysis: According to school data, approximately 8% of ninth grade students were retained during the 2010-2011 academic year. This number decreased to 2.5% during the 2011-2012 year due to the implementation of the Freshman Transition Program, which provides a team structure and individualized supports and resources for students. Diane is part of the 2.5% of retained ninth grade students. The supports in place through the transition program (Tier 1) were not successful, making her a candidate for a more intensive intervention (Tier 2). Upon further analysis of her skills through teacher report, self-report, and academic performance, it seems that Dianes motivation is the result of both a skill and performance deficit. Diane possesses some skills that have enabled her to reach high school. However, when her grandmother, her support system, passed away, Dianes motivation and academic performance declined. Additionally, reports indicate that the skills Diane has are below what would be expected and necessary to be successful in the curriculum, especially in terms of participation, work completion, goal setting, and decision-making. Diane currently presents as a passive learner who is not invested in her success. The proposed intervention should bolster Dianes existing skills and address the acquisition of skills necessary to be successful in high school. The intervention should also aim to help Diane feel more connected to school and her academic. PROBLEM ANALYSIS: Functional Behavioral Assessment: Diane was originally brought to the attention of this counselor during the planning stage of a group focusing on females retained in ninth grade. As stated previously, Dianes guidance counselor made the referral for her participation, indicating that Diane could attain tenth grade status if she was able to earn enough credits by January. To help her reach this goal, Diane needed to be held accountable and receive encourage and motivation from a positive school connection. Antecedents: Familial death: Dianes grandmother, who was her biggest support system, passed away in the spring of 2012. As a result Diane no longer felt academics were important, as she was not held accountable for her grades. Study skills: As part of her ninth grade year (2011-12) Diane was exposed to a curriculum that provided study skills training. Her self-reported failure to apply these skills and take the curriculum seriously led to a mismanagement of her academic responsibilities.

Consequences: Retention: As a result of her academic decline, Diane was unable to earn enough credits to be promoted with the rest of her class. Decreased self-esteem and self worth: Diane does not believe she is capable of being a successful student. She negatively views herself and her abilities as a result of the retention. She also feels that teachers view her negatively. Familial stress: Due to her grandmothers death there are significant stressors she encounters as the family continues to mourn and she has an alternating schedule during the week of where she stays.

Hypotheses: In reviewing the data there are a few hypotheses that can be made. First and foremost, there are issues in her home and family life that make it difficult to maintain her academic motivation. The issues she has encountered have not been expressed to her teachers. As a result, Dianes teachers do not fully understand her, and the obstacles she faces, as a student. Dianes 2011-12 academic performance was impacted by the curriculum. She was placed in leveled courses that proved to be difficult for her academic and study skill set. As she struggled to 4
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pass her courses, Diane lacked a connection with her teachers, and other adults, to advocate for her needs. She also failed to express the challenges she faced following her grandmothers death. Her teachers were not necessarily aware of the full impact this had on her ability to perform within expectations. As a result of the above challenges (i.e., familial issues, curriculum, school connection, retention), Diane engaged in negative selfstatements and held a negative view of her ability to be successful. INTERVENTION: Goals Goal 1: Diane will earn 1.5 credits by the end of semester 2, resulting in promotion to tenth grade (5 credits total needed). Goal 2: Based on weekly self-report and post-group teacher report, Diane will increase her overall classroom participation from Sometimes (0) to Often (+1) or Almost Always (+2). Goal 3:Based on weekly self-report, Diane will report an increase in her connectedness to school self-report from Never (-1) to Often (+1) or Almost Always (+2). Prevention Strategies: Prior to being retained Diane was part of the Freshman Transition Program, which is available to all ninth grade students. However, these individualized supports and resources did not provide enough support for Diane to achieve the minimum number of credits necessary for promotion. During her retention year Diane has had access to the same supports offered to other ninth grade students. Additionally, Diane receives extra supports and attention due to her credit status. For example, she participates in a group that meets with the freshman administration in an effort to promote positive connections and accountability for retained students. After agreeing to the group counseling sessions, Diane was offered additional support from the facilitators if she felt inclined. This was offered to all of the participants to help increase their school connections and promote selfadvocacy. Primary Intervention: Psychoeducational Group Counseling Based on Dianes credit status and desire for connection within the school, this counselor and co-facilitator determined she would be an appropriate match for small group counseling. The groups focus was to work with retained females to improve their academic and social-emotional skills. The group was scheduled to meet for eight sessions weekly for forty-five minutes. Participants were also instructed that they could reach out to either facilitator for additional support outside of the sessions. Kayler and Sherman (2009) found that psychoeducational groups can be effective for improving study skills for an at-risk ninth grade population. The inclusion of both cognitive and metacognitive skills enhances student learning, and attitudes towards achievement and success. Additionally, participating in groups allows students to develop and maintain connections to others while exploring factors that influence achievement (Kayler & Sherman, 2009, p. 434). Based on these findings the group co-facilitated by this counselor aimed to include cognitive and behavioral components to each session to aid skill development. Through their participation, students made connections to other students who were similar to them and faced similar challenges. The present group was designed based on participant needs and feedback from teacher evaluations on the pregroup rating scale. Session topics ranged from perspective-taking and goal setting to test anxiety strategies. Across sessions participants shared their experiences in an effort to make a change in the future. Shared experiences served as an opportunity for discussion, role-playing, and feedback. Each week participants were asked to complete a self-report sheet (Appendix B) based on their individual goals. Furthermore, participants were given weekly updates on their academic progress via TEMS, including grades and outstanding assignments. The integration of their weekly academic progress and self-report ratings provided talking points for each student within the group and on an individual basis. 5
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EVALUATION: Diane participated in small group counseling for eight sessions from November 29, 2012 to February 28, 2013. While the group was meant to occur on a weekly basis, there were times when the group could not meet due to attendance and school cancellation. In addition to the group sessions, Diane sought individual support from the counselor on four occasions during the final three weeks of group sessions. During these individual sessions Diane expressed concerns for her grades and familial issues that were an obstacle to success. She also expressed that she would not have sought out support if it were not for participating in the group and feeling a connection. She qualitatively reported that she felt different from participating in the group and found it to be a positive experience. The following graphs display the overall post-group ratings, Dianes post-group teacher ratings, and Dianes post-group self-report of behavior. Surveys were distributed to teachers who completed surveys during pregroup data collection. One hundred percent of Dianes teachers completed t he post-group survey compared to 67% of her peers teachers. According to teacher ratings, both Diane and her peers improved their behavior across areas assessed, and met or exceeded expectations (goal). Additionally, Diane rated herself more positively in all areas indicating that the group contributed to an improvement in classroom behavior. Generally speaking, Diane improved her teacher and peer relationships, participation, responsibility, and work completion.

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Goal 1: Diane will earn 1.5 credits by the end of semester 2, resulting in promotion to tenth grade (5 credits total needed).

During the implementation of the group Diane received weekly feedback about her academic progress, including grades and work completion. Diane frequently advocated during the group to ensure the facilitators were setting aside time to review student progress. She responded positively to the constant and consistent feedback about her performance. Based on her academic performance at the end of Quarter 2, Diane earned enough credits to be promoted to tenth grade based on credits. However, she needed to continue on the same path and make progress for the remainder of 7
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the year in order to be on track for graduation with the rest of her class. The group terminated approximately three weeks into Quarter 3; however, one of those weeks school was cancelled due to snow. Her grades for that marking period are listed in the chart below. During the implementation of the group Diane received weekly feedback about her academic progress, including grades and work completion. Diane frequently advocated during the group to ensure the facilitators were setting aside time to review student progress. She responded positively to the constant and consistent feedback about her performance. Based on her academic performance at the end of Quarter 2, Diane earned enough credits to be promoted to tenth grade based on credits. However, she needed to continue on the same path and make progress for the remainder of the year in order to be on track for graduation with the rest of her class. The group terminated approximately three weeks into Quarter 3; however, one of those weeks school was cancelled due to snow. Her grades for that marking period are listed in the chart below. Dianes work completion was noted as a concern based on her performance during the 2011 -12 academic year, as well as teacher and self-reports. Her progress is compared to her peers are displayed below. Her work completions rates generally declined following the termination of the group. Though she felt motivated to continue with the progress she had made while participating in group, Diane faced some obstacles post-termination, which jeopardized her ability to maintain the positive trend. Due to challenges in her living arrangement, Diane had difficulty getting to school most mornings. Diane met with this counselor to address the potential loss of credit in her first period class due to excessive tardies and absences. This counselor and Diane met with her administrator to devise an action plan to address her transportation to school. The plan seemed to be working and Diane was getting to school on-time, however, she began to feel guilty relying on a friend for daily rides and stopped taking the offer. With this decision her attendance issues surfaced again leading to a loss of credit for this course (Science). There is potential for a restoration of credit, but this decision is up to the teacher and administrator at the end of the year. Even with a restoration of credit, Diane is currently earning an F in the course, which means she could still lose credit for the semester. Dianes other grades remained in the C range, but dropped down to C minuses. Her academic performance and work completion during the group demonstrated that Diane benefits from constant contact with someone to keep her on track. She has not yet developed the skills to independently manage her workload or utilize the academic supports available to her, such as office hours. Semester 1 Letter Grade C+ C+ CC C+ B+ ANumerical Grade 78 78 70 75 77 88 90 Quarter 3 Letter Grade CCF CC DNumerical Grade 72 72 25 71 75 62

20122013 Spanish English Physical Science Algebra I Civics Health Art Studio Criminal Law Food and Nutrition

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Goal 2: Based on weekly self-report and post-group teacher report, Diane will increase her overall classroom participation from Sometimes (0) to Often (+1) or Almost Always (+2). Classroom participation was noted as an area of concern during the pre-group teacher reports and pregroup self-report. Participation during class demonstrates engagement and investment in the academic process. Presented in the graph below, Diane reported gains in her class participation and her performance trendline projects continued growth. Post-group Dianes teachers noted improved participation compared to their pre-group ratings, exceeding the expected performance goal.

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Goal 3: Diane will report an increase in her connectedness to school self-report from Never (-1) to Often (+1) or Almost Always (+2). During her interview Diane disclosed that she did not feel that she had a connection within the school environment and did not feel she was held accountable for her academic performance. Throughout the group implementation phase Diane was provided with feedback about her performance and learned new skills related to time management, goal setting, and student-teacher relationships. As comfort level increased, Diane became more open with the group, explaining many of the challenges she faced. She also sought additional support from this counselor to problem-solve and advocate for her needs. Dianes self-report of school connectedness is displayed in the graph below. Her reports indicate a gradual increase in feelings of school connectedness and her performance trendline projects continued growth. In seeking out support from this counselor to address the issues she has encountered since the termination of group (e.g., living situation and attendance), she continues to have a connection with adults in the building. She feels that a relationship was built and that she has someone to turn to when she is in need of assistance.

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Though Dianes academic performance and work completion for the third marking period are less than would be expected, Diane did make improvements in all of her goal areas. One teacher noted that Diane appeared to be more comfortable in the school environment. Diane has also reported feeling more capable with an improved desire to complete high school. Diane needs to access academic resources that will keep her on track to be promoted with her class and graduate on-time. She has shown interest in taking part in a piloting of online classes for students who have been retained. This will require Diane to complete coursework on her own time, manage her assignments in a timely fashion, and earn credit towards graduation.

When Diane sought additional support from this counselor she demonstrated the important skills had developed over the course of the group. Diane used resources available to her for problem-solving, advocating for her needs, and her displayed an improved intrinsic motivation to complete high school. Continued monitoring of her academic performance will be critical to ensure she remains on track for the remainder of the year and foster maintenance of skills for the next school year. Diane acknowledges that both facilitators of the group are individuals she can reach out to for the remainder of the year. An option for continued individual counseling is available as well if Diane finds that she is having difficulty managing her academics and familial issues. Given she tends to be more successful when connected to an adult in the building that holds her accountable, it will be important to work with Diane to identify an individual who could serve that purpose next year when this counselor is no longer present.

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References Kayler, H. & Sherman, J. (2009). At-risk ninth-grade students: A psychoeducational group approach to increase study skills and grade point averages. Professional School Counseling, 12(6), p. 434439. Missouri Center for Career Education (April 2009). Student Behavior Rating Form. Responsive Services: Small Group Counseling Module. Retrieved from http://www.missouricareereducation.org/doc/smallgroup/SmallGroupCounseling.pdf

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Confidential Appendix A

Sandoval, Diane

Student Behavior Rating Form

(Adapted from Missouri Center for Career Education, 2009)

Student: _______________________ Grade:________ Teacher: _______________________ Date (pre): ________ Date (post): _______ Please rate the following in terms: Never 1 Sometimes 2 Often 3 Almost Always 4 Pre-Group 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 Post-Group 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4

Student Work Habits/Personal Goals Observed Academic Development Follows Directions Listens Attentively Stays on-task Compliance with teacher requests Follows rules Manages personal and school property (organized) Works neatly and carefully Participates in discussion and activities Completes and returns homework Personal and Social Development Cooperates with others Shows respect for others Allows others to work undisturbed Accepts responsibility for own misbehavior (e.g., provoking fights, bullying, fighting, defiant, anger, stealing) Please indicate: _________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ Career Development Awareness of World of Work Self-Appraisal Decision Making Goal Setting
School Record Data (Completed by Facilitator according to TEMS) Attendance (number of days absent) Attendance (number of days tardy) Discipline (number of referrals) Grades (Term 1/pre-group) (Term 2/post-group)

1 1 1 1

2 2 2 2

3 3 3 3

4 4 4 4

1 1 1 1

2 2 2 2

3 3 3 3

4 4 4 4

Pre-Group

Post-Group

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Confidential Appendix B Name: ___________________________

Sandoval, Diane

Date:________________________

Thinking back on your class participation across all of your classes this past week, please rate yourself below.
Rating Almost Always
(More than Expected)

Class Participation Prepared for class by doing homework and/or readings Ask questions when appropriate Actively and voluntarily participate in class discussions

+2 +1 0 -1

Often (Expected) Sometimes (Baseline) Never (Less than Expected)

Is there a class you feel you did an exceptional job participating? ______________________________ Is there a class you feel you need to improve in? ___________________________________________

Thinking back on the past week, please rate your overall feeling of school connectedness below.
Rating Almost Always
(More than Expected)

School Connectedness

+2 Sense of belonging Adult and/or peer support Know where to go if I have a problem +1 0 -1

Often (Expected) Sometimes (Baseline) Never (Less than Expected)

If you wish, feel free to provide more details of how or why you felt, or didnt feel, connected this week. _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________

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