SchoolCounselingNeedsDuringIndividualStudentPlanningSessionsatanAlternativeHighSchool SamaraCarranza ResearchQuestion Howwilladdressingthemostcommonlyidenti=iedstudentreportedconcernsintoindividualplan ningsessionsaffectthestudentsatisfactionwithindividualcounselingmeetings? Summary ThepurposeofthisstudywastoassessifstudentsatanalternativehighschoolinPortland,Oregonwould evaluateindividualplanningmeetingsashavingmoreimpactwhenthemeetingsaretailoredto=itthestu dentsindividualplanningneeds.Studentswereaskedto=illoutsurveysthatassessedtheirsatisfaction withtheirmostrecentindividualizedstudentplanningsessionwiththeirschoolcounselor.Then,thestu dentbodywassurveyedtodetermineareasoffocusstudentswishtoaddressinindividualstudentplan ningmeetings.Theresultsfromthisneedsassessmentwasusedtoprovidealltheschoolcounselorswith twoquestionstoaskstudentsduringindividualstudentplanningsessionsinhopesofraisingtheeffective nessofthesessions.Studentswereagainpolledtodetermineiftheirsatisfactionwiththeirindividualstu dentplanningsessionshadchanged.

Inthisresearch,therewasnosigni=icantchangebetweenthesessions beforetheschoolwideneedsassessmentandaftertheneedsassessmentresultswerebeingusedinses sions.However,theschoolwideneedsassessmentprovidedthecounselingdepartmentwithdatatoim plementandexamineotherinterventions. ResearchFindings NeedsAssessmentSurvey Onehundredandtwentytwostudentscompetethesurvey.

(Table1,totalrespondentstoneedsassessmentsurveybrokendownbyclassasdeterminedbytheyearstu dentsstartedhighschool.)

Thesecondquestionaskedofstudentsinthesurveywastoreportwhethertheythinkthey areontracktograduateontimeorbehind.Thestudentsselfreportedthathalfofthemareontar getandhalfarenot,whichisaccurate.

(Table2,studentsreportonwhetherornottheyareontracktograduate)

Thebulkofthesurveyaskedthestudentstoreportwhatspeci=icissuestheywantedtotalk totheircounselorsaboutinthethreedomainspresentedintheAmericanSchoolCounselingAsso ciationnationalschoolcounselingmodel,academic,careerandpersonal/social. Table3showswhatthestudentsreportedtheywanttotalkaboutintheacademicdomain. Thetopthreeconcernswerehowtomakeupcredits(69%),graduationinformation(57%)and yearlycourseselection(37%).

(Table3,AcademicConcernsasreportedbythewholeschool)

(Table4,AcademicConcernsreportedbythesophomores)

Table5,showswhatthestudentsreportedtheywanttotalkaboutinthecareerdo main.Thetopthreeconcernsofallstudentswhorespondedwerescholarshipinformation (57%),Financialaidoptions(51%)andcareerandjobchoices(48%).

(Table5,CareerConcernsreportedbythewholeschool)

(Table6,CareerConcernsofseniorsandsenior+)

(Table7,CareerConcernsofallstudentsexceptseniorsandsenior+)

Thisgraphshowswhatthestudentsreportedtheywanttotalkaboutinthepersonal/social domain.Thetopthreeconcernswerestress(57%),feelingsadordepressed(34%)andanxiety (34%).

(Table8,Personal/SocialConcernsofwholeschool)

PreandPostTest Thedatabetweentheinitialsatisfactionsurveyandthe=inalsatisfactionsurveyshowedlit tlechange.

(Graph1,PreTestresultsofquestion3)(Graph2,PostTestresultsofquestion3)

Thepreandpostsatisfactionsurveysdidshowachangeinthecontentoftheses sions.

(Graph3,PreTestresultsofquestion2)(Graph3,PostTestresultsofquestion2)

Recommendations

Guidancelessonsaroundstressandanxietydeliveredduringhealthclass,advisory, oranassembly Moreresearchtodetermineifeatingtoomuchortoolittleorbodyimageisama jorconcernamongstudentsatthisschoolandwhattypesofinterventionscouldbeputin place. Considerresearchingandimplementingstructureforbalancingcontentofcoun selingsessions. Comparestudentreportedneedstonewstudentreferralstodetermineifstu dentsawarenessofwhytheywereplacedattheschoolisinlinewithadministratorsand teachersmakingreferrals.
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