End of the Year Report
Maryville Elementary School Guidance
INTRODUCTION
School At A Glance
Students Enrolled: 355
Students in Special Education: 18.59 %
Low Income Students:
English Language Learners: 1.69%
Gifted and Talented Students: 18.31 %
Principal: Ruth Esterle
Instructional Coach: Carla Wilson
Counselor: Kaet Barron
Email: kaet.barron@bullitt.kyschools.us
Website: http://maryvillecounselor.weebly.com/
Phone: 502-869-2400
COUNSELING BY THE NUMBERS
**There are many decreases in these numbers from the previous school year. I was out for eight weeks on maternity leave.**
549: Total number of individual student sessions held (a decrease from 669 sessions during the previous school year)
103: Students who received weekly individual or small group counseling for at least 6 weeks ( an increase from 78 students from previous school year)
6: Students with an IEP or 504 who receive direct counseling services (a decrease from 7 students from the previous school year.)
11: Students labeled GT who received direct counseling services (an increase from 4 students in 2015-2016).
50: IEP/ 504/ PSP Meetings (a decrease from 95 meetings during the 2015-2016 school year. This number may be greatly affected by maternity leave, since a lot of meetings are held at the beginning of the school year)
8: Number of groups held: book clubs, leadership team, Girls and their Absent Fathers, Goal Setters (a decrease from 9 groups held the previous school year)
182: Number of students served through Lunch Bunch meetings (large increase from 91 the previous school year.
91: Formal parent contacts through the phone or face to face; not including IEPs, conferences, emails and notes in planners. (a decrease from 102 formal contacts during the 2015-2016 school year).
INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING
Number of students in Individual Counseling who receive my services regularly: 103
SMALL GROUP COUNSELING/ LUNCH BUNCH
Total Number of Groups: 8
Total Number of Lunch Bunches: 57
Total Number of Students in Small Group Counseling and Lunch Bunches: 261
GROUP FOCUS: Number students served:
Book Club:21 sessions/21 students (3 books)
Girls and Their Absent Dads: 8 sessions/ 4 girls
English Language Learners: 6 sessions/ 7 students
Leadership: 30/31 (two different groups of Leadership: Fall and Spring)
Death and Grief: 6 sessions / 7 students
Social Skills: 8 sessions / 6 students
LUNCH BUNCH FOCUS: Number of sessions held:
Attendance Reward: 38
Book Club Meetings: 21
Friendship Skills: 3
Maryville Money Award: 3
New Student Lunch: 6
Reward Lunches: 6
Skype Session: 1 (After completing a book about a girl with Cystic Fibrosis who uses a wheelchair, we skyped with a girl in a similar situation.)
Additionally, last year we introduced lunch in the classroom with the counselor for classes that had the most improved attendance each week. During these lunches, classes had lunch in the classroom with their counselor while either watching a movie or having a conversation. During the 2016-2017 school year, a total of 19 "Most Improved Lunches" were held.
CLASSROOM GUIDANCE
Classroom guidance sessions were scheduled this year to:
- Introduce the Counselor and Counseling Services
- Communicate Red Ribbon Week goals and lessons
- Introduce College and Career Readiness Week activities
- Discuss attendance and the importance of strong attendance habits
- Review how our behaviors can affect others
- Encourage students to take control of their education
Teachers can also request guidance lessons if they feel their class is in need of teaching or re-teaching on a specific topic. This year, additional guidance lessons were held on:
- The election
- Rumor Spreading
- Bus Expectations
- Cliques
- Transitioning to middle school
- Discrimination of racial and/or religious groups
Total Classroom Guidance lessons held: 83 (a large decrease from 162 last school year. . .please see goals for how i plan to combat the problems associated with scheduling guidance this year.)
MEETINGS
50: IEP/504/PSP Meetings
41: Parent Meetings (A decrease from 64 the previous year)
39: Counselor Related Meetings ( Elementary School Counseling Meetings, PBIS meetings, etc.)
17: Trainings
31: School Meetings
These numbers also do not include ABRI meetings (held monthly), staff meetings (held bi-weekly) or RTI/PLC meetings (approximately every 3 weeks).
CRISIS INTERVENTION AND RESPONSE SERVICES
Total Number of Unscheduled Sessions: 188 ( a decrease from 278 from the previous school year)
Number of Students Requiring Assistance: 101
Percent not on my Caseload: 91.09 %
Mobile Assessments: 1 (data not tracked in previous years)
Child Abuse Reports: 27 (a decrease from 28 reports made during the 2015-2016 school year)
Positive Behavior Interventions
- The PBIS hand book was not distributed to staff prior to the beginning of school. (It was supposed to be, but I went into labor two weeks early. My bad.)
- Limited snow days often cause restlessness in students and staff. We always attempt to reteach expectations after a 3 day or longer break. However, with no snow days, those breaks were few and far between, resulting in less reteaching.
- Inconsistency with bus drivers resulted in a HUGE increase of bus referrals. Additionally, I missed the beginning of the year bus driving training.
We plan to revamp the expectations for the 2017-2018 school year in order to make things fresh and new. Additionally, it will force our hand to look at our handbook and our PBIS teaching strategies. Other schools have recommended retraining staff every year on PBIS and positive behavior strategies as though the entire staff consists of first year teachers. This may be a possibility as well as a PBIS Leadership conference in September.
- 2011-2012: 107
- 2012-2013: 85
- 2013-2014: 106
- 2014-2015: 74
- 2015-2016: 72
- 2016-2017: 73
At the end of the 2016-2017 school year, the three biggest problem areas were:
- Defiance: 20.55 % of all referrals
- Physical Aggression: 25.66 % of referrals
- Abusive language: 12.33 % of referrals
Since data tracking began five years ago, the 2015-2016 school saw the fewest amount of bus referrals in Maryville history. Not only were bus referrals down, but they composed a much smaller percentage of overall referrals. However, this changed during the 2016-2017 school year.
2011-2012: 48.60% of all referrals
2012-2013: 41.18% of all referrals
2013-2014: 48.11% of all referrals
2014-2015: 41.89% of all referrals
2015-2016: 34.72% of all referrals
2016-2017: 42.47% of all referrals
During the PBIS meeting, we discussed some of the reasoning behind the increase in bus referrals:
- Again, I missed our bus driver training this year. I was also unable to get out our PBIS handbook prior to the start of school.
- Several drivers were out at multiple times through out the year, so there was limited consistency.
During the upcoming school year, we are planning on hold a small group for the students who earned multiple bus referrals during the 2016-2017 school year. We will also create specific lesson plans to teach and reteach bus expectations to our students. Now that the school is almost completely finished, the PBIS team will have a bulletin board where we can display and share data, including bus referrals.
We also plan to create behavior goals for the upcoming school year and keep the school community informed as to what we are doing to reach these goals.
The lunchroom will also be a focus area for the 2017-2018 school year. Although there were minimal referrals earned in the lunchroom, I believe all staff members can agree the cafeteria was a MAJOR problem area. Again consistency was a problem, with our lunchroom monitor hired two days before the end of the school year.
We will also implement a positive office referral for the 2017-2018 school year.
HIGHLIGHTS from the 2016-2017 SCHOOL YEAR
COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS WEEK; For the 3rd year, Maryville has celebrated College and Career Readiness Week in late February/ early March.
CAREER FAIR: Students report the Career Fair as one of the favorite activities at MES.
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL COUNSELING NEEDS ASSESSMENT: In previous years, a survey has been sent to Maryville staff to determine what they are feel are the most beneficial and in need programs at Maryville. These responses have been used to shape and mold the upcoming counseling program. This year, in response to the Student Voice Surveys for OPGES, a similar assessment for students was created and distributed. Students had the opportunity to vocalize what programs and topics they would like to see addressed through the school counselor. Results indicate students want more classroom guidance and book clubs. Additionally students requested more time with the school counselor for rewards.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Human Trafficking Awareness and Prevention
June 20, 2016
ARC Chairperson Training
July 25, 2016
Back to School for BACS
September 22, 2016
Counseling Resources
September 22, 2016
PBIS Coach Training
September 27, 2016
Infinite Campus Tools
October 20, 2016
ACCESS for ELLs
October 20, 2016
Poverty Mindset
November 17, 2016
PBIS Coach Training
November 29, 2016
January 31, 2017
February 28, 2017
Kentucky School Counseling Conference
February 22-24, 2017
2017 Spring Testing
March 16, 2017
Elementary Mental Health
March 20, 2017
Guidance Counselor Network OVEC
April 3, 2017
K-Prep Administration Training
April 13, 2017
Professional Development hours were also gained during the Elementary School Counseling Meetings (held monthly from August to April). These hours were related to ACCESS testing, Special Populations, Administration Code Training, K-Prep and more.
I am also involved in a year long program to become a "Closing the Achievement Gap" specialist through the American School Counseling Association.
I lead multiple trainings through out the school year, including:
- Elementary School Counseling
- College and Career Readiness at the Elementary Level
- Working with Families and Children Affected by Incarceration
- Self Care for School Counselors
PROFESSIONAL GOALS
- Set up a welcoming, therapeutic space that helps support my counseling goals for group and individuals
- Set up protocols for parent, teacher and self-referrals for counseling services
- Participate on leadership building teams at Maryville, in particular implementing PBIS strategies
- Make and strengthen connections with parents and outside agencies
- Coordinate counseling services and interventions with the principal, teachers and other stakeholders.
- Continue professional development in Collaborative Problem Solving, Social Thinking and Positive Behavior Intervention Supports.
- Collect data on achievement, time on task, behavior and attendance in order to answer the question in next year's report: How are students different as a result of what I do?
- Create and maintain open "office hours" for students who need drop in services.
- Offer classroom guidance lessons, allowing each teacher-if they wish--to choose a topic relevant to their class: No fighting, No Biting: Conflict Resolution, Dealing with Feelings, Stress Busters, Personal Space Camp, or Bullies to Buddies
- Establish procedures for students who desire individual services.
- Develop a plan to meet with teachers to hear about student problems early in order to intervene quickly (PLCs?)
- Meet with each student at Maryville for a friendly visit.
- Add community service to the counseling program.
GOALS FOR THE 2017-2018 SCHOOL YEAR
- Implement Patriot PRIDE expectations.
- Revamp the PBIS Handbook and implement Positive Behavior training, support and lesson plans.
- Behavior RTI groups will begin the second week of school. Students identified during the 2016-2017 school. Problem areas will be addressed and positive replacement behaviors taught immediately.
- Continue to revamp the Leadership Team to a community service group that is actively and visible through out the school.
- Identify students who have attendance issues and work to decrease their unexcused absences.
- Meet with each student individually with a positive interaction.
- Decrease the overall amount of referrals the student body earns.
- Introduce a Positive Behavior Office Referral to increase recognition of positive student behavior and choices.