Location: Online, Self-paced 

Course Description:
Collecting and analyzing data can help school counselors and their administrators identify achievement gaps, understand educational issues and assess programs to ensure they are making a difference for all students. For school counseling programs to be considered a pivotal and valued resource to the learning environment, school counselors must commit to formulating and executing services that link their work to the instructional mission and concretely demonstrate accountability for student academic success. Learn how you can use data in your program to ensure equitable services, where every student receives the benefits of the school counseling program. View the Specialist syllabus.

School counselors need to use data for four reasons:

• Identify school counseling program goals
• Monitor student progress to close the achievement gap
• Assess and evaluate programs
• Demonstrate school counseling program effectiveness.

Learning Objectives:

After completing this course, you should be able to: 

1. Complete the school data summary 
2. Describe the difference between participation data, Mindsets & Behaviors data and outcome data
3. Explain the ethical responsibility school counselors have to review school and student data to determine needed interventions to close information, attainment, achievement and opportunity gaps. 
4. Explain how to use data to: 

• Monitor student progress
• Identify students who are having difficulties or discipline problems 
• Identify barriers to learning
• Describe factors affecting student behavior
• Identify access and equity issues
• Close achievement, opportunity and attainment gaps
• Assess the effectiveness of school counseling program activities
• Improve, modify or change services provided to students
• Educate stakeholders about the power of a school counseling program 

Registration Fee
For $99 ($249 for nonmembers), you can earn 5 CEUs/50 Contact Hours focused on developing a culturally sustaining school counseling program, all from the comfort of your own home or office. Graduate credit is available for an additional fee.