Professional Development
Career Planning and Implementation Conference
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) partnered with CSCORE during the 2007-08, 2008-09, and 2009-10 school years to provide professional development and training to school counselors throughout the Commonwealth on assisting students in effective and meaningful career planning for the 21st century. Topics for each year progressively built on the content discussed in previous years and were chosen based on feedback and comments from counselors about what information and skills they needed.
​
​
Evidence-based Practice Panel
The Evidence-Based Practice Panel (EBP Panel) was established in 2003, based on the recommendations derived from our Delphi Study of research needs for the field of school counseling. The panel was tasked with reviewing the research literature to define practices in the field of school counseling that are evidence-based or promising practices. Evidence-based practices are practices which have been rigorously studied and evaluated, and have accumulated research evidence which consistently shows that those practices are effective. Promising practices are practices that have been rigorously studied and evaluated, but have not yet accumulated enough research evidence. The EBP panel has developed a protocol and rubric for evaluating the extent to which school counseling practices are promising or evidence-based.
​
EBP Power Point Presentations:
​
The rationale and work of the EBP Panel were presented during the ASCA Conference in Orlando, FL in June of 2005:
​
Report of the National Panel for Evidence-Based School Counseling: Outcome Research Coding Protocol and Evaluation of Student Success Skills and Second Step – Report prepared for ASCA conference in Orlando applying the EBP protocol to the Second Step and Student Success Skills programs.
Program Evaluation
Multi-State Evaluation Project
CSCORE conducted a large evaluation study in the states of Connecticut, Missouri, Nebraska, Utah and Rhode Island to examine the contribution of counseling programs and practices to student educational outcomes. School-level outcome data such as attendance and suspension rates and school-level demographic data such as per pupil expenditures and the percentage of students eligible for free/reduced lunch were obtained from the Department of Education of each state. Principals and Guidance Directors from every public high school in each state were invited to complete an electronic version of the Principal and School Counselor Survey (Lapan & Carey, 2007) to collect information about school counseling practices and programs at each high school.
​
The evaluation model analyzed the relationship of school counseling program characteristics to student outcomes after controlling for the variability in outcomes related to demographic differences among schools. More detailed correlational analyses were then conducted to identify which specific practices were associated with identified student outcomes.
​
Results of CSCORE's Multi-State School Counseling Research Project: PowerPoint presentation given at the 2010 American School Counselor Association Conference.
​
​
The Chicago Public Schools Study
The Chicago Public Schools (CPS) instituted a major reform initiative to revitalize and enhance the work of their school counselors. CPS school counselors have adopted a best practices approach, based on the ASCA National Model, that emphasizes the development and implementation of a comprehensive school counseling program. During the 2007-2008 school year, the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) commissioned CSCORE to conduct an evaluation study to examine the benefits to CPS students when school counselors implement key components of a comprehensive school counseling program.
​
To read a full copy of the report, click the following link: Paving the Road to College: How School Counselors Help Students Succeed.
​
​
The Real Game
The Center for School Counseling Outcome Research & Evaluation (CSCORE), funded by America’s Career Resource Network, conducted a multi-state, multi-year evaluation of The Real Game Series (RGS). The Real Game Series is a K-16 set of curriculum materials designed to bring interactive, experiential learning to classroom and group settings to increase students’ perceptions of the relevance and importance of their school experience (Jarvis & Keeley, 2003). The purpose of the evaluation was to determine the impact of the intervention on student career and academic outcomes. The evaluation focused on the RGS component that is designed for middle school (grade 7 and 8) implementation, The Real Game.
​
​
Bridges Transitions Evaluation
The Center for School Counseling Outcome Research & Evaluation conducted an evaluation of the Bridges Transitions career exploration and awareness program in Middle and High Schools across the country. The evaluation employed the Missouri Comprehensive Guidance Evaluation Survey to assess career and career related outcomes, and indicators of school engagement through academic achievement and attendance.
​
The evaluation was sponsored by Bridges Transitions.
​
Click here to read the First Year Evaluation of Bridges’ Proactive Schools.
Grant-Funded Projects
Randolph Public Schools
The Randolph, Massachusetts Public Schools were awarded a three-year Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Program (ESSCP) grant in fall of 2012. CSCORE was the evaluator for the grant’s project, The Asset-Based Culture, which is designed to provide the necessary foundational elements for building a transformed school counseling program.