CLOSING THE GAP
When one discusses closing the gap activities, one is talking about making sure that every student achieves. This means making sure that every student succeeds in the classroom, does not drop out, and has equal chances in all aspects of learning. How can professional school counselors make sure that every student has the chance to succeed? The answer is equity. Professional school counselors must make sure that every student has their specific needs met. According to Holcomb-McCoy (2007), the achievement gap refers to the difference in achievement amongst students with equal ability due to outside forces such as social or economic concerns. One of the biggest areas of concern is the differences in achievement on standardized test scores. These issues are also seen in AP courses and graduation rates (Holcomb-McCoy, 2007).
There are many ways that schools can work to close the achievement gap. According to Holcomb-McCoy (2007), there are several common characteristics of schools who have succeeded in closing the gap. These include leadership, commitment of the entire staff, extensive professional development, early literacy support, and data-driven instructional decision-making and student monitoring. Holcomb-McCoy also suggests taking a social justice approach when working to close the achievement gap because it reaches people at every level of society (Holcomb-McCoy, 2007).
The first step to closing the gap in one's school is identifying areas of concern. For instance, in Indiana a professional school counselor can get on the IDOE and get the updated information on their school's data profile. Using this information, the professional school counselor can identify areas of concern in the school. From this, a professional school counselor can develop an action plan to focus on the students with the most needs in each specific area. The programs developed should be evidence-based and should show how they are helping the needs of all of the identified students from the school profile.
Holcomb-McCoy, C. (2007). School counseling to close the achievement gap: A social justice framework for success. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
There are many ways that schools can work to close the achievement gap. According to Holcomb-McCoy (2007), there are several common characteristics of schools who have succeeded in closing the gap. These include leadership, commitment of the entire staff, extensive professional development, early literacy support, and data-driven instructional decision-making and student monitoring. Holcomb-McCoy also suggests taking a social justice approach when working to close the achievement gap because it reaches people at every level of society (Holcomb-McCoy, 2007).
The first step to closing the gap in one's school is identifying areas of concern. For instance, in Indiana a professional school counselor can get on the IDOE and get the updated information on their school's data profile. Using this information, the professional school counselor can identify areas of concern in the school. From this, a professional school counselor can develop an action plan to focus on the students with the most needs in each specific area. The programs developed should be evidence-based and should show how they are helping the needs of all of the identified students from the school profile.
Holcomb-McCoy, C. (2007). School counseling to close the achievement gap: A social justice framework for success. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
ASCA provides school counselors with a variety of resources for closing the gap activities. Here are four different PowerPoints that show what different schools have done in the past to address closing the gap.
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