Articles

Tracking the Evidence

By Noel Love 

Author's note:  This article wraps up a four-part series that highlighted the core team's role within the student assistance process.  The first article listed the most common ways the SAP is set up, with an emphasis on the core team model.  Article 2 focused on the core team composition and stages of team development.  Article 3 was on the referral process, detailing the role of the team in the identification, screening and intervention process.  Included in that article was information on community collaboration and the need for behavioral health services. This fourth and final article will focus on tracking student participation and program evaluation.   

 

But, Does It Really Work?

It's the end of another busy school year; you are doing well just to keep up with the never ceasing changes within our educational system.  A mad furious dash might describe what it's been like to just get through these last few weeks.  One of the many duties you have includes being a regular member of the school's Student Assistance Program Core Team. 

 

Throughout the year, students referred to the SAP showed positive changes, cut down on discipline referrals and even stopped by your classroom or office just to say thanks.  Anecdotally, the stories of success were exciting.  This was why you got involved in the first place; to make a difference; to provide relief and hope. 

 

But as much as anecdotes serve to reward our spirits and motivate our purpose, we realize the value of empirically tracking student outcome, process utilization and campus impact.  Were referred students helped?  How many referrals did the SAP get and where did they come from?  Was there measurable evidence of changes within the campus environment? 

 

Clout and More Clout

An effective SAP needs to be in the mainstream of the schools infrastructure.  It needs the clout of an involved administrator and respected team members.  The SAP also needs the hard data; the statistical evidence showing how effective the process is.  When this kind of information is in hand, the degree of clout multiplies.

 

Areas of Interest and a Disclaimer

As we look at the different areas that need to be tracked, I want to stress that my approach is as a practitioner and trainer, not a research scientist.  The men and women of science who devote their efforts to the evaluation and research of the student assistance process are the experts on this topic. 

 

But, we all should know something about tracking students who have been referred.  When our principal, superintendent or school board asks how the SAP is doing, we need to be able to present a data-driven answer.  Below, are three fundamental areas that need to be examined:

 

1.  The SAP process itself needs to be evaluated.  For example, how many students were referred?  How were they referred?  Of those, how many were helped with on-campus resources or community-based resources?  Were there any trends evident such as more parent referrals or self-disclosure? 

 

By keeping a referral log, the team coordinator can track the number of referrals, their sources and the specific time of the school year they were made.  Other demographics can be tracked as well, including age, grade, gender or ethnicity.  This referral log needs to be maintained throughout the year and archived once the school year is completed.  If needed, student identity numbers can be substituted for actual names. 

 

2. Track the referred student for at least 18 weeks.  This tracking pertains to those measurable pieces of information, such as grades, attendance, discipline referrals, etc.  What makes this data relevant is having the same information on the student immediately prior to the referral.  We need a baseline to compare the after effects.  We know that students are referred to the SAP for a variety of concerns.  Some are based on academics, others on behavior and still others self-disclosure.  In all cases, it seems basic to track grades, number of discipline referrals, and patterns of attendance.  Teacher observations are also very helpful in determining if the student is benefiting. 

 

In cases where this tracking shows little or no improvements, the core team needs to revisit the intervention efforts and do something different.  Requiring a rigid number of weeks of intervention before moving up a tier is counter-intuitive to helping people get connected to the right resource.  Usually, at the initial screening of the student, the team will determine how soon to review the tracking data.  In some cases it might be three weeks and in others it might be three days, depending on the urgency of the situation.  Obviously, change takes time, even when embraced with enthusiasm.  Reviewing the tracking too soon can be misleading.  Give it enough time to realistically show some results.

 

3.  The SAP impact on the overall campus needs to be evaluated.  This is where the pre-existing school-wide data serves as a benchmark to determine how the SAP impacts the universal population at school; the climate of safety and trust.  Compared to previous years, has there been a shift in the number of alcohol/drug incidents at school?  How about overall attendance?  Is there an impact on the numbers of truant or tardy students?  What about grade average or test scores?  What impact has the SAP referral process had on special education, particularly in the "pre-referral stage"? 

 

Several years ago, a principal at a large suburban high school in the mid west said that the price of vandalism in his school dropped for a high of $200,000 in one year to only one reported case three years later.   Drop out statistics and reports of violence are also areas that can be compared from year to year.  If the SAP is just starting, then last year or the year before should serve as your benchmark.  For schools with long term SAPs in place, accessing archived data can be helpful in getting this comparison.

 

A Process in Motion

Gathering SAP-related data clearly helps when it comes to proving the effectiveness and gaining momentum.  It also helps hold a mirror up reflecting how well the process is working.  This tool is essential for modifying or revising your SAP.  Having a periodically scheduled opportunity to examine how well your SAP is working is so beneficial to the long-term sustenance of the process.  So much so, that some teams reserve one meeting time a month to do nothing but examine how well the referral process is working, areas of screening that need tweaking, or availability of campus and community resources.  Without this structured opportunity, teams often continue doing what they've always done out of habit.  We know that an SAP will look different after five years than it did the first year of existence.  That is, if the members are willing to take an honest and objective look.

 

 On the following pages, you will find several forms that may be helpful in tracking the outcomes of your SAP. 

 

 

SAP Student Tracking Record

Student Information

Student Name or ID#	Gender	Age	Grade Level	Referral Date

 

 

Referral Source (Record date of referral in the appropriate box below)

Teacher	Staff	Admin	Counselor	Family	Peer	Attendance	Policy Violation

 

	Attendance	Tardies	Discipline Referrals	Grades
1st period
2nd period
3rd period
4th period
5th period
6th period
7th period

 

Notes:                                                                                                                                                 

 

                                                                                                                                                           

 

                                                                                                                                                           

 

                                                                                                                                                           

 

                                                                                                                                                           

 

List or describe classroom modifications that have worked with this student: