SAMPLE STUDENT GROWTH OBJECTIVES
The New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) does not require SGOs for school counselors and other educational specialists at this time. However, the NJDOE supports districts that choose to have educational specialists such as counselors set SGOs. This process helps School Counselors document what they are doing and show the growth or change in students. SGOs should be designed to address a School Counselor’s caseload or a specific group of students with whom the school counselor works. School Counselors can begin to learn about SGOs and to set realistic and manageable goals.
Sample Elementary School SGOs
Third grade students in the counselor’s assigned caseload with less than 75% attendance in the first semester will increase attendance by 10% at the end of the second semester.
Strategies
o Individual student conference
o Telephone consultation with parent/guardian
o Request for assistance from I&RS
o Small group counseling sessions with students having attendance issue
o Weekly attendance log signed by parent/guardian and returned
o Teachers’ reward system to reinforce student attendance
Measures
o Weekly attendance reports
o Semester summary attendance reports
o Teachers’ summary on reward system impact on attendance
· Forty percent of the second grade students in the counselor’s assigned caseload will receive a commendation certificate for respectful classroom behavior.
Strategies
o Individual student conference
o Classroom guidance lesson on respect with student demonstration of target behavior
o Small group psychoeducational sessions for students not demonstrating respectful behavior
o Teachers’ weekly acknowledgment of respectful behavior
Measures
o Number of students receiving commendation certificates
o Baseline chart for incidents of respectful behavior
o Interim chart for incidents of respectful behavior
o Summary chart for incidents of respectful behavior
· Eighty percent of all fourth grade students in the counselor’s assigned caseload will identify the bully, bullied, and bystander in bullying scenarios.
Strategies
o Classroom guidance lesson to help students identify the bully, bullied, and bystander in bullying scenarios
Measures
o Counselor generated pre-survey in which students identify the bully, bullied, and bystander in bullying scenarios
o Counselor generated post-survey in which students identify the bully, bullied, and bystander in bullying scenarios
Sample Middle School SGOs
· The number of sixth grade students in the counselor’s assigned caseload reported for incidents of bullying in the previous semester will be reduced by 15% in the targeted semester.
Strategies
o Class assembly to increase students’ awareness of behavioral expectations and bullying
o Small group psychoeducational sessions with identified students to address life skills and social/emotional skills
o Individual counseling sessions
o Parent/guardian conference
o Parent/guardian materials for review with the student
Measures
o Counselor generated pre-survey in which students identify their attitudes related to bullying
o Counselor generated post-survey in which students identify their attitudes related to bullying
o Baseline report showing students reported for incidents of bullying
o Final report showing students reported for incidents of bullying
o Comparison chart showing students Baseline and Final data
· Eighth grade students in the counselor’s assigned caseload with eight or more unexcused absences in the first semester will reduce the number of absences by 20% in the second semester.
Strategies
o Individual student conference
o Weekly telephone call to parent/guardian
o Parent/guardian conference
o Request for assistance from I&RS
o Small group counseling sessions with students having attendance issue
o Weekly attendance log signed by parent/guardian and returned
o Teachers to provide a reward system to reinforce attendance
o Assign high school student mentor
Measures
o Weekly attendance reports
o Semester summary attendance reports
o Teacher summary on reward system impact on attendance
o Comparison of identified students’ unexcused absences in first and second semester.
· Eighty percent of eighth grade advisees in the counselor’s assigned caseload will submit a completed student career plan.
Strategies
o Grade level assembly on career planning
o Small group career advisement sessions
o Individual career advisement sessions
o Students complete a formal interest inventory (e.g., Self-Directed Search, True Colors)
o Parent/guardian materials sent home to be reviewed with the student
Measures
o Final report showing the percentage of students submitting a completed career plan
o Comparison chart showing students Baseline (# students completing a career plan the previous year) and Final data ((# students completing a career plan the this year)
Sample High School SGOs
· The number of ninth grade students in the counselor’s assigned caseload failing 2 or more classes in the first semester will be reduced by 20% in the second semester.
Strategies
o Small group psychoeducational sessions with identified students
o Individual counseling sessions
o Parent/guardian conference
o Parent and teacher sign weekly progress report
o Teacher biweekly progress report of student’s grade and homework
o Weekly peer tutoring or study skills sessions
o Pre and post study skills survey
Measures
o Baseline report showing the number of students failing 2 or more classes in the first semester
o Final report showing the number of students failing 2 or more classes in the second semester
o Comparison chart showing individual student progress in grades between the two semesters
· Ninety percent of eleventh grade students in the counselor’s assigned caseload will complete their twelfth grade schedule plans.
Strategies
o Grade-wide assembly
o Small group advisement sessions
o Individual advisement sessions
o Student and counselor review their career and academic testing results
o Parent/guardian materials sent home to be reviewed with the student
Measures
o Final report showing the percentage of students having completed their twelfth grade schedule plans
o Comparison report of the previous and current years showing the percentage of students having completed their twelfth grade schedule plans
o Comparison report of the percentage of students having completed their eleventh grade schedule plans
o Template for correctly completed schedule plan
· The number of tenth grade students in the counselor’s assigned caseload having more than one in-school suspension in the fall semester will decrease by 50% in the spring semester.
Strategies
o Small group psychoeducational sessions with identified students
o Individual counseling sessions
o Parent/guardian conference
o Parent/guardian materials to be reviewed with the student
o Teacher biweekly progress report
Measures
o Pre-survey identifying school rules and consequences
o Post-survey identifying school rules and consequences
o Baseline report showing the number of students assigned in-school suspension
o Final report showing the number of students assigned in-school suspension
o Comparison chart showing individual students’ fall and spring in-school suspension data