Reflection 1
Feedback Report for Research-based Discussion Paper
Student Name: Exemplar
A summary/abstract of the article (20 points)20
Love the organization throughout!!
Analysis of how you chose this article (20 points)20
Thoughtful.
Reflection of what you learned in relation
to counseling from reading this article (20 points)20
Very insightful!
Plan for using this material in your own classroom or
counseling practice (20 points)20
Good introspection here!
TOTAL (80 points)80
Reflection on a Bullying Prevention and Intervention Program
Exemplar
COOL 530: Introduction to School Counseling
University of the Cumberlands
September 21, 2010
Abstract/Summary
In the article, “Empowering Students: Using Data to Transform a Bullying Prevention and Intervention Program” the authors discuss the steps and the data the counseling department of a middle school used to bring about changes related to bullying prevention and intervention in the school during a three-year process. It discusses how the department went about finding out the effectiveness of their current counseling services in bullying prevention and intervention, specifically through the use of surveys. Due to the surveys, it helped the counselors see the need for strategies, services, and information to be presented and available to the students, parents, and all school faculty[SRR1]. They discussed the changes they made in each of the three years including, but not limited to, the creation of a bullying reporting website, continual monitoring of perceptions and changes of bullying through surveys, in order to bring about systematic changes in their school counseling program and overall school climate. The systematic changes include a reduction in the number of referrals and suspensions, focused attention of student safety and academic success, and the removal of “testing responsibilities from the school counseling department” (Young, et al., 2009).
Reasons
As I reflect upon the article “Empowering Students: Using Data to Transform a Bullying Prevention and Intervention Program” there are several reason for choosing this article. First and foremost, I choose this article because of my own experiences of combating bullying in my classroom. I also chose this article due to the chronic bullying problem that occurs in our school, many times undetected or unreported from students and staff. It is an issue that counselors can learn from and can use in order to make improvements in their comprehensive school counseling program.
Learning
By reading and reviewing this article, I was able to learn how counselors take on a leadership role and by being proactive can bring about systematic change in regard to student achievement and safety through the use of a bullying prevention and intervention program over a three-year period. To begin, I learned how they first wanted to ensure that students were learning in safe environments in order to bring about academic success and perceptions were found through the use of surveys. I also saw how they incorporated their anti-bullying lessons into the health and physical education classes in order to aid in the process of combating bullying. Alongside the integration of the guidance curriculum into the regular academic curriculum, I learned how the counselors used a “Likert scale” in order to assess their progress in the bullying prevention and intervention program (Young, et al., 2009). In addition, I learned that thorough the creation of the “anonymous bullying-reporting Web site” it allowed the counselors and administrators to address issues that arose from its use and reporting (Young, et al., 2009). I was also able to see how by collaborating with and educating parents and staff on anti-bullying strategies, cyberbullying, and Internet safety it aided in the success of the overall anti-bullying program (Young, et al., 2009). Finally, I learned that by the counselor proactive approach it brought about the reduction of referrals and suspensions along with “reducing [the] barriers to student achievement” (Yong, et al., 2009).
Application
As a school counselor, I can see many applications of what I learned through the efforts of the middle school counselors in combating bullying in the school environment. To begin, I plan to assess our perceptions in our elementary school on the problem and issue of school bullying from the parents, teachers, administrators, and students viewpoints.[SRR2] By doing so, it will enable me to see the direction and plan I need to make in regard to intervention and prevention strategies for anti-bullying guidance classes. Just as they instituted and used a website to report anonymously bullying behaviors, I plan to create a similar website along with making use of our payment drop box in order report bullying occurrences. By doing so, it will allow the administrators and myself to be knowledge of bullying issues that need to be addressed. I also plan to educate parents, students, and staff about bullying strategies and Internet safety in order to combat the bullying problems occurring in our school. Finally, I plan to regularly evaluate the anti-bullying intervention and prevention program on its overall effectiveness and on its effect on counseling and office referrals, suspensions, student achievement, and student safety. By doing so, it will allow me to see changes and improvements that I need to make in order to make the anti-bullying program a success.
References
Young, A., Hardy, V., Hamilton, C., Biernesser, K., Sun, L., & Niebergall, S.
(2009). Empowering students: Using data to transform a bullying prevention and intervention program. Professional School Counseling, 12 (6) , 413-420.
[SRR1]
[SRR2]