What are examples of outcome data that school counselors could collect?

The selection of graduation rates and course completion rates as examples of outcome data that school counselors could collect reflects a comprehensive approach to measuring the effectiveness of school counseling programs. Outcome data typically serves to demonstrate the impact of counseling interventions on student success and achievement.

Graduation rates indicate the percentage of students who successfully complete their education within a specified time frame. This data point is critical as it highlights not only the end results of students’ academic journeys but also how various counseling initiatives, such as academic planning and support, affect students' ability to stay in school and complete their education.

Course completion rates provide insight into how well students are progressing through their curriculum. High completion rates can indicate effective counseling practices, such as intervention strategies aimed at preventing dropouts and promoting student engagement and persistence in their studies.

In contrast, other options like focusing solely on student behavior incidents, classroom attendance records, or teacher evaluations do not provide a holistic picture of student outcomes. While those factors are important and contribute to the overall assessment of a student's school experience, they are not direct indicators of educational attainment and success in the same way that graduation and course completion rates are. Collecting a broad spectrum of outcome data, particularly those linked to academic achievement, allows school counselors to evaluate and enhance the