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Soar to Success: An Academic Success Small Group

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Soar to Success: An Academic Success Small Group

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The Soar to Success small group is an academic success group designed to help close the achievement gap among students at Fort Concho Elementary.  The primary purpose of the group is to help Hispanic students reach their fullest potential.

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Revised Small Group Counseling Action Plan

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The pre-group screening process is vital because it not only informs the students of the purpose of the group, but it will also determine a student's willingness and ability to be a contributing member of the group (MPSCCE, 2015).  Based on this need,  a pre-group interview will be conducted on an individual basis in order to determine students' interest in the group.  The following topics will be considered vitally important and addressed during the screening interview:

expectations of confidentiality

expectations of participation

willingness to treat everyone with respect

The student will finally be asked to rate their interest in the group on a rating scale to help determine if they will be a productive group member (MPSCCE, 2015).

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Both assent and informed parental consent will be obtained prior to a student's participation in the Soar to Success group.  While there is no absolute requirement for my district, the nature and length of this group would deem it appropriate to have well-documented parental consent in addition to each student's individual assent.  Consent will be sought prior to the initial meeting.

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The Soar to Success group is focused primarily on school success for upper elementary Hispanic students.  For this reason, information will be targeted directly to fourth and fifth grade teachers during PLC meetings.  Teachers can help to identify students who could benefit from the group.  A brochure regarding the group will be delivered initially to teachers and administrators for initial identification of students.  After initial identification, brochures will then be given to students and parents of identified students for informational purposes prior to attempting to gain consent and begin the group.

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The group rules will be flexible in that rules can be added should the group see the need for additional guidelines. The members of the group will be expected to abide by the following rules:

Be respectful

Speak when it is your turn

Listen intently

Keep group meetings confidential

Participate

The following form from the Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators will also be used to further illustrate what a successful group will look and sound like when rules are followed.

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For the purpose of the Soar to Success group, a participative leadership style is most appropriate.  This style should work well for this upper elementary group because they should seek some autonomy in the group process and their own personal goal setting.  It will allow them to be more creative in their problem solving, but should also be effective in guiding the members in a productive direction (Cherry, 2020).  Members are also more likely to feel like a member of a team when the leader encourages participation, but ultimately retains the final say in the direction of the group (Cherry, 2020).

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In the Soar to Success group members will likely see benefits from the following factors:
1.  Universality-Through the group process members will understand they are not struggling academically alone.  They will see there are others who, like them, need extra support in some areas.  This can be very empowering and uplifting for people who may otherwise feel as if they are on an island of struggle.
2.  Development of Socializing Techniques-As part of our group process, students will learn appropriate ways to seek help from adults and peers.  They will also learn they are not alone in needing help, and thus, may be more likely to seek help.

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Stage 1:  In stage one, also known as the "storming/norming" stage, trust is paramount and it can be tested through "acting-out" behaviors (MPSCCE, 2015).  The group will discuss confidentiality, but know that we all play a role.  If one person breaks confidentiality, the whole group is affected and that will be addressed in stage one.  We will establish confidentiality through open discussions so members feel safe to share what is on their minds.  Norms will be presented, but we will also lay the groundwork for changing norms should the need arise.  While some norms are non-negotiable, others may be more flexible and the members will have ongoing input about those flexible norms.
Stage 2:  The group will work cohesively by learning to respectfully support each other in all situations.  For instance, if a group member fails to do a task required by the group, we will seek a solution together.  The group will seek to offer help in reminding each other of tasks and helping when needed.  On the other hand, the group should acknowledge and celebrate successes during the process, such as achievement of goals along the way.  The group will strive to support each other in their goals by regularly checking on one another.
Stage 3:  The group will close with each member being able to articulate how they can use the tools in the near future for continued success.  We will discuss the feelings of the group members about the closure of the group and reinforce that there is always help available.  Members of the group should know they can count on one another beyond the life of the group to help maintain their success.  The group will also discuss the need for a follow-up and set this additional meeting in the future to check in on group successes.  We will discuss that the things people said during the group should remain confidential for perpetuity, and that it is okay to come to me if confidentiality is broken at any point.

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The following mindsets and behaviors will be directly addressed during the meetings of the Soar to Success group:
Learning Strategies:
B-LS3  Use time management, organizational, and study skills.
B-LS7  Identify long- and short-term academic, career, and social/emotional goals.
Self Management Skills:
B-SMS 5  Demonstrate perseverance to achieve long- and short-term goals.
B-SMS 7  Demonstrate effective coping skills when faced with a problem.
Social Skills:
B-SS3  Create relationships with adults that support success.

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American Counseling Association.  (2014).  2014 ACA code of ethics.  https://www.counseling.org/resources/aca-code-of-ethics.pdf

American School Counselor Association.  (2014).  Mindsets and behaviors for student success: K-12 college- and career-readiness standards for every student.  https://www.schoolcounselor.org/asca/media/asca/home/MindsetsBehaviors.pdf

Cherry, K.  (2020).  Leadership styles and frameworks you should know.  https://www.verywellmind.com/leadership-styles-2795312

Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators.  (2015).  Professional school counselor small group counseling guide: A professional school counselor’s guide to planning, implementing, & evaluating school based counseling groups.  https://dese.mo.gov/sites/default/files/guid-respon-serv-small-group-counseling-guide-2015.pdf

Thomas, R.V. & Pender, D. (2008).  Association for specialists in group work: Best practice guidelines 2007 revisions.  The Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 33(2), 111-117.  DOI: 10.1080/01933920801971184

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A3a. "Assessment of self.  Group workers actively assess their knowledge and skills related to the specific groups offered.  Group workers assess their value, beliefs and theoretical orientation and how these impact upon the group, particularly when working with a diverse and multicultural population" (Thomas & Pender, 2008, p.112-113).
Given the nature of the Soar to Success group as a group designed to close the achievement gap among Hispanic and White students, it is important for the leader to understand the cultural diversity of the students and how that affects them academically.  It is also very important for the leader to understand that the students may have different values, and should seek to help the students without imparting the leaders values upon the members.

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Rule A9a from the ACA code of ethics pertains to the screening of clients for the purpose of group work.  The guideline says that counselors should select members whose goals are compatible with the group, and who will not impede the progress of the group (ACA, 2014).  It further says that individuals' well-being should not be put in harm's way by the experience of the group (ACA, 2014).
It will be imperative for the leader to select members carefully who will gain from the group's support, but also not contribute negatively to the group experience.  Self-esteem among the members of the group is an incredible important factor and should be protected by the leader.  If any member has the potential to hurt another's self-esteem, their participation should be carefully considered before admittance to the group.