Assessing Student Advising NeedsAshley DickeyAngelo State UniversityAssessing Student Advising NeedsDetermining student needs can be a challenge. A starting point for establishing these needs is to collect information from parents, teachers and, above all, students. To evaluate the wants and needs provided by the Grape Creek High School School Counseling Program, a survey was conducted. The survey, as shown in the appendix, consisted of questions and scaled statements that allowed students to assess various areas of the counseling program. The current high school enrollment number is 320, which is the number of surveys distributed. Students were asked to complete the surveys in their English class. Distributing assessments in this way allowed for greater participation and more meaningful responses. Of the 320 surveys distributed, 293 were completed and collected. Missing surveys were due to student absences or students completing blank surveys. Areas of High Need Services for Academic Performance The first section of the survey asked students to rate the degree to which various services were needed at school. Two distinct areas have taken the lead. First, students expressed the need for more services regarding academic performance. The graduation rate in 2011 was 91.9%. This rate increased to 96.9% in 2012, but then dropped to 94.4% in 2013. Although the high school graduation rate is quite high with few dropouts, students appear to desire services which help improve their overall academic performance. One area of ​​academic improvement that the advising program could focus on is enrolling in higher level courses such as advanced...... middle of article...... 4 5Provide information about social, emotional, and behavioral issues 1 2 3 4 5 Classroom Orientation lesson 1 2 3 4 5 Develop behavior plans 1 2 3 4 5 Help with parent conference 1 2 3 4 5 Consider the following statements and indicate if you are strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, or strongly disagree.Strongly agree Somewhat agree Somewhat disagree Strongly disagreeI know how to contact my school counselor.My school counselor responds to my requests .I feel comfortable discussing personal issues with my school counselor. My school counselor helps me prepare for my plans after high school through one-on-one conferences. Classroom counseling lessons are beneficial to students in my school. I meet with my school counselor at least once a year. What comments or questions do you have for your school counselors?