TPC-Journal-V2-Issue2

The Professional Counselor \Volume 2, Issue 2 156 However, at the high school level (see Table 3), significant correlations and large effect sizes were noted between the program audit predictor variable and high school outcome measures. Descriptive statistical analysis indicated that all variables were normally distributed with the one exception: the elementary reading outcome had a skewness index of 1.42. Table 2 Pearson Correlations Among Predictor and Outcome Variables Ratio Audit Reading Math Attendance Elementary School Sample a Ratio --- Audit -.15 --- Reading -.26* -.20 --- Math -.16 -.14 .70* --- Attendance .38* .10 -.55* -.52* --- Middle School Sample b Ratio --- Audit -.36 --- Reading -.79* .11 --- Math -.53* -.12 .89* --- Attendance .62* .10 -.76* -.76 --- Note. a Elementary school sample ( n = 78); b Middle school sample ( n = 17); * correlation was significant at p <.05. Table 3 Pearson Correlations Among Predictor and Outcome Variables for the High School Sample Ratio Audit English Algebra Attendance Graduation Ratio --- Audit -.04 --- English -.36 -.64* --- Algebra -.35 -.52* .78* --- Attendance .19 .51* -.78* -.74* --- Graduation .24 .44 -.67* -.53* .79* --- Note. n = 18. * means the correlation was significant at p <.05. To assess the proportion of variance in outcomes that could be uniquely accounted for by the ASCA program audit, simple linear regression analysis was used to test the hypothesis that a program audit would significantly predict each outcome variable at each of the three school levels (elementary, middle and high). These regression results are presented in Table 4. Program audit scores did not significantly predict any student outcome measure scores at either the elementary or middle school level, although the prediction of fifth grade reading achievement trended toward significance ( p = .08). However, at the high school level ( n = 18), program audit predicted English (β = -.645, t = -3.27, p < .05, large effect), algebra (β = -.517, t = -2.34, p < .05, large effect), and attendance (β = .506, t = 2.35, p < .05, large effect) outcomes, and a trend was noted in the prediction of high school graduation rate (β = .442, t = 1.97, p = .06, medium to large effect).