Statistics In Counselling

Statistics for Counseling and Program Evaluation

Statistical concepts are abstract concepts composed of data. Although the initial exposure

to statistics is often shocking and confusing, the relationship between statistics and counseling are a necessary compilation (Sheperis, C. J., Young, J. S., & Daniels, M. H. 2010). Sheperis, C. J., Young, J. S., & Daniels, M. H., talk about the prevelance of statistics in everything that we do, especially in the realm of counseling, where statistics are used on a frequent basis. It is further mentioned that understanding statistics, methods and concepts are vital and essential to counselors and mental health professionals. One cannot adopt a principle or apply a principle or technique when working with

a client without using research, which is often composed or which often provides information about statistical concepts (Sheperis, C. J., Young, J. S., & Daniels, M. H. (2010).
The study entitled: Preschool center care quality effects on academic achievement: An instrumental variables analysis looks at the effects of quality child care settings and how providing quality child care can impact school readiness of children (Auger, A., Farkas, G., Burchinal, M.

R., Duncan, G. J., & Vandell, D. L. (2014). The three most important statistical concepts in this article include: measurement, reliability, and validity. Measurement is classifying what it is that you are seeking to find information about (Sheperis, C. J., Young, J. S., & Daniels, M. H. (2010). In this article, quality child care and its effects on academic achievement are measured. Several measure of process quality were used as methods to measure these factors, focusing on quality of instruction from the teacher, staff0child interactions, and staff-child ratio and staff qualifications (Auger, A., Farkas, G., Burchinal, M. R., Duncan, G. J., & Vandell, D. L. (2014). A centers quality was measured using varying tools of measurement such as the ECERS-R which is used as an observation tool consisting of 43 different items, scored on a range of 1-7 (1 being inadequate and 7 being excellent quality). The 43 different items measures things such as indoor space, personal care routines, language reasoning, activities, interactions, program structure and parents and staff (Auger, A., Farkas, G., Burchinal, M. R., Duncan, G. J., & Vandell, D. L. (2014). This

tool has been proven valid and observers are to remain valid by regularly participating in double scoring or inter-rater reliability checks in which scoring of two observers must be within 85% of one another. Meaning, they are seeing and scoring the 43 items the same, at least 85% of the time (Auger, A., Farkas, G., Burchinal, M. R., Duncan, G. J., & Vandell, D. L. (2014). Reliability is an important concept because the statistics and data would not be accurate without the individuals administering the tools being reliable. Remaining reliable and using the tool in an effective and appropriate manner is important in formulating data and examining variables which may or may not impact the impact of quality care on academic success. In addition, validity which is defined as “the applicability, meaningfulness, and usefulness of the specific inferences made from scores” (Sheperis, C. J., Young, J. S., & Daniels, M. H. 2010). Validity is examined by looking at the measurements content, construct and criterion (Sheperis, C. J., Young, J. S., & Daniels, M. H. 2010). In the context of the ECERS-R measure, the content are the 43 items within the scale, the construct is the extent to which the ECERS-R is an accurate measure of the presented variables (Sheperis, C. J., Young, J. S., & Daniels, M. H. 2010),
and “Criterion validity results were mixed, with small effect sizes for regressions predicting child outcomes and moderate effect sizes for regressions predicting teacher-reported quality. The ECERS-R tool was determined to be valid according to Crocker, L., & Algina, (1986) “a) defining the performance domain; b) selecting a panel of qualified experts in the content domain; c) providing a structure to allow matching of items to the domain; and d) collecting and summarizing data (p. 219). During the development of the original ECERS, the authors contacted seven nationally recognized experts in day care and early childhood (Harms & Clifford, 1980). These experts rated the importance of each item in early childhood programs. Overall, 78 percent of the items were rated as of high importance. The authors then made minor modifications to the scale, which should increase the validity (Harms & Clifford, 1983).”
The statistical methods used include collecting data from 12 selected grantees round the United States where each site had their curriculum and teachers evaluated, the participants included the teachers and the children within the Pre-K classrooms, the schools or PreK classrooms were measured using the previously mentioned tools (ECERS-R), and then the outcomes were examined using the above mentioned variables or participants, N (number of cases), the mean (the average), standard deviation (square root of the variance), and minimums and maximums compared to those from the controlled group (Auger, A., Farkas, G., Burchinal, M.

R., Duncan, G. J., & Vandell, D. L. (2014) and (Sheperis, C. J., Young, J. S., & Daniels, M. H.

2010).
The observers or data collectors, statisticians, and researchers need to remain ethical by not changing data or otherwise acting in an unethical manner, they also needed to remain within the legal confines for the state in which they resided and under the grant provisions for which they conducted the research. In addition, cultural factors must have been taken into consideration in schools are with observers who may have varying cultural backgrounds that those from the controlled group.
Sheperis, C. J., Young, J. S., & Daniels, M. H. say it best by stating “basic statistical concepts are all around us” without statistics, we could not function in our day to day lives and tasks. In order to become and remain an effective practitioner, education and understanding of statistical information is imperative. It is vital “to administer assessments, analyze testing data, interprets psychological testing, and to explain results to clients” (Sheperis, C. J., Young, J. S., & Daniels, M. H. 2010).