At the start of each school year, Director of Teaching and Learning, Melanie Henning, and Superintendent, George Stewart, welcome new faculty and staff to the American School Foundation of Monterrey (ASFM) by reaffirming the school’s mission, vision, and goal, "Every child will exceed their personal best." While this may be a typical way to begin a new academic year, ASFM goes beyond motivational words and heartfelt anecdotes by grounding its commitment in data-driven decision-making. By leveraging information from the school’s databases, ASFM creates strong pathways that support both students and faculty.
To facilitate this process, in-house programs have been developed to collect and analyze Academic, Behavior, and Attendance (ABA) data. Administrators hold monthly retreats to review trends, while faculty are encouraged to examine data insights and provide feedback on effective strategies as well as areas needing further attention. Middle school Dean of Students, David Scott, acknowledges, "We haven’t come up with the magic answer or intervention to all challenges, but we have the data to inform improvement." Middle school Dean of Academics, Sharlesque George, highlights that one notable example of this data-driven approach was identifying a gap in student and parent awareness of academic performance. Previously, some families were caught off guard by semester-end grade reports and the need for remediation. In response, ASFM implemented a system that sends automated emails every three weeks, notifying students and parents of grades and any learning standards below passing. This initiative has strengthened home-school communication and helped students, parents, and teachers stay informed about student progress.
The ASFM Counseling Department is equally committed to using data to inform interventions and programs. Counselors rely on multiple sources, including the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire—a screening tool for emotional and behavioral challenges developed by psychiatrist Robert N. Goodman—ABA data from school databases, and additional in-house surveys to identify students at risk. This quantitative data, coupled with qualitative insights from grade-level meetings, shapes a comprehensive counseling program designed to meet student needs through individual sessions, small group interventions, in-class lessons, and advisory programs.
One small example of how this works is when a grade level counselor and head of grade level use the databases to pull information on the top 20% of students who are struggling academically, behaviorally, socio-emotionally, and with attendance. This year, data analysis informed the development of small group interventions focused on mindfulness techniques, executive functioning skills, emotional regulation strategies, social skills development, and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) based thought-challenging techniques. Additionally, in-class lessons covered critical topics such as relational aggression, digital citizenship, and abuse prevention. Behavior interventions, implemented in collaboration with the Dean of Students and Heads of Grade Levels, encouraged students to reflect on their individual ABA data and, when appropriate, engage in restorative practices. Each of these initiatives, grounded in data, brings students closer to achieving the school’s overarching goal, "Every child will exceed their personal best." As ASFM continues refining its data collection and analysis systems, students, parents, and faculty will undoubtedly benefit from a more informed and responsive educational environment.
As the Grade 6 counselor, this deep dive into data has prompted me to continually ask a few important questions.
What patterns am I seeing with the students in my care?
Looking at longitudinal data, what differences/growth have been made and where can we pivot if differences haven’t occurred?
What gaps in data exist and who/what could help close those gaps?
Are there any voices or children who are not being represented or need more attention?
I would encourage all counselors to ask similar questions to help create a more data informed counseling program.
Kacy Brubaker is a child and adolescent counselor. She holds a master’s degree in mental health counseling and is a licensed professional counselor. Kacy served as a school counselor and director of student life in Atlanta, Georgia for many years before moving to Monterrey, Mexico, where she now works as a middle school counselor at the American School Foundation of Monterrey (ASFM). It was while working at ASFM that Kacy was introduced to the Counselor Training Center through the Principals’ Training Center (PTC), where she is currently working toward her Certificate of International School Counseling. She takes her role as a supporter and advocate for all students seriously and believes it is her vocation to create welcoming spaces where all children can find and use their unique voices. Before pursuing her degree in mental health counseling, Kacy earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and worked in schools in the Navajo Nation and Ceará, Brazil. She also holds a Master of Divinity.
