DESIGNING A DATA-INFORMED AND DISTRIBUTED LEADERSHIP-BASED ELEMENTARY SCHOOL COUNSELING MANAGEMENT MODEL
Diki Hermawan, Dina Ayu Setiani, Fadhilah Nur Agustin

Universitas Muhammadiyah A.R. Fachruddin

Abstract

Due to the shortage of school counselors in elementary schools, counseling practices are often delegated to classroom teachers. This condition creates persistent challenges, as practices tend to be reactive, fragmented, and insufficiently supported by systematic data use. This study aims to design and refine a distributed and data informed leadership model for student counseling management to enhance the effectiveness of school-based counseling practices. Building on this premise, the study develops a practical and scalable model conceptualized as the Data-Informed Distributed Educational Leadership (DIDEL) Model of School Counseling. A Design-Based Research (DBR) approach was employed over a two-year period in an elementary school setting, involving iterative cycles of problem analysis, prototype design, implementation, and refinement. Data sources included student behavioral records, teacher reports, counseling documentation, parent engagement data, and stakeholder reflections. The findings indicate that integrating systematic data use and distributed leadership structures enables more proactive identification of student needs, fosters collaborative decision-making, and supports more targeted interventions. These improvements reflected in more consistent behavioral monitoring and increased teacher engagement. This study contributes to addressing the limitations of individual-centered counseling practices by proposing a systemic, data-informed, and collaboratively enacted model that is adaptable for broader implementation in elementary school contexts.

Keywords: Data Informed Decision Making- Distributed Leadership- Elementary School Counseling Management

Topic: Student Wellbeing (Mental Health and Student Counselling