LEGISLATION
H.R. 1361/S. 538 "The Increased Student Achievement through Increased Student Support Act"
·Sponsors: 37 in the House, including lead sponsor Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-NY-10); and 12 in the Senate, including lead Sens. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), Thad Cochran (R-MS), and Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
· Introduced in both chambers March 5, 2009
H.R. 2597 "Positive Behavior for Safe and Effective Schools Act"
·Sponsors: 29, including lead sponsor Rep. Phil Hare (D- IL-17)
· Introduced May 21, 2009
H.R. 3800 "Reducing Barriers to Learning Act"
·Sponsors: 10, including lead sponsor Rep. David Loebsack (D-IA-2)
· Introduced October 13, 2009
H.R. 4122 "Graduation for All Act"
·Sponsors: 9, including lead sponsor House Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller (D-CA-7)
· Introduced November 19, 2009
"Put School Counselors Where They're Needed Act"
· Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA-39) was the lead sponsor in the 110th Congress
· Expected to be re-introduced
LATEST INFORMATION
Members of Congress have introduced several important pieces of legislation, incorporating many ACA recommendations, to advance the school counseling profession. Lawmakers will likely attempt to insert their bills into the renewed, or reauthorized, version of the main federal law on K-12 education, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (also known as No Child Left Behind or ESEA), when it is taken up by Congress. ACA is working to increase support for these bills by asking more six lawmakers to sign on as co-sponsors.
The Increased Student Achievement through Increased Student Support Act would increase the number and availability of school counselors, school social workers, and school psychologists in qualified urban and rural low-income districts by authorizing the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to award five-year competitive grants to eligible partnerships between universities and school districts. The grants would help provide a pipeline of trained school counselors, school social workers, and school psychologists for high-need rural and urban schools. As an incentive to encourage such work, graduate students participating in the grant program would receive tuition credits and loan forgiveness.
The Positive Behavior for Effective Schools Act would allow states to use ESEA Title I funds for school-wide, coordinated, early intervention services, such as positive behavior interventions and supports for all students in a school. Such services create a school climate that is highly conducive to learning, reduces discipline referrals, and improves academic outcomes. The bill would establish an Office of Specialized Instructional Support Services within ED, to administer and coordinate school support services, such as counseling. The legislation would also clarify conflicting terminology, definitions and roles of "specialized instructional support personnel," which includes professional school counselors.
The Reducing Barriers to Learning Act would establish an Office of Specialized Instructional Support within ED, and authorize grants to state departments of education to develop support programs and personnel dedicated to helping all students achieve. This bill also would clarify conflicting terminology, definitions and roles of "specialized instructional support personnel," such as professional school counselors.
The Graduation for All Act would address the country's dropout crisis by providing competitive grants to school districts to help the lowest-performing middle and high schools improve student achievement, graduation rates, college enrollment and career readiness. Grants would support academic and social support services like counseling; rigorous curricula; and data systems to identify and assist at-risk students. This bill also adopts "specialized instructional support personnel," such as school counselors, and their services to clarify the current conflicting terminology, definitions and roles for these professionals and services.
The Put School Counselors Where They're Needed Act, once re-introduced, would create a $12 million demonstration project to fund additional secondary school counselors in troubled, low-income schools to help reduce dropout rates.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Urge your Members of Congress to co-sponsor these bills.You can call the Capitol switchboard at (202) 225-3121 and ask to be transferred to your Congresspersons’ office. To identify your lawmakers using your zip code, or to generate an e-mail urging them to cosponsor, go to http://capwiz.com/counseling/home/.
BACKGROUND
The federal government's primary law on K-12 education, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, was last renewed, or reauthorized, as the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (referred to here as ESEA). Major federal laws are typically scheduled for thorough debate and revision—in legislative language, “reauthorization”—every five years. ESEA has been due for reauthorization since 2007, but other congressional priorities have delayed reauthorization. The pending reauthorization provides advocates with a rare opportunity to influence federal education policy for years to come.
In 2001, ESEA authorized programs that support guidance counseling, mental health services, violence prevention activities, academic advisement, school counselors' professional development, and more. Today, there are over 100,000 highly trained professional school counselors working in America's public schools. Professional school counselors advocate for and care for students, and are important members of the educational team. They consult and collaborate with teachers, administrators and families to help all students be successful academically, vocationally and personally.
However, the continued, serious shortage of qualified school counselors in America has undermined efforts to make schools safe, improve academic achievement, and ensure bright futures for all our children. School counselors are stretched thin, and children often do not get the help they need. In 1998, the average U.S. public school student-to-counselor ratio was 561:1. In 2007, the average student-to-counselor ratio was 476:1. ACA recommends a maximum student-to-counselor ratio of 250:1.
ACA strongly supports the main purpose of ESEA: to afford all children an equal opportunity to receive a quality education and, in doing so, to close the achievement gaps between disadvantaged children and their more advantaged peers. ACA believes that highly qualified teachers and principals are critical to student achievement and school improvement; but if children are not physically, socially or mentally ready and able to learn, the best classroom instruction and school leadership will not produce the desired results. That is why we need more professional school counselors.
Thus, ACA and other education advocates continue to educate Congress about the need for more professional school counselors, and the high-quality, comprehensive programs and services school counselors provide, helping to improve school safety, school climate, and, ultimately, students’ well-being and academic achievement.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Dominic W. Holt, MSW, MFA
Legislative Representative
American Counseling Association
5999 Stevenson Avenue
Alexandria, VA 22304
800.347.6647 x242
dholt@counseling.org