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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2023 - 2024
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | August 28, 2023 02:07 PM |
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| From: | Representative Mandy Steele and Rep. Dan L. Miller |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Increasing Student Success with More School Counselor Support |
| School counselors fill a tremendous role in students’ lives, often wearing multiple “hats” as they work to ensure that students have the tools and resources to be successful in school and beyond. Despite the importance of the job they do, Pennsylvania is the only state in the nation that does not require standardized school counseling services in all schools. Our legislation would create the School Counseling Services Act, which would require that schools develop a robust and comprehensive school counseling plan. The plan would ensure that academic, career planning, and social and emotional learning concerns are addressed, would include a multilevel school data review to determine student needs, and would align with guidance from the Pennsylvania Department of Education. In addition to requiring a comprehensive school counseling plan, our bill would spell out the way in which counselors spend their time, requiring that they spend at least 80% of their working time engaged in direct and indirect services to students on days that students were in school. These services could involve academic advising, career planning, social and emotional skill building, intervening with students at risk of dropping out, orienting new and transferring students, and contributing to decision-making teams and programs that directly impact students and families. Administrative responsibilities could take up no more than 20% of their time. Recognizing that the success of our students dependent upon the collective efforts of all school personnel, we hope that you will join us in strengthening school counseling services in the Commonwealth. |
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| View Attachment | ||
Introduced as HB1665