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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Fifth Legislature, Second Regular Session
school counselors; grants
Purpose
Requires the State Board of Education (SBE) to issue school counselor certificates. Requires, beginning in the 2027-2028 school year, each school district and charter school to have a school counselor to student ratio of at least 1:550. Establishes the School Counseling Plan Grant Fund (Grant Fund) and appropriates monies from the state General Fund in the amount of $19,000,000 in FY 2022, which is increased annually by $19,000,000 each fiscal year through FY 2027.
Background
The Arizona
Department of Education (ADE) issues an optional Standard Professional School
Counselor, PreK-12 Certificate, that may be required by school district
governing boards. To obtain the certificate, an individual must: 1) hold a
master's or more advanced degree; 2) complete a graduate program in guidance
and counseling; and 3) obtain a valid fingerprint clearance card. An applicant must also complete: 1) a supervised counseling
practicum in guidance and counseling; 2) two years of full-time experience as a
school counselor; or 3) three years of
full-time teaching experience (A.A.C. R7-2-617).
S.B. 1189 appropriates $19,000,000 from the state General Fund (state GF) to the Grant Fund in FY 2022 and increases the annual appropriation by $19,000,000 for each fiscal year through FY 2027 for a total cost of $285,000,000.
Provisions
1. Requires the SBE to issue school counselor certificates and adopt certification requirements that conform to standards adopted by a national association of school counselors.
2. Prohibits, beginning on July 1, 2024, a person who does not obtain a SBE school counselor certificate from being employed as a school counselor in a school district or charter school.
3. Directs the SBE to recognize, in developing certificate requirements, that the school counselor role is to plan, organize and deliver a comprehensive school guidance and counseling plan that:
a) personalizes education; and
b) supports, promotes and enhances the academic, personal, social, emotional and career development of all students.
4. Requires, beginning in the 2027-2028 school year and subject to sufficient appropriations, each school district and charter school to hire at least 1 school counselor for every 550 students.
5. Directs a school district or charter school with fewer than 550 enrolled students to:
a) hire one school counselor, who may be employed on a part-time basis; or
b) enter into an intergovernmental agreement with one or more other school districts or charter schools to contract for school counselor services.
6. Establishes the Grant Fund consisting of legislative appropriations and administered by ADE to assist school districts and charter schools with the costs of implementing a school counseling plan (counseling plan).
7. Appropriates the following amounts from the state GF to the Grant Fund and to ADE for distribution:
a) $19,000,000 in FY 2023;
b) $38,000,000 in FY 2024;
c) $57, 000,000 in FY 2025;
d) $76,000,000 in FY 2026; and
e) $95,000,000 in FY 2027.
8. Requires ADE to establish application and selection procedures to distribute Grant Fund monies.
9. Allows schools, school districts and charter schools to submit an application to ADE for a grant from the Grant Fund that includes:
a) a letter of commitment to adopt a comprehensive counseling plan that defines the school counselor's relationship to local community resources;
b) a description of the methods for evaluating the counseling plan's effectiveness;
c) policies on confidentiality and on notifying and providing services to students' parents and other family members;
d) a description of the school's or school district's referral procedures to the appropriate community entities and state agencies; and
e) a description of the scope of the services that the school or school district will provide.
10. Authorizes the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) to appoint a School Counseling Plan Grant Fund Advisory Committee (Advisory Committee) within ADE to advise ADE and the SPI on award selection criteria.
11. Requires the Advisory Committee to consist of one or more of the following:
a) school counselors;
b) school administrators;
c) school principals;
d) teachers;
e) parents of students enrolled in school districts or charter schools; and
f) community mental health professionals.
12. Authorizes ADE, in cooperation with the SPI, to adopt policies to administer the Grant Fund.
13. Defines school counselor as a professional educator who holds a valid school counselor certificate issued by the SBE.
14. Defines school counseling plan as a counseling plan in a school district or charter school that is managed by one or more school counselors.
15. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Research
January 28, 2022
LB/MS/slp