CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT

SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5030

Chapter 174, Laws of 2021

67TH LEGISLATURE

2021 REGULAR SESSION

SCHOOL DISTRICTS—COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL COUNSELING PROGRAMS

EFFECTIVE DATE: July 25, 2021

SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5030

AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE

BySenate Early Learning & K-12 Education (originally sponsored by Senators Mullet, Wellman, Conway, Darneille, Hasegawa, Kuderer, Liias, Lovelett, Nguyen, Rivers, Salomon, and Wilson, C.)

AN ACT Relating to developing comprehensive school counseling programs; adding new sections to chapter 28A.320 RCW; creating a new section; and providing an expiration date.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1. (1) The legislature recognizes that certificated school counselors are uniquely qualified to address the developmental needs of all students through a comprehensive school counseling program. School counselors play a critical role in maximizing K-12 student outcomes, including those related to attendance, academic achievement, high school graduation, postsecondary readiness, and social-emotional development. The legislature finds that school counselors play an especially unique role in the lives of students from underserved backgrounds, particularly students of color, students with disabilities, English language learners, and students living in poverty, who, according to research, are more likely to seek out their school counselor for academic, mental health, or postsecondary planning needs.

(2) The legislature also recognizes research indicating that lower counselor to student ratios enable counselors to work more closely with students and address their unique needs, and that school counselors should be able to use their time to provide direct and indirect services to students as described in a comprehensive school counseling program grounded in research.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 28A.320 RCW to read as follows:

By the beginning of the 2022-23 school year each school district shall develop and implement a written plan for a comprehensive school counseling program that is based on regularly updated standards developed by a national organization representing school counselors. The written plan must:

(1) Establish a comprehensive school counseling program that uses state and nationally recognized counselor frameworks and is systemically aligned to state learning standards;

(2) Provide a process for identifying student needs through a multilevel school data review and analysis that includes, at a minimum, use-of-time data, program results data, and data regarding communication with administrators, parents, students, and stakeholders;

(3) Explain how direct and indirect services will be delivered through the comprehensive school counseling program; and

(4) Establish an annual review and assessment process for the comprehensive school counseling program that includes building administrators and stakeholders.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 28A.320 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The comprehensive school counseling program required by section 2 of this act must be implemented by school counselors or other educational staff associates for the purpose of guiding students in academic pursuits, career planning, and social-emotional learning.

(2) School counselors or other educational staff associates assigned to implement comprehensive school counseling programs must allocate at least 80 percent of their work time providing direct and indirect services to benefit students, as aligned with standards developed by a national organization representing school counselors. Tasks such as coordinating and monitoring student testing, supervising students at lunch and recess, and assuming the duties of other noncounseling staff are not direct or indirect services.

(3) For purposes of this section:

(a) "Direct services" are in-person interactions between school counselors or other educational staff associates assigned to implement comprehensive school counseling programs and students that help students improve achievement, attendance, and discipline. Examples include, but are not limited to, instruction, appraisal, advisement, and counseling.

(b) "Indirect services" are provided on behalf of students as a result of interactions with others by school counselors or educational staff associates assigned to implement comprehensive school counseling programs that allow school counselors or educational staff associates to enhance student achievement and promote equity and access for all students. Examples include, but are not limited to, collaboration, consultation, and referrals.

(c) "Work time" means the portion of an employee's contracted hours for which they are contracted to perform the duties of a school counselor or other educational staff associate assignment.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4. A new section is added to chapter 28A.320 RCW to read as follows:

(1) By December 1, 2021, the office of the superintendent of public instruction must develop and distribute to school districts guidance for the implementation of sections 2 and 3 of this act. In meeting the requirements of this subsection (1), the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall consult with small school districts and develop guidance for small districts that is appropriate for the staffing resources, school counselor to student ratios, and range of duties performed by school counselors and educational staff associates in small school districts.

(2) Prior to the 2022-23 school year, each school district board of directors must, within existing funds, adopt a transition plan for developing and implementing a comprehensive school counseling program plan.

(3) This section expires June 30, 2023.

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