HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 85

(By Delegates Mezzatesta, Williams, Beach, Crosier, Fragale, Hartman, Long, Louisos, Paxton, Perry, Poling, Renner, Shaver, Shelton, Stemple, Tabb, Swartzmiller, Duke, Hamilton, Howard, Romine, Sobonya, Sumner, Wakim and Canterbury)


(Originating in the Committee on Education)

[March 4, 2003]


Directing the joint committee on government and finance to make a study on the changing role of school counseling and the potential impact of counselors on students in the public schools of the state.

Whereas, high quality school counseling programs impact student skills and facilitate learning opportunities in an active and preventive manner that ensures all students can achieve school success through academic, career and personal/social development experiences; and
Whereas counselors are specialists in child and adolescent development, school counselors coordinate the objectives, strategies and activities of a comprehensive and developmental school counseling program to meet the personal, social, educational and career development needs of all students; and
Whereas, school counselors advocate for all students as they strive to meet the challenges and demands of the school system and prepare for the transition to options after high school; and
Whereas, school counselors call attention to situations in schools that are defeating or frustrating students and thereby hindering their success; and
Whereas, school counseling programs empower students to overcome obstacles to school achievement and ensure access to appropriate services for students with varying degrees of needs; and, therefore, high quality school counseling services are essential for a thorough and efficient system of schools wherein all students achieve optimal personal growth, acquire positive social skills and values, set appropriate career goals and realize their full academic potential to become productive, contributing members of the world community; and
Whereas, the counselor's role in the school is very complex and must address the student needs through direct student contact, as well as through indirect services including developing and implementing counseling-related events such as orientation and transition programs, financial aid workshops, career and college planning processes, developmental guidance activities, preventive- focused programs, and other student-centered activities, including, but not limited to, writing letters of recommendation containing discriminate information, supervising the maintenance of student records and maintaining accurate counseling case notes; and
Whereas, today's student personal and social issues are continually changing and more complex than ever before, the counselor must continually upgrade skills and knowledge to successfully assist students with these needs that otherwise prohibit them from achieving academic success and being prepared for the world of work, therefore, provisions must be made to encourage counselors to continually seek advanced training to keep up with the ever-changing student population; and
Whereas, a counselor must also serve as a parent, teacher, staff, and community support resource, a multi-task approach which calls for a serious look at counselor case loads and certification requirements; and
Whereas, parents, teachers and society expect school counselors to work directly with students in a variety of ways to help them cope with complex student issues, the school counselor cannot provide such services at appropriate levels unless student/counselor ratios are small enough to allow counselors to address the needs of each individual student, leaving no child behind; therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the joint committee on government and finance is hereby directed to make a study on the changing role of school counseling and the potential impact of counselors on students in the public schools of the state; and be it
Further Resolved, That the study shall include, but is not limited to, consideration of the following issues:
(1) Appropriate student/counselor ratios;
(2) Appropriate and inappropriate duties of the counselor;
(3) Advanced certification and the impact on student services;
(4) Comparison of the requirements for the national board for professional teaching standards, national board for certified counselors, and licensed professional counselors, including consideration of the Master's degree program requirements which is not a requirement of the national board for professional teaching standards;
(5) The need for an evaluation tool of the school counselor and school counseling program that awards schools for exemplary school counseling programs;
(6) The need for a coordinator at the state department of education, and appropriate supervision of counselors at the county level; and be it
Further Resolved, That said joint committee on government and finance shall conduct the study and prepare a report of its findings, conclusions and recommendations together with drafts of any legislation necessary to effectuate its recommendations; and be it
Further Resolved, That the joint committee on government and finance report to the regular session of the Legislature, two thousand four, on its findings, conclusions and recommendations, together with drafts of any legislation necessary to effectuate its recommendations; and be it
Further Resolved, That the expenses necessary to conduct this study, to prepare a report and draft necessary legislation be paid from legislative appropriations to the joint committee on government and finance.