WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE

2024 REGULAR SESSION

Introduced

House Bill 5200

By Delegates Toney, Stephens, Dean, Bridges, Ferrell, Worrell, Shamblin, Rohrbach, Sheedy, Campbell, and Vance

[Introduced January 25, 2024; Referred to the Committee on Education]

A BILL to amend and reenact §18-5-18b of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to requiring that school counselors serving students in preschool through the 12th grade participate in the School Counselors Conference at least once every two years.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 5. COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION.

§18-5-18b. School counselors in public schools.

(a) A school counselor means a professional educator who holds a valid school counselor’s certificate in accordance with §18A-1-1 of this code.

(b) Each county board shall provide counseling services for each pupil enrolled in the public schools of the county.

(c) The school counselor shall work with individual pupils and groups of pupils in providing developmental, preventive and remedial guidance and counseling programs to meet academic, social, emotional, and physical needs; including programs to identify and address the problem of potential school dropouts. The school counselor also may provide consultant services for parents, teachers, and administrators and may use outside referral services, when appropriate, if no additional cost is incurred by the county board.

(d) The state board may adopt rules consistent with the provisions of this section that define the role of a school counselor based on the "National Standards for School Counseling Programs" of the American School Counselor Association. A school counselor is authorized to perform such services as are not inconsistent with the provisions of the rule as adopted by the state board. To the extent that any funds are made available for this purpose, county boards shall provide training for counselors and administrators to implement the rule as adopted by the state board.

(e) Each county board shall develop a comprehensive drop-out prevention program utilizing the expertise of school counselors and any other appropriate resources available.

(f) School counselors shall be full-time professional personnel, shall spend at least 80 percent of work time in a direct counseling relationship with pupils, and shall devote no more than 20 percent of the work day to administrative activities: Provided, That such activities are counselor related.

(g) Beginning with the 2024--25 school year, school counselors serving students in grades PK - 12 shall participate in the School Counselors Conference annually. The School Counselors  Conference shall address the following components:

(1) Career Counseling and Life Planning, (2)  Career awareness, (3) Career and life planning, (4) Career and life success, (5) Opportunities with Career Technical Education available in West Virginia, (6) Post secondary options, (7) Academic Counseling and Personalized Planning, (8) Academic motivation, (9) Goal setting, (10) Academic scheduling, (11), Personalized Education Plans, (12) Dual credit, (13) Learning skills, (14)  Personal and Social Counseling, (15) Decision making, (16) Personal responsibility, (17) Conflict resolution, and (18) Prevention.

An advanced credential in Career Counseling and non-degree graduate credits will be available upon completion of the School Counselor Conference training. Licensed Professional Counselor continuing education credits will be available when applicable as approved by the West Virginia Board of Examiners in counseling.

School counselors serving students in grade 7 through the 12th grade shall receive four hours of training every two years dealing with building and trades and apprenticeship programs available to students in West Virginia. This training may be administered by the department of education or in conjunction with West Virginia building and trades organizations.

(g) (h) Nothing in this section prohibits a county board from exceeding the provisions of this section, or requires any specific level of funding by the Legislature.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to require School counselors serving students in preschool through the 12th grade to participate in the School Counselors Conference at least once every two years.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.