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.
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