Florida Senate - 2022 SB 1404 By Senator Jones 35-01103-22 20221404__ 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to school counselors; providing a 3 short title; amending s. 1006.025, F.S.; requiring 4 certified school counselors to provide services within 5 the context of a program developed by the Department 6 of Education using a specified framework; authorizing 7 certified school counselors to deliver specified 8 services; authorizing certified school counselors to 9 perform additional duties required of all 10 instructional personnel during the school year; 11 authorizing certified school counselors to oversee 12 classes only under certain circumstances; prohibiting 13 certified school counselors from performing certain 14 tasks; making technical changes; providing an 15 effective date. 16 17 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 18 19 Section 1.This act may be cited as the School Counselors 20 Supporting Students Act. 21 Section 2.Section 1006.025, Florida Statutes, is amended 22 to read: 23 1006.025Certified school counselors Guidance services. 24 (1)A certified school counselor shall deliver services 25 within the context of a student-centered, data-informed, and 26 outcome-oriented program developed by the Department of 27 Education which is integrated into curricula and which prepares 28 public school students in prekindergarten through grade 12 for 29 postsecondary education and training or a career. The department 30 shall use Floridas School Counseling Framework in developing 31 the program. 32 (2)A certified school counselor may deliver all of the 33 following services: 34 (a)Offer advisement appraisal for academic planning, 35 including for postsecondary education, and career coaching. 36 (b)Provide orientation, coordination, and academic 37 advising for new students. 38 (c)Interpret cognitive aptitude and achievement test 39 results and support school administrators, parents, and students 40 in understanding them. 41 (d)Counsel students who are tardy or absent. 42 (e)Provide mental health services to students, including, 43 but not limited to: individual and small group counseling, 44 including short-term counseling; suicide screenings and 45 assessments; and collaboration with other school personnel, 46 medical professionals, and community-based partners to provide 47 referrals to both students and their families. 48 (f)Support students social and emotional learning through 49 classroom lessons and counseling. 50 (g)Consult with teachers to schedule and present school 51 counseling curriculum lessons based on developmental needs. Such 52 needs must be determined using data analyzed by certified school 53 counselors. 54 (h)Interpret student records and protect such records and 55 information as required by state and federal rules and 56 regulations. 57 (i)Analyze grade point averages and their relationship to 58 student achievement. 59 (j)Consult with teachers about building class connections, 60 effective classroom management, and the role of noncognitive 61 factors in student success. 62 (k)Consult with a variety of stakeholders, including 63 school principals, classroom teachers, parents, student services 64 personnel, and other school personnel, to identify and resolve 65 student issues, needs, and problems. 66 (l)Advocate for exceptional students by participating in, 67 but not leading, individual education plan meetings, student 68 study teams, responses to intervention plans, 504 meetings, 69 multitiered systems of support, and school attendance review 70 boards. 71 (m)Analyze disaggregated schoolwide and school counseling 72 program data for the purpose of delivery of programs and 73 strategies to improve school successes. 74 (n)With input from students of diverse backgrounds, work 75 to create a positive and inclusive school culture for all 76 students. 77 (3)A certified school counselor may perform additional 78 duties required of all instructional personnel during the school 79 year, such as supervision of common areas before or after school 80 or during the lunch hour; however, a school counselor may 81 oversee classes only when teachers are absent or when necessary 82 to create teacher planning time. 83 (4)Certified school counselors may not: 84 (a)Perform administrative personnel tasks, such as 85 building the master schedule. 86 (b)Be school test coordinators. 87 (c)Perform purely clerical work of coordinating paperwork 88 and data entry unrelated to school counseling. 89 (5)Annually by June 30, each district school board shall 90 annually submit to the Commissioner of Education a district 91 guidance report, which must to the Commissioner of Education by 92 June 30. 93 (2)The guidance report shall include, but need not be 94 limited to, the following: 95 (a)An examination of student access to certified school 96 counselors. 97 (b)The degree to which a district has adopted or 98 implemented a guidance model program. 99 (c)Evaluation of the information and training available to 100 certified school counselors and career specialists to advise 101 students on areas of critical need, labor market trends, and 102 technical training requirements. 103 (d)Any progress made in incorporating toward incorporation 104 of best practices for advisement, as identified by the 105 department. 106 (e)Any consideration of alternative guidance systems or 107 ideas, including, but not limited to, a teacher-advisor model, 108 mentoring, partnerships with the business community, web-based 109 delivery, and parental involvement. 110 (f)A district guidance plan for the district. 111 (6)(3)The department shall provide resources to district 112 school boards which that may assist districts in preparing the 113 annual guidance report. The resources must shall include, but 114 need are not be limited to, materials relating to guidance model 115 programs, training available through the department for career 116 guidance, adopted best practices, alternative guidance systems 117 or ideas, and a model district guidance plan. 118 Section 3.This act shall take effect July 1, 2022.