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2020 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 290
BY SENATOR JACKSON
COUNSELING/GUIDANCE. Provides for comprehensive school counseling program.
(gov sig)
1 AN ACT
2 To enact Part III-A of Chapter 2 of Title 17 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950,
3 comprised of R.S. 17:621 through 626, relative to school counseling; to provide for
4 comprehensive school counseling programs; and to provide for related matters.
5 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
6 Section 1. Part III-A of Chapter 2 of Title 17 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of
7 1950, comprised of R.S. 17:621 through 626 is hereby enacted to read as follows:
8 Part III-A SCHOOL COUNSELING PROGRAMS
9 §621. Short title; definitions
10 A. This Part may be cited as the "School Counseling Improvement Act".
11 B. For the purposes of this Part:
12 (1) "Administrative activities" means activities that are not directly
13 related to a comprehensive school counseling program and do not include direct
14 or indirect services or student interactions.
15 (2) "Direct services" means services that are provided through
16 face-to-face contact with students, including the following:
17 (a) Regular classroom guidance limited to forty-minute class sessions, not
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1 to exceed three class sessions per day and not to exceed ten class sessions per
2 week.
3 (b) Individual and group counseling.
4 (c) Responsive services and interventions on behalf of a student's
5 academic, career, social and emotional development.
6 (3) "Indirect services" means consultations between a student, a parent
7 or legal guardian, school staff, and community agencies concerning a student's
8 academic, career, and social needs.
9 §622. State guidance; rules and regulations
10 Not later than May 1, 2021, the State Board of Elementary and
11 Secondary Education shall establish guidelines whereby each city, parish, and
12 other local public school board shall implement comprehensive school
13 counseling programs at each school under its authority. The board shall adopt
14 rules and regulations to implement the provisions of this Part in accordance
15 with the Administrative Procedure Act.
16 §623. Implementation
17 A. Not later than the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year, each city,
18 parish, and other local public school board shall develop and implement a
19 comprehensive school counseling program at each school under its jurisdiction
20 to ensure that student services are coordinated in a manner that provides
21 comprehensive support to all students.
22 §624. Comprehensive school counseling program; requirements
23 A. Each comprehensive school counseling program shall:
24 (1) Be implemented at each school by a school guidance counselor or
25 guidance director.
26 (2) Utilize state and nationally recognized counselor frameworks.
27 (3) Be reviewed annually and updated as needed with input from the
28 school guidance counselor, guidance director, school principal, and other
29 stakeholders.
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1 (4) Be systematically aligned to the comprehensive school counseling
2 programs implemented in the other schools within the school system.
3 (5) Include program goals that are developed based on vision and
4 mission statements that ensure equitable access to opportunities for all students.
5 (6) Identify student needs through a multilevel school review that
6 includes data analysis and input from administrators, parents, students, and
7 stakeholders.
8 (7) Establish a delivery plan which focuses on the provision of direct and
9 indirect services to students.
10 (8) Include accountability standards that are based on an annual analysis
11 of student data.
12 (9) Guide students in academic pursuits, career planning, and social and
13 emotional learning.
14 (10) Follow the comprehensive school counseling program guidance
15 provided by the state Department of Education.
16 §625. Counseling duties
17 A. Each public school shall allot sufficient time for each guidance
18 counselor to carry out the duties prescribed by the comprehensive school
19 counseling program.
20 B.(1)(a) A guidance counselor shall spend at least ninety percent of his
21 work day providing direct and indirect services to students.
22 (b) Direct and indirect services may be provided alone or in
23 collaboration with other school personnel.
24 (2) A guidance counselor shall not spend more than ten percent of his
25 work day on administrative activities.
26 C. Direct and indirect services include:
27 (1) Intervention and reengagement of students who are at risk of
28 dropping out of school.
29 (2) Conducting orientation programs.
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1 (3) Providing academic advisement services, which may include:
2 (a) Developing and revising individual educational plans to guide and
3 monitor a student's educational and career progress.
4 (b) Providing guidance in goal-setting experiences and course selection.
5 (c) Addressing student specific learning opportunities.
6 (d) Addressing student academic deficits and ensuring access to
7 resources.
8 (e) Providing student assessment reviews and interest inventories.
9 (4) Providing career planning services, which may include:
10 (a) Informing students on the relationships between classroom
11 performance and success in school and beyond.
12 (b) Highlighting the advantages of completing career certifications and
13 internships.
14 (c) Administering assessments to identify career interests and aptitudes
15 to assist a student in age-appropriate college and career planning.
16 (d) Interpreting augmented, criterion-referenced, or norm-referenced
17 assessments for students and parents.
18 (e) Informing parents of college and career opportunities and
19 encouraging parental support.
20 (5) Providing social and emotional skill enhancement programs which
21 may include:
22 (a) Promoting cultural and social awareness, positive communication and
23 relationship skills, collaboration with others, and responsible decision-making.
24 (b) Improving culture and climate in the school so that all students can
25 feel that they are in a safe and supportive environment.
26 (c) Developing conflict-resolution skills.
27 (d) Providing strategies to prevent bullying, assist in recognizing bullying
28 behaviors, support students who are bullied, and to respond to bullying.
29 (e) Providing age-appropriate suicide awareness and prevention.
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1 (6) Serving as a contributing member of decision-making teams or
2 programs, which may include:
3 (a) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 teams.
4 (b) Response-to-intervention teams.
5 (c) English language learner programs.
6 (d) Family engagement programs.
7 (e) Positive behavioral intervention support programs.
8 (f) Advanced placement and gifted and talented programs.
9 D. Administrative activities include:
10 (1) Coordinating state assessments, cognitive achievement assessments,
11 advanced placement programs, and language acquisition testing programs.
12 (2) Developing master schedules.
13 (3) Coordinating decisions making teams or programs.
14 (4) Monitoring students in common areas such as the cafeteria, hallway,
15 playground, and bus lines.
16 §626. Monitoring and support
17 A. Each public school shall publish its comprehensive school counseling
18 program on its website.
19 B. Beginning with the 2022-2023 school year, the state Department of
20 Education shall monitor each city, parish, and other local public school board
21 to ensure implementation of and compliance with this Part.
22 C. The department shall provide guidance and technical assistance to
23 each city, parish, and other local public school board in order to support
24 equitable access to public school counseling services.
25 Section 2. The Louisiana State Law Institute is hereby authorized and directed to
26 redesignate Chapter 19 of Title 17 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, comprised of
27 17:3001 through 3006, as designated prior to the enactment of this Act, as Part III of Chapter
28 2 of Title 17 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, comprised of sections 601 through
29 606; and is further directed to redesignate any other section of law or internal citations
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1 contained herein consistent with the provisions of this Act.
2 Section 3. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not
3 signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature
4 by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If
5 vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become
6 effective on the day following such approval.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Cheryl Serrett.
DIGEST
SB 290 Original 2020 Regular Session Jackson
Present law generally provides for school guidance counselors.
Proposed law provides for a comprehensive school counseling program to be implemented
in each public school in the state in order to support equitable access to public school
counseling services.
Proposed law requires the state Department of Education (DOE) to establish guidance to
assist local public school boards in implementing such a program. Further provides a
framework for the program and timelines for implementation, and the duties of a counselor.
Directs the La State Law Institute to redesignate Chapter 19 of Title 17 of the Louisiana
Revised Statutes of 1950, comprised of 17:3001 through 3006, as designated prior to the
enactment of this Act, as Part III of Chapter 2 of Title 17 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes
of 1950, comprised of sections 601 through 606.
Effective upon signature of the governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action.
(Adds R.S. 17:621-626)
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