Bill Text: MI HB5133 | 2019-2020 | 100th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Education; counseling; school counselor corps grant program; create. Amends 1979 PA 94 (MCL 388.1601 - 388.1897l) by adding sec. 31o.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-10-23 - Bill Electronically Reproduced 10/23/2019 [HB5133 Detail]
Download: Michigan-2019-HB5133-Introduced.html
HOUSE BILL NO. 5133
October 22, 2019, Introduced by Reps. Garza,
Hope, Anthony, Elder, Brenda Carter, Coleman, Kuppa and Lasinski and
referred to the Committee on Appropriations.
A bill to amend 1979 PA 94, entitled
"The state school aid act of 1979,"
(MCL 388.1601 to 388.1897l) by adding section 31o.
the people of the state of michigan enact:
Sec. 31o. (1) From the general fund money appropriated in section 11, there is allocated an amount not to exceed $5,000,000.00 for 2019-2020 to the department for a school counselor corps grant program to support districts in providing effective school counseling to pupils.
(2) A district shall submit an application in a form and manner prescribed by the department. The application must include, but is not limited to, all of the following information:
(a) A list of schools operated by the district to which the district intends to allocate funding received under this section.
(b) The number of school counselors employed by the district as of the date of the application.
(c) The ratio of pupils to school counselors for each school operated by the district as of the date of the application.
(d) Whether or not the district has adopted standards regarding school counselor responsibilities as recommended by a national association for school counselors.
(e) Whether or not the district has partnered with institutions of higher education or postsecondary service providers in this state to support and increase the capacity and effectiveness of the counseling and postsecondary preparation services provided to pupils enrolled in the district.
(f) The district's plan regarding the use of funding received under this section, including the extent to which the funding will be used to increase the number of school counselors at specified schools within the district and the extent to which funding will be used to provide professional development to school counselors to provide counseling and postsecondary preparation services to pupils in specified schools.
(g) The district's plan to involve leaders and faculty members at the affected schools to increase the capacity and effectiveness of counseling and postsecondary preparation services provided to pupils enrolled in the district.
(h) The extent to which the district has developed or plans to develop partnerships to serve the postsecondary needs of all of the pupils enrolled in the district.
(i) The district's use of needs assessments that identify challenging issues in the district with regard to pupil learning and success.
(j) Programs or services provided by the district that have successfully increased graduation rates and the level of postsecondary success among pupils who are or were enrolled in the district.
(k) The attendance policy, grade-retention data, pupil promotion data, and grading policy for the district.
(l) Whether the district intends to provide matching funds to augment any grants received under this section and the anticipated amount and source of the match funding.
(m) The district's plan for continuing to fund increases in school counseling services for schools operated by the district once funding received under this section has fully been expended.
(n) The extent to which each school operated by the district maintains and utilizes the resources of a counseling advisory council. As used in this subdivision, "counseling advisory council" means a council that may include as its members, without limitation, representatives of institutions of higher education, representatives of the district, parents or legal guardians of pupils enrolled in the district, and community representatives. The counseling advisory council's main purpose is to inform school counselors on the scope of their practice.
(3) The department shall consider all of the following factors when determining which applicant or applicants will receive a grant under this section:
(a) The district's dropout rate.
(b) The district's remediation rate.
(c) The percentage of pupils enrolled at the district who are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch or who are considered at-risk pupils.
(d) The percentage of pupils previously enrolled in the district who graduated and enrolled in postsecondary education within 2 years after graduating.
(e) The percentage of pupils previously enrolled in the district who graduated and enrolled in postsecondary education within 2 years after graduating and who are first-generation college students.
(f) Whether or not the district has adopted, or, as determined by the department, has demonstrated a commitment to adopting, standards for school counselor responsibilities as recommended by a national association for school counselors.
(g) The likelihood, as determined by the department, that the district will continue to fund increases in school counseling services once the funding received under this section has fully been expended.
(h) The geographic location of the district.
(i) The ratio of pupils to school counselors at the district.
(j) The extent to which funding received under this section will be used for professional development for school counselors.
(k) Any other factors determined by the department to be pertinent to a district's ability to provide effective school counseling to the pupils in the district. In determining factors under this subdivision, the department shall consult with experts in the area of school counseling. Any of the following individuals may be considered an expert in the area of school counseling for the purposes of this subdivision:
(i) A school counselor.
(ii) An individual who provides education and professional development in the areas of school counseling and career counseling.
(iii) A higher education admissions officer.
(4) The department shall give priority to an applicant under this section based solely on consideration of the following factors:
(a) The district's dropout rate is greater than the statewide average dropout rate.
(b) The district's remediation rate is greater than the statewide average remediation rate.
(c) The district has a high percentage of pupils who are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch or a high percentage of at-risk pupils.
(d) The district has a high percentage of pupils who would be first-generation college students.
(e) The district is located in a geographic area that is underserved by school counselors.
(5) A district that receives a grant under this section shall do all of the following:
(a) Utilize state models for accountability.
(b) Collect data on its counseling program to demonstrate the impact of the school counseling program on pupil achievement, attendance, and pupil behavior.
(c) Use the data described under subdivision (b) to assess its school counseling program to guide future action related to school counseling programs and improve the future results of pupils.
(d) Ensure that a school counselor hired from funding received under this section spends at least 80% of his or her time directly engaged in providing counseling services that involve a pupil or a pupil's parent or legal guardian.
(e) Each year during which the district receives funding under this section, the district shall annually file a report with the department that includes all of the following information:
(i) The number of school counselors hired by the district from funding received under this section.
(ii) The professional development programs related to school counseling offered by the district from funding received under this section.
(iii) Any other services provided by the district from funding received under this section.
(iv) A comparison of the district's dropout rates, college matriculation rates, remediation rates, attendance rates, grades, and the number of discipline referrals, if applicable, for the 4 years immediately preceding receipt of funding under this section to the years during which the district received funding under this section.
(v) Information indicating an increase in the level of postsecondary preparation services provided to pupils at schools operated by the district. Postsecondary preparation services may include, but are not limited to, either of the following:
(A) Individual career and academic plans for pupils.
(B) Enrollment in precollegiate preparation programs, postsecondary programs, or career and technical preparation programs.
(vi) Any other information determined by the department to be pertinent to a grant under this section.
(6) A grant recipient shall not use funding received under this section to supplant other sources of funding obtained by a district for school counseling programs.
(7) The department shall provide support to districts that receive a grant under this section to train principals or other chief administrators of the schools operated by the district regarding the most effective uses of the grant funding received under this section.
(8) Beginning May 15, 2021, and on or before May 15 each year thereafter, the department shall submit to the senate and house standing committees on education and senate and house subcommittees on school aid a report that summarizes the information received by the department under subsection (5)(e). The department shall make the report described under this subsection available through a link on its website homepage.
(9) The department shall contract with the Michigan College Access Network to have the Michigan College Access Network administer and implement the school counselor corps grant program under this section.
(10) As used in this section:
(a) "At-risk pupil" means that term as defined in section 31a.
(b) "First-generation college student" means an individual whose custodial parent or legal guardian has not earned a bachelor's degree.
(c) "Postsecondary service provider" means an entity that provides career and college preparatory service to pupils.
(d) "School counselor" means an individual serving in a counseling role who meets the requirements under section 1233 of the revised school code, MCL 380.1233.
