| Elementary and Secondary School Counseling
Program
Bills to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Program introduced by Representative Marge Roukema (R-NJ) as the Elementary and Secondary Counseling Improvement Act (H.R. 1508) and Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) as the Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Improvement Act (S. 620) were incorporated, as amendments, into much larger education legislation--the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) (H.R. 1). A conference committee has been appointed to work out the differences in the House and Senate Versions. The Senate appointed Kennedy, Dodd, Harkin, Mikulski, Jeffords, Bingaman, Wellstone, Murray, Reed, Edwards, Clinton, Lieberman, Bayh, Gregg, Frist, Enzi, Hutchinson, Warner, Bond, Roberts, Collins, Sessions, DeWine, Allard and Ensign to the conference committee and the House appointed Boehner, Petri, Roukema, McKeon, Castle, Graham, Hilleary, Isakson, Miller, George, Kildee, Owens, Mink, Andrews, and Roemer. The last meeting held by the Conference committee was September 25. Conferees are scheduled to meet again on October 23, but is unclear—even with pressure from President Bush—if a final compromise can be reached prior to adjournment. |
February 6, 2001
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS ACTION ALERT
The fiscal year (FY) 2002 appropriations cycle is beginning -- which means another year of advocating for funding for the Elementary School Counseling Demonstration Program. The process starts with the White House and President Bush.
The program received $20 million for FY 2000 and $30 million for FY 2001. NASW is working with other national organizations and Members of Congress to reauthorize the program as part of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and to increase the FY 2002 funding to $100 million.
Our bipartisan champions in the House of Representatives for the funding increase are Rep. Lane Evans (D-IL) and Rep. Connie Morella (R-MD). They are circulating a sign-on letter among their colleagues to President Bush asking that he include $100 million for the program in his FY 2002 budget proposal. A similar letter was circulated during the last Congress, which in a very short time gathered 65 signatures -- 63 Democrats and 2 Republicans. To have a better chance of success this year, we need more signatures and more Republicans.
Call, fax, or email your Representative and urge him/her to support additional school social work services by signing onto the Evans-Morella letter urging President Bush to include $100 million for the Elementary School Counseling Demonstration Program in his FY 2002 budget proposal.
To be most effective, contacts should be made by Friday, February 16 -- but the sooner, the better.
Representatives wishing to sign on should contact either Jessica Robinson in Rep. Evans' office (225-5905) or Kate Dickens in Rep. Morella's office (225-5341).
Phone: All Representatives can be reached through the Capitol Switchboard 202-225-3121. Ask for the staff person who handles appropriations for education programs.
Email or Fax: Addresses can be accessed through the U.S. House of Representatives website: www.house.gov
All four Social Work Members of the House signed the letter last year. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) is now a Member of the Senate. Susan Davis (D-CA), elected in November, is the newest Social Work Member of the House.
ALABAMA
ALASKA
ARIZONA
CALIFORNIA
COLORADO
FLORIDA
GEORGIA
IDAHO
KANSAS
KENTUCKY
LOUISIANA
MASSACHUSETTS
MARYLAND
MICHIGAN
MINNESOTA
NEBRASKA
NEW HAMPSHIRE
NEW MEXICO
NEVADA
NEW YORK
OHIO
OKLAHOMA
PENNSYLVANIA
SOUTH CAROLINA
TENNESSEE
TEXAS
UTAH
WASHINGTON
WEST VIRGINIA
WISCONSIN
School social workers are a critical component in "leaving no child behind."
Services provided by school social workers help keep students and schools safe, prevent harmful student behaviors, lower dropout rates, and eliminate barriers to student achievement.
Funded at $30 million, the Elementary School Counseling Demonstration Program cannot meet the need. More than 500 districts applied for funding in FY 2000 and only 58 could be funded. Between 20-30 more will be funded in FY 2001.
School social workers -- the majority of whom hold master's degrees and are state licensed or certified -- provide essential services to students, teachers, and parents.
Research shows that school-based social work services work. Comprehensive school-based mental health programs (1) increase student achievement, (2) improve classroom behavior, (3) result in more positive student attitudes toward school, and (4) reduce the chances that students will commit violent acts, abuse alcohol, or engage in other risky behaviors.
The demand for school social work services far outweighs the supply.
February X, 2001
The Honorable George W. Bush
President of the United States
The White House
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President:
We write to request that you include adequate funding for the Elementary School Counseling Demonstration Act (ESCDA) under Title X of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in your FY 2002 budget.
We are heartened by the areas in your education proposal that will undoubtedly enjoy wide, bipartisan support. Among our shared interests is a commitment to supporting academic achievement and keeping our schools and students safe. School counselors are an integral part of this effort.
School counselors, school psychologists, and school social workers provide some of the most effective prevention and guidance services available to our nation's children. These highly trained professionals help improve students' academic achievement, provide students with essential mental health services and intervention, and help students cope with the stresses of youth.
Across the country, school counseling professionals are stretched thin and students are not getting the help they desperately need. The current national average student-to-counselor ratio in our elementary and secondary schools is 561 students to every school counselor. According to the American Counseling Association and the American School Health Association, the maximum recommended ratio is 250:1. Every state in the nation exceeds this recommended student-to-counselor ratio.
We can ease the pressing shortage of school counselors by investing in ESCDA. ESCDA is a small program that gets results. Under the model ESCDA program, Smoother Sailing, counseling services have proven to decrease the use of force, weapons, and threats against others; decrease school suspensions; decrease the number of referrals to the principal's office by nearly half; and make students feel safer. Further, school counseling and mental health services improve students' academic achievement and reduce classroom disturbances. Studies on the effects of small group counseling for failing elementary school students found that 83 percent of participating students showed improved grades.
In FY 2001, ESCDA was funded at $30 million. This funding will only provide grants to approximately 80 of our nation's 14,000 public school districts. Last year alone, more than 500 school districts applied for funds under the program. We believe that we must do better and increase funding for elementary and secondary school counseling services under ESCDA to $100 million in fiscal year 2002.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. We appreciate your consideration.
Sincerely,