1.This Act may be cited as the
Increased Student Achievement Through
Increased Student Support Act
.
2.Congress finds the following:
(1)Research shows that socioeconomic status
and family background characteristics are highly correlated with educational
outcomes, with a concentration of low-performing schools in low-income and
under-served communities.
(2)Teachers cite poor working conditions,
student behavior, lack of student motivation, and lack of administrative
support as key reasons why they choose to leave the teaching profession.
(3)Teachers and principals working for
low-income local educational agencies are increasingly tasked with addressing
not only the academic needs of a child, but also the social, emotional, and
behavioral needs of a child that require the services of a school counselor,
school social worker, and school psychologist, and these needs often interfere
with delivering quality instruction and raising student achievement.
(4)Rates of abuse and neglect of young
children in military families have doubled with the increased military
involvement of the United States abroad since October 2002; likewise,
adolescents with deployed parents report increased perceptions of uncertainty
and loss, role ambiguity, negative changes in mental and behavioral health, and
increased relationship conflict, raising concerns about the impact of
deployment on military personnel and their families and whether schools that
serve a large number of children with deployed parents have sufficient staff
and expertise to meet these challenges.
(5)Children of
military families in rural communities are often geographically isolated, and
schools that were already experiencing understaffing of school counselors,
school social workers, and school psychologists face even greater challenges
meeting the increased needs of students enduring the stress that comes along
with having a deployed parent or parents.
(6)Schools served by low-income local
educational agencies suffer disproportionately from a lack of services, with
many schools sharing a single school counselor, school social worker, or school
psychologist with neighboring schools.
(7)Too few school counselors, school social
workers, and school psychologists per student means that such personnel are
often unable to effectively address the needs of students.
(8)The American
School Counselor Association and American Counseling Association recommend
having at least 1 school counselor for every 250 students.
(9)The School Social
Work Association of America recommends having at least 1 school social worker
for every 400 students.
(10)The National
Association of School Psychologists recommends having at least 1 school
psychologist for every 1,000 students.
(11)Recent research of victimization of
children ages 2 to 17 suggests that more than one-half of the children
experienced a physical assault in the study year. More than 1 in 4 experienced
a property offense, more than 1 in 8 experienced a form of child maltreatment,
1 in 12 experienced a sexual victimization, and more than 1 in 3 had been a
witness to violence or experienced another form of indirect victimization. Only
29 percent of the children had no direct or indirect victimization.
(12)Principals and
teachers see signs of trauma-related stress in many students including hostile
outbursts, sliding grades, poor test performance, and the inability to pay
attention.
(13)It is estimated,
based on recent data on the number of children in foster care, that more than
500,000 children are in the foster care system each year, with 289,000 exiting
the system each year due to aging out or adoption.
3.The purpose of this Act is to increase the
recruitment and retention of school counselors, school social workers, and
school psychologists by low-income local educational agencies in order
to—
(1)support all students who are at risk of
negative educational outcomes;
(2)improve student achievement, which may be
measured by growth in academic achievement on tests required by the applicable
State educational agency, persistence rates, graduation rates, and other
appropriate measures;
(3)improve retention
of teachers who are highly qualified;
(4)increase and improve outreach and
collaboration between school counselors, school social workers, and school
psychologists and parents and families served by low-income local educational
agencies;
(5)increase and improve collaboration among
teachers, principals, school counselors, school social workers, and school
psychologists and improve professional development opportunities for teachers
and principals in the area of strategies related to improving classroom climate
and classroom management; and
(6)improve working
conditions for all school personnel.
4.Grant program to
increase the number of school counselors, school social workers, and school
psychologists employed by low-income local educational agencies
(a)The Secretary of
Education shall award grants on a competitive basis to eligible partnerships
that receive recommendations from the peer review panel established under
subsection (d), to enable such partnerships to carry out pipeline programs to
increase the number of school counselors, school social workers, and school
psychologists employed by low-income local educational agencies by carrying out
any of the activities described by subsection (g).
(b)A grant awarded under
this section shall be for a 5-year period and may be renewed for additional
5-year periods upon a showing of adequate progress, as the Secretary determines
appropriate.
(c)To
be eligible to receive a grant under this section, an eligible graduate
institution, on behalf of an eligible partnership, shall submit to the
Secretary a grant application, including—
(1)an assessment of the existing ratios of
school counselors, school social workers, and school psychologists to students
enrolled in schools in each low-income local educational agency that is part of
the eligible partnership; and
(2)a detailed description of—
(A)a plan to carry
out a pipeline program to train, place, and retain school counselors, school
social workers, or school psychologists, or any combination thereof, as
applicable, in low-income local educational agencies; and
(B)the proposed
allocation and use of grant funds to carry out activities described by
subsection (g).
(d)
(1)The Secretary shall establish a peer review panel to
evaluate applications for grants under subsection (c) and make recommendations
to the Secretary regarding such applications.
(2)Evaluation of
ApplicationsIn making its
recommendations, the peer review panel shall take into account the purpose of
this Act and the application requirements under subsection (c), including the
quality of the proposed pipeline program.
(3)The Secretary may award grants under this section only
to eligible partnerships whose applications receive a recommendation from the
peer review panel.
(4)
(A)The peer review
panel shall include at a minimum the following members:
(i)One clinical, tenured, or tenure track
faculty member at an institution of higher education with a current appointment
to teach courses in the subject area of school counselor education.
(ii)One clinical, tenured, or tenure track
faculty member at an institution of higher education with a current appointment
to teach courses in the subject area of school social worker education.
(iii)One clinical, tenured, or tenure track
faculty member at an institution of higher education with a current appointment
to teach courses in the subject area of school psychology education.
(iv)One clinical, tenured, or tenure track
faculty member at an institution of higher education with a current appointment
to teach courses in the subject area of teacher education.
(v)One individual
with expertise in school counseling who works or has worked in public
schools.
(vi)One individual
with expertise in school social work who works or has worked in public
schools.
(vii)One individual with expertise in school
psychology who works or has worked in public schools.
(viii)One
administrator who works or has worked for a low-income local educational
agency.
(ix)One highly
qualified teacher who has substantial experience working for a low-income local
educational agency.
(B)At least one of the members described in
subparagraph (A) shall be a clinical faculty member.
(e)From among the
applications receiving a recommendation by the peer review panel, the Secretary
shall—
(1)award the first 5
grants to eligible partnerships from 5 different States;
(2)to the extent
practicable, distribute grants equitably among eligible partnerships that
propose to train graduate students in each of the three professions of school
counseling, school social work, and school psychology; and
(3)to the extent
practicable, equitably distribute the grants among eligible partnerships that
include an urban low-income local educational agency and partnerships that
include a rural low-income local educational agency, with a minimum of 16.3
percent of the funds (representing the percent of low-income children served by
rural local educational agencies according to the United States Bureau of
Census Small Area Income Poverty Estimates, 2006) awarded to eligible
partnerships that include a rural low-income local educational agency.
(f)The
Secretary shall give priority to eligible partnerships that—
(1)propose to use the grant funds to carry out
the activities described under paragraphs (1) through (3) of subsection (g) in
schools that have higher numbers or percentages of low-income students and
students not meeting the proficient level of achievement (as described by
section 1111 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
6311)) in comparison to other schools that are served by the low-income local
educational agency that is part of the eligible partnership;
(2)include a low-income local educational
agency that has fewer school counselors, school social workers, and school
psychologists per student than other eligible partnerships;
(3)include one or more eligible graduate
institutions that offer graduate programs in the greatest number of the
following areas:
(A)school
counseling;
(B)school social
work; and
(C)school psychology;
and
(4)propose to collaborate with other
institutions of higher education with similar programs, including sharing
facilities, faculty members, and administrative costs.
(g)Grant funds awarded
under this section may be used—
(1)to pay the
administrative costs (including supplies, office and classroom space,
supervision, mentoring, and transportation stipends as necessary and
appropriate) related to—
(A)having graduate
students of school counseling, school social work, and school psychology placed
in schools served by participating low-income local educational agencies to
complete required field work, credit hours, internships, or related training as
applicable for the degree, license, or credential program of each such student;
and
(B)offering required graduate course work for
graduate students of school counseling, school social work, and school
psychology on the site of a participating low-income local educational
agency;
(2)for not more than the first 3 years after
participating graduates receive a masters or other graduate degree or obtain a
State license or credential in school counseling, school social work, or school
psychology, to hire and pay all or part of the salaries of such participating
graduates to work as school counselors, school social workers, and school
psychologists in schools served by participating low-income local educational
agencies;
(3)to increase the number of school
counselors, school social workers, and school psychologists per student in
schools served by participating low-income local educational agencies to work
towards the student support personnel target ratios;
(4)to recruit, hire, and retain culturally or
linguistically under-represented graduate students in school counseling, school
social work, and school psychology for placement in schools served by
participating low-income educational agencies;
(5)to recruit, hire, and pay faculty as
necessary to increase the capacity of a participating eligible graduate
institution to train graduate students in the fields of school counseling,
school social work, and school psychology;
(6)to develop coursework that will—
(A)encourage a
commitment by graduate students in school counseling, school social work, or
school psychology to work for low-income local educational agencies;
(B)give participating
graduates the knowledge and skill sets necessary to meet the needs of—
(i)students and
families served by low-income local educational agencies; and
(ii)teachers,
administrators, and other staff who work for low-income local educational
agencies;
(C)enable
participating graduates to meet the unique needs of students at-risk of
negative educational outcomes, including students who—
(i)are
English language learners;
(ii)have a parent or
caregiver who is a migrant worker;
(iii)have a parent or
caregiver who is a member of the Armed Forces or National Guard who has been
deployed or returned from deployment;
(iv)are
homeless, including unaccompanied youth;
(v)have come into
contact with the juvenile justice system or adult criminal justice system,
including students currently or previously held in juvenile detention
facilities or adult jails and students currently or previously held in juvenile
correctional facilities or adult prisons;
(vi)have been
identified as eligible for services under the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.) or the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29
U.S.C. 701 et seq.);
(vii)have been a victim to or witnessed domestic
violence or violence in their community; and
(viii)are foster care
youth, youth aging out of foster care, or former foster youth; and
(D)utilize best practices determined by the
American School Counselor Association, National Association of Social Workers,
School Social Work Association of America, and National Association of School
Psychologists;
(7)to provide tuition credits to graduate
students participating in the program;
(8)for student loan forgiveness for
participating graduates who are employed as school counselors, school social
workers, or school psychologists by participating low-income local educational
agencies for a minimum of 5 consecutive years; and
(9)for similar
activities to fulfill the purpose of this Act, as the Secretary determines
appropriate.
(h)Funds made available
under this section shall be used to supplement, not supplant, other Federal,
State, or local funds for the activities described in subsection (g).
(i)Each eligible
partnership that receives a grant under this section shall submit an annual
report to the Secretary on the progress of such partnership in carrying out the
purpose of this Act. Such report shall include a description of—
(1)actual service
delivery provided through grant funds, including—
(A)characteristics of
the participating eligible graduate institution, including descriptive
information on the model used and actual program performance;
(B)characteristics of
graduate students participating in the program, including performance on any
tests required by the State educational agency for credentialing or licensing,
demographic characteristics, and graduate student retention rates;
(C)characteristics of
students of the participating low-income local educational agency, including
performance on any tests required by the State educational agency, demographic
characteristics, and promotion, persistence, and graduation rates, as
appropriate;
(D)an estimate of the
annual implementation costs of the program; and
(E)the numbers of
students, schools, and graduate students participating in the program;
(2)outcomes that are
consistent with the purpose of the grant program, including—
(A)internship and
post-graduation placement;
(B)graduation and
professional career readiness indicators; and
(C)characteristics of
the participating low-income local educational agency, including changes in
hiring and retention of highly qualified teachers and school counselors, school
psychologists, and school social workers;
(3)the instruction,
materials, and activities being funded under the grant program; and
(4)the effectiveness
of any training and ongoing professional development provided—
(A)to students and
faculty in the appropriate departments or schools of the participating eligible
graduate institution;
(B)to the faculty,
administration, and staff of the participating low-income local educational
agency; and
(C)to the broader
community of providers of social, emotional, behavioral, and related support to
students and to those who train such providers.
(j)
(1)The Secretary may
conduct interim evaluations to determine whether each eligible partnership
receiving a grant is making adequate progress as the Secretary considers
appropriate. The contents of the annual report submitted to the Secretary under
subsection (i) may be used by the Secretary to determine whether an eligible
partnership receiving a grant is demonstrating adequate progress.
(2)The Secretary shall conduct a final evaluation
to—
(A)determine the
effectiveness of the grant program in carrying out the purpose of this Act;
and
(B)compare the
relative effectiveness of each of the various activities described by
subsection (g) for which grant funds may be used.
(k)Not sooner than 5 years nor later than 6
years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to
Congress a report containing the findings of the evaluation conducted under
subsection (j)(2), and such recommendations as the Secretary considers
appropriate.
(l)Authorization of
Appropriations
(1)There is
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $30,000,000 for each of
the fiscal years 2010 to 2020.
(2)From the total amount appropriated to carry
out this section each fiscal year, the Secretary shall reserve not more than 3
percent of that appropriation for evaluations under subsection (j).
5.Student loan
forgiveness for individuals who are employed for 5 or more consecutive school
years as school counselors, school social workers, school psychologists, or
other qualified psychologists or psychiatrists by low-income local educational
agencies
(a)The Secretary shall
establish a program to provide student loan forgiveness to individuals who are
not and have never been participants in the grant program established under
section 4 and who have been employed for 5 or more consecutive school years as
school counselors, school social workers, school psychologists, other qualified
psychologists, or child and adolescent psychiatrists by low-income local
educational agencies.
(b)Authorization of
appropriationsThere are
authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary such sums as may be necessary to
carry out the program under this section.
6.
(a)The Secretary shall
conduct a study to identify a formula for future designation of regions with a
shortage of school counselors, school social workers, and school psychologists
to use in implementing grant programs and other programs such as the programs
established under this Act or for other purposes related to any such
designation, based on the latest available data on—
(1)the number of
residents under the age of 18 in an area served by a low-income local
educational agency;
(2)the percentage of
the population of an area served by a low-income local educational agency with
incomes below the poverty line;
(3)the percentage of residents age 18 or older
in an area served by a low-income local educational agency with secondary
school diplomas;
(4)the percentage of students identified as
eligible for special education services in an area served by a low-income local
educational agency;
(5)the youth crime rate in an area served by a
low-income local educational agency;
(6)the current number
of full-time-equivalent and active school counselors, school social workers,
and school psychologists employed by a low-income local educational
agency;
(7)the number of students in an area served by
a low-income local education agency in military families (active duty and
reserve duty) with parents who have been alerted for deployment, are currently
deployed, or have returned from a deployment in the previous school year;
and
(8)such other criteria as the Secretary
considers appropriate.
(b)Not
later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall
submit to Congress a report containing the findings of the study conducted
under subsection (a).
7.In this Act:
(1)School
counseling program definitionsThe terms child and adolescent
psychiatrist, school counselor, school
psychologist, school social worker, and other
qualified psychologist have the meaning given the terms in section 5421
of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7245).
(2)The terms State educational agency,
local educational agency, and highly qualified have
the meaning given the terms in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
(3)The term best practices means a technique
or methodology that, through experience and research related to the practice of
school counseling, school psychology, or school social work, has proven to
reliably lead to a desired result.
(4)Eligible
graduate institutionThe term
eligible graduate institution means an institution of higher
education that offers a program of study that leads to a masters or other
graduate degree—
(A)in school psychology that is accredited or
nationally recognized by the National Association of School Psychologists
Program Approval Board and that prepares students in such program for the State
licensing or certification exam in school psychology;
(B)in school counseling that prepares students
in such program for the State licensing or certification exam in school
counseling;
(C)in school social work that is accredited by
the Council on Social Work Education and that prepares students in such program
for the State licensing or certification exam in school social work; or
(D)any combination of
(A), (B), and (C).
(5)The term
eligible partnership means—
(A)a partnership between 1 or more low-income
local educational agencies and 1 or more eligible graduate institutions;
or
(B)in regions in
which local educational agencies may not have a sufficient elementary and
secondary school student population to support the placement of all
participating graduate students, a partnership between a State educational
agency, on behalf of 1 or more low-income local educational agencies, and 1 or
more eligible graduate institutions.
(6)Institution of
higher educationThe term
institution of higher education has the meaning given such term in
section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002), but excludes
any institution of higher education described in section 102(a)(1)(C) of such
Act.
(7)Low-income local
educational agencyThe term low-income local educational
agency means a local educational agency—
(A)in which not less than 20 percent of the
students served by such agency are from families with incomes below the poverty
line as determined by the Bureau of the Census on the basis of the most recent
satisfactory data available;
(B)that has existing ratios of school
counselors, school social workers, and school psychologists to students served
by the participating low-income local educational agency which fall at least 10
percent below the student support personnel target ratios, meaning such
low-income local educational agency has no more than one counselor per 277
students, no more than one school psychologist per 1111 students, and no more
than one school social worker per 444 students; and
(C)that has been
identified for improvement or corrective action (as described by section 1116
of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6316)) or that
includes at least one school that has been identified for school improvement,
corrective action, or restructuring (as described by section 1116 of such
Act).
(8)Participating
eligible graduate institutionThe term participating
eligible graduate institution means an eligible graduate institution
that is part of an eligible partnership awarded a grant under section 4.
(9)The term participating graduate means an
individual who—
(A)has received a masters or other graduate
degree in elementary or secondary school counseling, school social work, or
school psychology from a participating eligible graduate institution and has
obtained a State license or credential in school counseling, school social
work, or school psychology; and
(B)as a graduate
student of school counseling, school social work, or school psychology was
placed in a school served by a participating low-income local educational
agency to complete required field work, credit hours, internships, or related
training as applicable.
(10)Participating
low-income local educational agencyThe term participating
low-income local educational agency means a low-income local educational
agency that is part of an eligible partnership awarded a grant under section
4.
(11)The
term Secretary means the Secretary of Education.
(12)Student support
personnel target ratiosThe
term student support personnel target ratios means the ratios of
school counselors, school social workers, and school psychologists to students
recommended to enable such personnel to effectively address the needs of
students including—
(A)at least 1 school counselor for every 250
students (as recommended by the American School Counselors Association and
American Counseling Association);
(B)at least 1 school psychologist for every
1,000 students (as recommended by the National Association of School
Psychologists); and
(C)at least 1 school social worker for every
400 students (as recommended by the School Social Work Association of
America).
(13)The term unaccompanied youth has the meaning
given such term in section 725 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act
(42 U.S.C. 11434a).