III 111th CONGRESS 1st Session S. RES. 16 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES January 16, 2009 Mrs. Murray (for herself and Ms. Collins) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to RESOLUTION Designating the week of February 2 through February 6, 2009, as National School Counseling Week.

Whereas the American School Counselor Association has declared the week of February 2 through February 6, 2009, as National School Counseling Week; Whereas the Senate has recognized the importance of school counseling through the inclusion of elementary and secondary school counseling programs in the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965; Whereas school counselors have long advocated that the education system of the United States must leave no child behind and must provide opportunities for every student; Whereas personal and social growth results in increased academic achievement; Whereas school counselors help develop well-rounded students by guiding them through their academic, personal, social, and career development; Whereas students face myriad challenges every day, including peer pressure, depression, the deployment of family members to serve in conflicts overseas, and school violence; Whereas school counselors are among the few professionals in a school building who are trained in both education and mental health matters; Whereas the roles and responsibilities of school counselors are often misunderstood, and the school counselor position is often among the first to be eliminated in order to meet budgetary constraints; Whereas the national average ratio of students to school counselors of 476-to-1 is almost twice the 250-to-1 ratio recommended by the American School Counselor Association, the American Counseling Association, the American Medical Association, the American Psychological Association, and other organizations; and Whereas the celebration of National School Counseling Week would increase awareness of the important and necessary role school counselors play in the lives of students in the United States: Now, therefore, be it

That the Senate— (1)designates the week of February 2 through February 6, 2009, as National School Counseling Week; and (2)encourages the people of the United States to observe the week with appropriate ceremonies and activities that promote awareness of the role school counselors perform in the school and the community at large in preparing students for fulfilling lives as contributing members of society.