[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 6 (Tuesday, January 27, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S288-S289]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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SENATE RESOLUTION 292--DESIGNATING THE WEEK BEGINNING FEBRUARY 2, 2004, 
                 AS ``NATIONAL SCHOOL COUNSELING WEEK''

  Mrs. MURRAY (for herself, Mr. Biden, Mr. Dorgan, Mr. Johnson, and Mr. 
Dodd) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 292

       Whereas the American School Counselor Association has 
     declared the week beginning February 2, 2004, 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 
     American education system 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 school counselors were instrumental in helping 
     students, teachers, and parents deal with the trauma of 
     terrorism inflicted on the United States on September 11, 
     2001, and its aftermath;
       Whereas students face myriad challenges every day, 
     including peer pressure, depression, and school violence;
       Whereas school counselors are usually the only 
     professionals in a school building that are trained in both 
     education and mental health;
       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 485 to 1 is more than double 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 the 
     Nation's students: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved,

     SECTION 1. DESIGNATION OF NATIONAL SCHOOL COUNSELING WEEK.

       (a) Sense of the Senate.--It is the sense of the Senate 
     that the President should designate the week beginning 
     February 2, 2004, as ``National School Counseling Week''.
       (b) Proclamation.--The Senate requests the President to 
     issue a proclamation--
       (1) designating the week beginning February 2, 2004, as 
     ``National School Counseling Week''; and
       (2) calling on the people of the United States and 
     interested groups to observe the week with appropriate 
     ceremonies and activities that promote awareness of the role 
     school counselors perform within the school and the community 
     at large to prepare students for fulfilling lives as 
     contributing members of society.

  Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, today I am pleased to submit a resolution 
designating the week of February 2, 2004, as ``National School 
Counseling Week,'' on behalf of my colleagues Senator Biden, Senator 
Dorgan, Senator Johnson and Senator Dodd. This resolution would honor 
and celebrate the important work of school counselors, which the Senate 
has recognized since 1965 through the inclusion of school counseling in 
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
  Across the country, there are approximately 95,000 school counselors, 
including 2,100 in Washington State. School counselors are critical 
components of a successful school and contribute significantly to the 
growth and success of students. In fact, school counselors were 
instrumental in helping students, teachers, and parents deal with the 
trauma of terrorism on September 11, 2001, and its aftermath. However, 
despite their important service, counselors are expected to serve, on 
average 485 students each, and are overwhelmed. The American School 
Counseling Association, the American Medical Association, and the 
American Psychological Association recommend the ratio of students to 
school counselors be 250 students to 1 school counselor.
  I want to share just a few examples of how school counselors 
throughout America are helping students.
  In a middle school in southern California, school counselors realized 
that 257 students were in danger of not passing onto the next grade. 
They discovered that only 15 percent of the students understood the 
promotion and retention requirements. The school counselors presented a 
series of individual and small group lessons on promotion and retention 
criteria. After the lessons, 100 percent of the students understood the 
requirements. As a result, 72 of the 257 students, about 28 percent, 
avoided retention that year.
  In a high school in Racine, WI, a math teacher realized that 100 of 
his students failed algebra in the first quarter of the year. He asked 
a school counselor for help. Together, they discovered some of the 
reasons why students were failing. They initiated several programs, 
such as peer tutoring and homework assistance. As a result, 93 of the 
100 students passed algebra by the end of the year and were able to 
move on to the next level of math.
  A school district in Kentucky realized that the retention rate among 
ninth grade students was unacceptably high. School counselors, teachers 
and administrators worked together to develop and implement strategies 
targeted at helping ninth graders move to 10th grade. As a result, 
retention rates improved in 16 of the 17 high schools in the county in 
just one year. One school saw the retention rate improve more than 25 
percent.
  This resolution is merely the beginning of what we need to be doing 
to support school counselors. We need to reduce the ratio of students 
to counselors to, at the most, 250 to 1. We need to help schools 
maintain their funding so that school counselors are not cut from 
school budgets. And we need to support our school counselors so that 
they can continue to be integral in the fabric of our schools and help 
our students achieve success in high school and beyond.
  School counselors design and implement comprehensive developmental 
school counseling programs that are integral to the success of every 
student. They help students improve academic achievement, develop 
personally and socially and prepare for successful careers that will 
enable them to be contributing members of society. National School 
Counseling Week focuses

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public attention on the unique contribution of professional school 
counselors and highlights the tremendous impact that school counselors 
have in helping students achieve success in school and beyond.

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