,i #aacth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #cdce ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,october #cj1 #bjac,ms4 ,linda ,t4 ,snchez of ,california 7for herself1 ,mr4 ,grijalva1 ,ms4 ,brown of ,florida1 ,mr4 ,cummings1 ,ms4 ,chu1 ,ms4 ,norton1 ,ms4 ,roybal-,allard1 ,mr4 ,ryan of ,ohio1 ,ms4 ,wilson of ,florida1 ,mr4 ,cartwright1 ,mr4 ,carson of ,indiana1 ,ms4 ,jackson ,lee1 ,mr4 ,honda1 ,mr4 ,hinojosa1 ,mrs4 ,napolitano1 ,mrs4 ,negrete ,mc,leod1 ,mr4 ,polis1 ,ms4 ,kaptur1 ,ms4 ,clarke1 ,ms4 ,loretta ,sanchez of ,california1 ,mr4 ,rangel1 ,mrs4 ,davis of ,california1 ,mr4 ,pierluisi1 ,mr4 ,cicilline1 ,mr4 ,lowenthal1 ,mr4 ,holt1 ,mr4 ,garamendi1 ,ms4 ,bass1 and ,mr4 ,takano7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,education and the ,workforce ,a ,,bill ,to amend the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife to create a demonstration project to fund additional secondary school counselors in troubled title ,i schools to reduce the dropout rate4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,put ,school ,counselors ,where ,they're ,needed ,act4 #b4 ,demonstration project for additional secondary school counselors ,part ,h of title ,i of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #feea et seq47 is amended by adding at the end the following3 #c ,demonstration project for additional secondary school counselors #ahda4 ,findings ,the ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,nationally1 only #gj percent of students graduate from high school with a regular high school diploma4 7#b7 ,every school day1 #g1jjj ,american high school students become dropouts4 7#c7 ,high school students living in low-income families drop out of school at three times the rate of their peers from high-income families4 7#d7 ,only about #ee percent of ,african ,american students and #eb percent of ,hispanic students graduate on time from high school with a regular diploma1 compared to #gh percent of white students4 7#e7 ,the dropout rate for students with disabilities is approximately twice that of general education students4 7#f7 ,high school is the final transition into adulthood and the world of work as students begin defining their independence and forging their own pathways4 ,as our next generation of leaders1 our youth1 are deciding their futures1 they are faced with many challenges1 including peer pressure and bullying1 high-stakes testing1 the challenges of college admissions1 the scholarship and financial aid application process1 and entrance into an ever more competitive job market4 ,students need guidance and skills to help them navigate these complex decisions1 which have serious and life changing consequences4 7#g7 ,school counseling programs are essential for students to achieve optimal personal growth1 acquire positive social skills and values1 set appropriate career goals1 and realize full academic potential to become productive1 contributing members of the world community4 7#h7 ,professional secondary school counselors are highly qualified educators with a mental health perspective who understand and respond to the challenges presented by today's diverse student population4 7#i7 ,the professional secondary school counselor holds a master's degree or higher in school counseling 7or the substantial equivalent71 and is certified or licensed by the ,state in which the counselor works4 7#aj7 ,professional secondary school counselors are integral to the total educational program4 ,they provide proactive leadership that engages all stakeholders in the delivery of programs and services to help the student achieve success in school4 ,professional secondary school counselors align and work with the school's mission to support the academic achievement of all students as they prepare for the ever-changing world of the #bast century4 7#aa7 ,professional secondary school counselors' opportunities to assist students are often hindered by extraordinarily high student-to-counselor ratios4 ,currently1 the average student-to-counselor ratio in ,america's public schools is #dga to #a4 ,the ,american ,school ,counselor ,association1 the ,american ,counseling ,association1 and the ,national ,association for ,college ,admissions ,counseling all recommend a ratio of one school counselor to #bej students and a lower ratio for counselors working primarily with students at risk4 #ahdb4 ,demonstration project 7a7 ,in general ,from amounts made available to carry out this subpart1 the ,secretary shall carry out a demonstration project under which the ,secretary makes grants on a competitive basis to secondary schools that receive funds under this title and have a four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate of #fj percent or lower4 7b7 ,grants ,a grant under this subpart shall be for a period of #d years and may be used-- 7#a7 to provide additional school counselors during that period2 and 7#b7 to provide additional resources 7such as professional development expenses or travel expenses for home visits1 and any services and materials referred to in subsection 7d77 and to pay overhead expenses4 7c7 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that a participating school should aim to provide1 under subsection 7b77#a71 one additional counselor per #bej students at risk4 7d7 ,scope of counseling ,the additional school counselors shall identify students who are at risk of not graduating in #d years and shall provide counseling primarily to those students4 ,the counselors may identify such students at any time1 but shall strive to identify them before they enter grade #i4 ,services shall be provided as long as necessary1 including to the extent allowable and appropriate1 after the student's cohort graduation date4 ,the counseling provided-- 7#a7 may include a full panoply of services1 including an individual graduation plan and other resources1 such as appropriate course placement and supplemental services 7to include not only supplemental educational services tutoring if available at the school site1 but also other tutoring as necessary1 along with supplemental books and materials72 and 7#b7 shall include meetings with each student so identified and with the teachers1 tutors1 supplemental educational services providers1 and parents of the student1 and may also include meetings with other relevant individuals1 such as a probation officer1 mentor1 coach1 or employer of the student4 7e7 ,supplement not supplant ,funds under this subpart shall be used to supplement1 not supplant1 funds from non-,federal sources4 ,the additional school counselors provided through funds under this subpart must be in addition to any employees who work in the secondary school guidance or counseling office1 such as counselors1 college admissions specialists1 career development specialists1 guidance information specialists1 or any other professional or paraprofessional4 7f7 ,additional grant periods 7#a7 ,in general ,a school that receives a grant under this subpart and demonstrates adequate improvement over the period of the grant is eligible to receive a second grant for a second period4 ,if the school again demonstrates adequate improvement over that second period1 the school is eligible to receive a third grant for a third period4 ,the third grant shall provide amounts that decrease for each year of the third period and require the school to provide corresponding increases in non-,federal funds4 7#b7 ,adequate improvement ,for purposes of paragraph 7#a71 a school demonstrates adequate improvement over a grant period if the four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate increases 7or is projected to increase7 by #aj percent or more over that period4 7g7 ,selection ,the ,secretary shall carry out the demonstration project in at least #aj schools4 ,the first five schools selected to participate shall each be from a different ,state4 #ahdc4 ,definitions ,for purposes of this subpart3 7#a7 ,four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate ,the term four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate means the number of students who earned a regular high school diploma at the conclusion of their fourth year1 before their fourth year1 or during a summer session immediately following their fourth year1 divided by the number of students who formed the adjusted cohort for that graduating class4 7#b7 ,adjusted cohort 7,a7 ,in general ,subject to the other subparagraphs of this paragraph1 the term adjusted cohort means the students who entered grade #i together1 and any students that transferred into the cohort in grades #i through #ab minus any students removed from the cohort4 7,b7 ,transfers in ,the term transfers in means the students who enroll or re-enroll after the beginning of the entering cohort's first year in high school1 up to and including in grade #ab4 7,c7 ,cohort removal ,to remove students from the cohort1 the school or local educational agency must confirm that the student-- 7i7 has transferred out2 7ii7 is in the custody of the juvenile justice system2 or 7iii7 is deceased4 7,d7 ,transfers out ,the term transfers out means the students the school or local educational agency has confirmed have transferred to another school1 local educational agency1 or other educational program for which they are expected to receive a regular high school diploma4 ,confirmation of a student's transfer to another school1 local educational agency1 or program requires formal documentation that the student enrolled in the receiving school4 ,students enrolled in a ,,ged or other alternative educational program that does not issue or provide credits toward the issuance of a regular high school diploma are not considered transfers out4 ,students who were enrolled1 but for whom there is no confirmation of transfer or completion1 may not be labeled transfers or errors1 but must remain in the cohort as non-graduates for reporting and accountability purposes4 7,e7 ,treatment of other leavers and withdrawals ,students who were retained in grade1 enrolled in a ,,ged program1 or left school for any other reason may not be counted as transfers out for the purpose of calculating graduation rates and must remain in the adjusted cohort4 7,f7 ,special rule ,for those high schools that start after ninth grade1 the cohort shall be calculated based on the earliest high school grade4 7#c7 ,regular high school diploma 7,a7 ,in general ,the term regular high school diploma means the standard high school diploma awarded to the preponderance of students in the ,state that is fully aligned with ,state standards1 or a higher diploma1 and does not include ,g,e,ds1 certificates of attendance1 or any lesser diploma award4 7,b7 ,special rule ,for those students who have significant cognitive disabilities and are assessed using an alternate assessment aligned to alternate achievement standards1 receipt of a regular high school diploma or ,state-defined alternate diploma aligned with completion of their entitlement under the ,individuals with ,disabilities ,education ,act shall be counted as graduates with a regular high school diploma for the purposes of this ,act4 ,no more than one percent of students can be counted as graduates with a regular high school diploma under this subparagraph4 #ahdd4 ,authorization of appropriations ,there are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subpart #e1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal years #bjad through #bjag4 4 #c4 ,table of contents ,the table of contents in section #b of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife is amended by inserting after the item relating to section #ahcj the following3 ,subpart #c--;,demonstration project for additional secondary school counselors,sec4 #ahda4 ,findings4,sec4 #ahdb4 ,demonstration project4,sec4 #ahdc4 ,definitions4,sec4 #ahdd4 ,authorization of appropriations4 4