Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of SB0405

SB0405 Enrolled LRB104 06642 HLH 16678 b

AN ACT concerning education.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section 10-22.24b as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/10-22.24b)

Sec. 10-22.24b. School counseling services. School counseling services in public schools may be provided by school counselors as defined in Section 10-22.24a of this Code or by individuals who hold a Professional Educator License with a school support personnel endorsement in the area of school counseling under Section 21B-25 of this Code. School counseling services provided under this Section shall address the needs of all students, regardless of citizenship status.

School counseling services may include, but are not limited to:

(1) designing and delivering a comprehensive school counseling program through a standards-based, data-informed program that promotes student achievement and wellness;

(2) (blank);

(3) school counselors working as culturally skilled professionals who act sensitively to promote social justice and equity in a pluralistic society;

(4) providing individual and group counseling;

(5) providing a core counseling curriculum that serves all students and addresses the knowledge and skills appropriate to their developmental level through a collaborative model of delivery involving the school counselor, classroom teachers, and other appropriate education professionals, and including prevention and pre-referral activities;

(6) making referrals when necessary to appropriate offices or outside agencies;

(7) providing college and career development activities and counseling;

(8) developing individual career plans with students, which includes planning for post-secondary education, as appropriate, and engaging in related and relevant career and technical education coursework in high school;

(9) assisting all students with a college or post-secondary education plan, which must include a discussion on all post-secondary education options, including 4-year colleges or universities, community colleges, and vocational schools, and includes planning for post-secondary education, as appropriate, and engaging in related and relevant career and technical education coursework in high school;

(10) (blank);

(11) educating all students on scholarships, financial aid, and preparation of the Federal Application for Federal Student Aid;

(12) collaborating with institutions of higher education and local community colleges so that students understand post-secondary education options and are ready to transition successfully;

(13) providing crisis intervention and contributing to the development of a specific crisis plan within the school setting in collaboration with multiple stakeholders;

(14) providing educational opportunities for students, teachers, and parents on mental health issues;

(15) providing counseling and other resources to students who are in crisis;

(16) working to address barriers that prohibit or limit access to mental health services;

(17) addressing bullying and conflict resolution with all students;

(18) teaching communication skills and helping students develop positive relationships;

(19) using culturally sensitive skills in working with all students to promote wellness;

(20) working to address the needs of all students with regard to citizenship status;

(21) (blank);;

(22) providing academic, social-emotional, and college and career supports to all students irrespective of special education or Section 504 status;

(23) assisting students in goal setting and success skills for classroom behavior, study skills, test preparation, internal motivation, and intrinsic rewards;

(24) (blank);;

(25) providing information for all students in the selection of courses that will lead to post-secondary education opportunities toward a successful career;

(26) interpreting achievement test results and guiding students in appropriate directions;

(27) (blank);

(28) providing families with opportunities for education and counseling as appropriate in relation to the student's educational assessment;

(29) consulting and collaborating with teachers and other school personnel regarding behavior management and intervention plans and inclusion in support of students;

(30) teaming and partnering with staff, parents, businesses, and community organizations to support student achievement and social-emotional learning standards for all students;

(31) developing and implementing school-based prevention programs, including, but not limited to, mediation and violence prevention, implementing social and emotional education programs and services, and establishing and implementing bullying prevention and intervention programs;

(32) developing culturally sensitive assessment instruments for measuring school counseling prevention and intervention effectiveness and collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data;

(33) participating on school and district committees to advocate for student programs and resources, as well as establishing a school counseling advisory council that includes representatives of key stakeholders selected to review and advise on the implementation of the school counseling program;

(34) acting as a liaison between the public schools and community resources and building relationships with important stakeholders, such as families, administrators, teachers, and board members;

(35) maintaining organized, clear, and useful records in a confidential manner consistent with Section 5 of the Illinois School Student Records Act, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act;

(36) presenting an annual agreement to the administration, including a formal discussion of the alignment of school and school counseling program missions and goals and detailing specific school counselor responsibilities;

(37) identifying and implementing culturally sensitive measures of success for student competencies in each of the 3 domains of academic, social and emotional, and college and career learning based on planned and periodic assessment of the comprehensive developmental school counseling program;

(38) collaborating as a team member in Multi-Tiered Systems of Support and other school initiatives;

(39) conducting observations and participating in recommendations or interventions regarding the placement of children in educational programs or special education classes;

(40) analyzing data and results of school counseling program assessments, including curriculum, small-group, and closing-the-gap results reports, and designing strategies to continue to improve program effectiveness;

(41) analyzing data and results of school counselor competency assessments;

(42) following American School Counselor Association Ethical Standards for School Counselors to demonstrate high standards of integrity, leadership, and professionalism;

(43) using student competencies to assess student growth and development to inform decisions regarding strategies, activities, and services that help students achieve the highest academic level possible;

(44) practicing as a culturally skilled school counselor by infusing the multicultural competencies within the role of the school counselor, including the practice of culturally sensitive attitudes and beliefs, knowledge, and skills;

(45) infusing the Social-Emotional Standards, as presented in the State Board of Education standards, across the curriculum and in the counselor's role in ways that empower and enable students to achieve academic success across all grade levels;

(46) providing services only in areas in which the school counselor has appropriate training or expertise, as well as only providing counseling or consulting services within his or her employment to any student in the district or districts which employ such school counselor, in accordance with professional ethics;

(47) having adequate training in supervision knowledge and skills in order to supervise school counseling interns enrolled in graduate school counselor preparation programs that meet the standards established by the State Board of Education;

(48) being involved with State and national professional associations;

(49) complete the required training as outlined in Section 10-22.39;

(50) (blank);

(51) (blank);

(52) (blank);

(53) (blank);

(54) (blank); and

(55) promoting career and technical education by assisting each student to determine an appropriate postsecondary plan based upon the student's skills, strengths, and goals and assisting the student to implement the best practices that improve career or workforce readiness after high school.

School districts may employ a sufficient number of school counselors to maintain the national and State recommended student-counselor ratio of 250 to 1. School districts may have school counselors spend at least 80% of his or her work time in direct contact with students.

Nothing in this Section prohibits other qualified professionals, including other endorsed school support personnel, from providing the services listed in this Section.

(Source: P.A. 102-876, eff. 1-1-23; 103-154, eff. 6-30-23; 103-542, eff. 7-1-24 (see Section 905 of P.A. 103-563 for effective date of P.A. 103-542; 103-780, eff. 8-2-24; revised 10-21-24.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.