The Secretary may award grants under this section to establish or expand elementary school counseling programs.
In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall give special consideration to applications describing programs that—
(A) demonstrate the greatest need for new or additional counseling services among the children in the elementary schools served by the applicant;
(B) propose the most promising and innovative approaches for initiating or expanding elementary school counseling; and
(C) show the greatest potential for replication and dissemination.
In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall ensure an equitable geographic distribution among the regions of the United States and among urban, suburban, and rural areas.
A grant under this section shall be awarded for a period not to exceed three years.
A grant under this section shall not exceed $400,000 for any fiscal year.
Each local educational agency desiring a grant under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such information as the Secretary may reasonably require.
Each application for a grant under this section shall—
(A) describe the elementary school population to be targeted by the program, the particular personal, social, emotional, educational, and career development needs of such population, and the current school counseling resources available for meeting such needs;
(B) describe the activities, services, and training to be provided by the program and the specific approaches to be used to meet the needs described in subparagraph (A);
(C) describe the methods to be used to evaluate the outcomes and effectiveness of the program;
(D) describe the collaborative efforts to be undertaken with institutions of higher education, businesses, labor organizations, community groups, social service agencies, and other public or private entities to enhance the program and promote school-linked services integration;
(E) describe collaborative efforts with institutions of higher education which specifically seek to enhance or improve graduate programs specializing in the preparation of elementary school counselors, school psychologists, and school social workers;
(F) document that the applicant has the personnel qualified to develop, implement, and administer the program;
(G) describe how any diverse cultural populations, if applicable, would be served through the program;
(H) assure that the funds made available under this part for any fiscal year will be used to supplement and, to the extent practicable, increase the level of funds that would otherwise be available from non-Federal sources for the program described in the application, and in no case supplant such funds from non-Federal sources; and
(I) assure that the applicant will appoint an advisory board composed of parents, school counselors, school psychologists, school social workers, other pupil services personnel, teachers, school administrators, and community leaders to advise the local educational agency on the design and implementation of the program.
Grant funds under this section shall be used to initiate or expand elementary school counseling programs that comply with the requirements in paragraph (2).
Each program assisted under this section shall—
(A) be comprehensive in addressing the personal, social, emotional, and educational needs of all students;
(B) use a developmental, preventive approach to counseling;
(C) increase the range, availability, quantity, and quality of counseling services in the elementary schools of the local educational agency;
(D) expand counseling services only through qualified school counselors, school psychologists, and school social workers;
(E) use innovative approaches to increase children's understanding of peer and family relationships, work and self, decisionmaking, academic and career planning, or to improve social functioning;
(F) provide counseling services that are well-balanced among classroom group and small group counseling, individual counseling, and consultation with parents, teachers, administrators, and other pupil services personnel;
(G) include inservice training for school counselors, school social workers, school psychologists, other pupil services personnel, teachers, and instructional staff;
(H) involve parents of participating students in the design, implementation, and evaluation of a counseling program;
(I) involve collaborative efforts with institutions of higher education, businesses, labor organizations, community groups, social service agencies, or other public or private entities to enhance the program and promote school-linked services integration; and
(J) evaluate annually the effectiveness and outcomes of the counseling services and activities assisted under this section.
The Secretary shall issue a report evaluating the programs assisted pursuant to each grant under this subsection at the end of each grant period in accordance with section 8941 of this title, but in no case later than January 30, 1998.
The Secretary shall make the programs assisted under this section available for dissemination, either through the National Diffusion Network or other appropriate means.
Not more than five percent of the amounts made available under this section in any fiscal year shall be used for administrative costs to carry out this section.
For purposes of this section—
(1) the term “school counselor” means an individual who has documented competence in counseling children and adolescents in a school setting and who—
(A) possesses State licensure or certification granted by an independent professional regulatory authority;
(B) in the absence of such State licensure or certification, possesses national certification in school counseling or a specialty of counseling granted by an independent professional organization; or
(C) holds a minimum of a master's degree in school counseling from a program accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs or the equivalent;
(2) the term “school psychologist” means an individual who—
(A) possesses a minimum of 60 graduate semester hours in school psychology from an institution of higher education and has completed 1,200 clock hours in a supervised school psychology internship, of which 600 hours shall be in the school setting;
(B) possesses State licensure or certification in the State in which the individual works; or
(C) in the absence of such State licensure or certification, possesses national certification by the National School Psychology Certification Board;
(3) the term “school social worker” means an individual who holds a master's degree in social work and is licensed or certified by the State in which services are provided or holds a school social work specialist credential; and
(4) the term “supervisor” means an individual who has the equivalent number of years of professional experience in such individual's respective discipline as is required of teaching experience for the supervisor or administrative credential in the State of such individual.
(Pub. L. 89–10, title X, §10102, as added Pub. L. 103–382, title I, §101, Oct. 20, 1994, 108 Stat. 3812.)
This section is referred to in section 8001 of this title.