BILL ANALYSIS
By: Hancock
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
School counselors are an important part of a child's education. Therefore, it is increasingly important that we promote responsible school counseling while protecting student's confidentiality and privacy.
As more fully described in the ANALYSIS section below, this bill would require certain school districts to provide public disclosure of the types and number of referrals made by middle school, junior high, and high school counselors, in a manner that does not identify the specific students involved.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS
This bill amends Section 33.006 of the Education Code, which relates to the duties and responsibilities of a school counselor, which include consulting with a student's parent or guardian and making referrals as appropriate in consultation with the student's
parent or guardian.
This bill provides that a school district that, during the preceding school year, made at least 20 total referrals at the middle school, junior high school, and high school levels shall include in the performance report required by Section 39.053, Education Code, a list of each agency, organization, or other entity to which one or more district students in middle school, junior high school, or high school was referred by a counselor for services during the preceding school year and the number of times that a referral was made to each listed agency, organization, or other entity. A school district shall provide the information required by this provision in a manner that does not identify the specific students involved.
The above provision applies beginning with the performance report required to be published under Section 39.053, Education Code, for the 2007-2008 school year.
EFFECTIVE DATE
Upon passage, or, if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2007.