For more information, contact:
David Hawkins, NACAC director of public policy
703/855-8261
(Washington, D.C.) March 5, 2007 – Proposals to reauthorize No Child Left Behind, reform high schools, and improve college access will be incomplete without crafting a greater role for school counselors, according to the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC). Accordingly, members of NACAC, who are attending the association’s 25th annual legislative conference in Washington, March 4-7, are unveiling a legislative proposal to boost support for school counselors in high-need schools on Capitol Hill this week.
“High school reform and college access are the hot topics on Capitol Hill with No Child Left Behind pending. Research supports the role of school counselors as agents of positive change in both high school outcomes and college access,” said Mary Lee Hoganson, NACAC president. “Yet barely a word is spoken about counselors in conversations about the contribution that the federal government can make to states and school districts to help schools in low-income communities achieve their educational goals. We’re here to change that.”
NACAC’s legislative proposal, if enacted, would accomplish four main objectives:
- More fully integrate school counselors into schools’ accountability plans under “No Child Left Behind”
- Provide federal funds to hire and train more school counselors for low-income high schools
- Provide federal funds for low-income high schools to acquire college counseling resources
- Establish a pilot program for providing graduate coursework in college admission counseling.
California (Assembly Bill 1802, 2006) and Pennsylvania (Project 720) have recently enacted legislation increasing the number of counselors and strengthening their role in boosting academic achievement and college access. NACAC’s proposal is intended to support state and local initiatives of a similar vein.
“Congress can accomplish these goals through a combination of increased support for existing programs and a bit of innovation in through NCLB and the Higher Education Act,” Hoganson noted. “We hope that Congress will join the states in strengthening the role and ranks of school counselors to provide real assistance to students who need it most.”
About NACAC
NACAC is an Alexandria, VA-based education association of more than 9,800 secondary school counselors, independent counselors, college admission and financial aid officers, enrollment managers, and organizations that work with students as they make the transition from high school to postsecondary education. The association is committed to maintaining high standards that foster ethical and social responsibility among those involved in the transition process, as outlined in the NACAC Statement of Principles of Good Practice.
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