ACA UPDATE: 2007-08 School Counseling Program Grant Recipients Named
LaMarr
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has announced the Elementary and
Secondary School Counseling Program (ESSCP) grant recipients for the
2007-2008 school year. For a complete list of the awardees, go to:
http://www.ed.gov/programs/elseccounseling/fy2007awards.html.
For the 2007-2008 school year, ED is awarding $11.4 million in new
ESSCP grant funding to 35 school districts in 21 states to improve
elementary school counseling programs. Due to the program's statutory
funding trigger, secondary schools (i.e., middle through high school)
cannot benefit from the program unless total funding exceeds $40
million, with that base amount reserved for elementary schools. In
addition, ED continues to fund the 62 school districts that were
awarded grants in 2005 and 2006.
The Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Program is the only
federal program that helps school districts hire more school
counselors, school psychologists, school social workers, and
appropriately trained psychologists or psychiatrists. Although the
program is small, it plays a critical and fundamental role in
expanding students' access to necessary counseling services.
Funding for next year's ESSCP (FY 2008) remains uncertain at this
point. As mentioned in prior GR alerts, the recently passed Senate
education appropriations bill would fund the ESSCP at $40 million for
next year; the House education spending bill proposes funding it at
$61.5 million. While both bills propose an increase in funding, only
the House bill would allow funds to be used at the secondary level, by
exceeding the trigger amount of $40 million.
ACA has been working diligently to gain as high an appropriation as
possible for the ESSCP program. This week, ACA President Marie
Wakefield and ASCA President Carolyn Stone sent a joint letter to
Senate Appropriations Subcommittee Chair Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Ranking
Member Arlen Specter (R-PA). The letter thanks them for increasing
funding for the ESSCP in the Senate spending bill, but also urges them
to work with their colleagues in the House to support the House-
approved funding level of $61.5 million for the ESSCP in the final FY
2008 Labor, Health and Human Services and Education appropriations
bill. (See letter attached.)
Counselors are urged to take action by going to our Legislative Action
Center : http://capwiz.com/counseling to send a message to your
Senators and Representative to urge them to support the House-approved
funding level of $61.5 million for ESSCP in the final Labor, Health
and Human Services and Education appropriations bill for fiscal year
2008. For more information, contact Chris Campbell at 800-347-6647,
ext. 241, or by e-mail at: ccam...@counseling.org.
For more information, contact Chris Campbell in ACA's Public Policy
and Legislation office at 800-347-6647, ext. 241, or e-mail
ccam...@counseling.org.
For questions concerning the ESSCP, contact Loretta McDaniel at the
U.S. Department of Education at (202) 260-2661. Also, visit ED's ESSCP
web site at: http://www.ed.gov/programs/elseccounseling/index.html.
To unsubscribe from the GR-Listserv, please send an e-mail to
cl...@counseling.org.
Christopher C. Campbell, M.A. Ed.
Assistant Director of Public Policy and Legislation
American Counseling Association
5999 Stevenson Avenue, Suite 200
Alexandria, VA 22304
703.823.9800 x241
703.823-0252 fax
703-405-9671 mobile
www.counseling.org
ACA 2008 Annual Conference
Honolulu, Hawaii, March 26-30, 2008
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