Authority: Article IX, Section 1, Colorado Constitution. 22-2-106(1)(a) and (c); 22-2-107(1)(c); 22-7-409(1.5); 22-91-101 et seq. of the Colorado Revised Statutes (C.R.S.). 1.00 Statement of Basis and Purpose. The School Counselor Corps Grant Program, sections 22-91-101 through 22-91-105, C.R.S., requires the State Board of Education to promulgate rules for implementation of the Program, as further described in section 22-91-103(2), C.R.S.

2.00 Definitions. 2.00(1) Advisory Board: The Colorado School Counselor Corps Advisory Board created in section 22-91-104.5, C.R.S., which provides recommendations to the Department for the Program.

2.00(2) Department: The Department of Education created pursuant to section 24-1-115, C.R.S.

2.00(3) Education Provider: A school district, a board of cooperative services, a charter school authorized by a school district pursuant to Part 1 of Article 30.5 of Title 22 C.R.S., or a charter school authorized by the State Charter School Institute pursuant to Part 5 of Article 30.5 of Title 22, C.R.S.

2.00(4) Postsecondary Service Provider: An independent agency whose primary purpose is to provide career and college preparatory services to students.

2.00(5) Program: The School Counselor Corps Grant Program created in section 22-91-103, C.R.S.

2.00(6) Recipient School: A school at which an Education Provider will use moneys received from the Program to either increase the number of School Counselors or otherwise raise the level of school counseling provided.

2.00(7) School Counselor: A person who holds a special services provider license with a School Counselor endorsement issue pursuant to Article 60.5 of Title 22 or who is otherwise endorsed or accredited by a national association to provide school counseling services. This includes a person who holds a special services intern authorization pursuant to section 22-60.5-111(3), C.R.S.

2.00(8) State Board: The State Board of Education created pursuant to Section 1, Article IX of the State Constitution.

2.01 Implementation Procedures. 2.01(1) Application Timeline. The Department will determine on an annual basis if resources may be available to fund a new cohort for the Program and hold a grant funding competition accordingly. Applications will be due to the Department on behalf of the Advisory Board as determined by the funding cycle. The Department will notify grant recipients of funding no later than July 1 of each funding cycle, subject to available appropriations. 2.01(2) Application Procedures. The Department will be the responsible agency for implementing the Program. The Department will develop a Request for Proposal (RFP), pursuant to the Department's RFP process and pursuant to the requirements and timelines found in sections 22-91-104, C.R.S. Each grant application, at a minimum, must specify:

2.01(2)(a) How receipt of the grant will affect the culture of postsecondary planning at the applicant Education Provider, and a vision for how the grant will transform the postsecondary expectations and options of students served;

2.01(2)(b) The intended Recipient Schools, the number of professional School Counselors employed by the Education Provider prior to receipt of a grant, and the ratio of students to School Counselors in the schools operated by or receiving services from the Education Provider;

2.01(2)(c) Whether the Education Provider has agreed to use state guidelines and Standard to implement a comprehensive counseling model for School Counselor responsibilities as specified by the Department to include a time and effort assessment, postsecondary workforce ready programming, social emotional counseling work, and career and academic planning;

2.01(2)(d) Utilization of state models for accountability;

2.01(2)(e) The extent to which the Education Provider has developed and/or plans to develop partnerships, which may include but need not be limited to institutions of higher education or Postsecondary Service Providers, to support and increase the capacity and effectiveness of the school counseling and postsecondary preparation services provided to students enrolled in or receiving educational services from the Education Provider;

2.01(2)(f) The Education Provider's plan for use of the grant moneys, including the extent to which the grant moneys will be used to increase the number of School Counselors at Recipient Schools and to provide professional development for a team of School Counselors and professional development to enable other faculty members and administrators to provide school counseling and postsecondary preparation services at Recipient Schools;

2.01(2)(g) The Education Provider's plan for involving leaders at the Recipient Schools and in the surrounding community and the faculty at Recipient Schools in increasing the capacity and effectiveness of the school counseling and postsecondary preparation services provided to students enrolled in or receiving educational services from the Education Provider;

2.01(2)(h) The extent to which the Education Provider has developed or plans to develop partnerships, whether within the school district, with external education agencies and/or community and/or business/workforce partners, to serve the postsecondary needs for every student enrolled in or receiving educational services from the Education Provider;

2.01(2)(i) The extent to which the Education Provider has implemented or plans to implement individual career and academic plans for students;

2.01(2)(j) The Education Provider's use of district-level, or school-level if the Education Provider is a charter school, needs assessments that use data to (1) identify challenging issues in the district or school in terms of student learning and success and barriers to learning, and (2) identify programs, strategies, or services delivered by the Education Provider to students that have helped to increase graduation rates and the level of postsecondary success among graduates, and (3) identify the strategies that will be used by the Education Provider to address the challenges identified in this self assessment and to strengthen, expand, or improve existing programs to improve graduation rates and post-secondary enrollment and success rates;

2.01(2)(k) The attendance, grade-retention and promotion, and grading policies implemented by the Education Provider, including an analysis of how the schools' and districts' current policies and practices in these areas contribute to success or act as obstacles to students graduating from high school, as well as a description of a plan for how these policies and practices will be improved or modified to increase the graduation rate, as well as college-going and college-success rates of high school students;

2.01(2)(l) Whether the Education Provider intends to provide matching funds to augment any grant moneys received from the Program and the anticipated amount and source of any matching funds;

2.01(2)(m) The Education Provider's plan for continuing to fund the increases in school counseling services following expiration of the grant; and

2.01(2)(n) The Education Provider's plan for using data over time to (1) demonstrate outcomes and (2) revise and improve programs, policies, and practices to improve outcomes.

2.01(3) Application Review Criteria. In reviewing applications and making recommendations, the Advisory Board will make recommendations to the Department and State Board as to whether or not a grant shall be awarded to the Education Provider and the recommended amount of the grant, and shall consider the following criteria, as applicable:

2.01(3)(a) The dropout rate at the intended Recipient School or Schools and, if the Education Provider is a school district, at all of the schools within the school district. Priority will be given to Education Providers that intend to use the grant moneys to assist schools at which the dropout rate exceeds the statewide average;

2.01(3)(b) The remediation rate at the intended Recipient School or Schools, at which remediation rates exceed the statewide average;

2.01(3)(c) The percentage of students enrolled in the intended Recipient School or Schools who are eligible for free or reduced-cost lunch or considered at-risk students. Priority will be given to Education Providers that identify intended Recipient Schools with a high percentage of said students;

2.01(3)(d) The percentage of students enrolled in the intended Recipient School or Schools, and if the Education Provider is a school district, in the school district, who graduate and enroll in postsecondary education within two years after graduating from high school;

2.01(3)(e) The number of students enrolled in the school, and if the Education Provider is a school district, in the school district, who are considered first-generation college students as defined in section 22-91-102 (2.5), C.R.S.;

2.01(3)(f) Whether the Education Provider has adopted, or has demonstrated a commitment to adopting, state guidelines and Standard for School Counselor responsibilities that meet or exceed those recommended by the Department;

2.01(3)(g) Assurance that the Education Provider shall use the grant funding to increase the level of funding the Education Provider allocated to school-based counseling prior to receiving the grant and not to replace other funding sources allocated to school-based counseling;

2.01(3)(h) The student-to-counselor ratios at Recipient Schools;

2.01(3)(i) The overall quality of the plan, including but not limited to the quality of professional development, the quality of partnerships, how the ratio of students to counselors will be impacted, school-wide involvement in postsecondary and workforce readiness preparation, and the quality of the role of the School Counselor;

2.01(3)(j) Consideration of the geographic location of the Education Provider in providing preference to underserved areas of the state; and

2.01(3)(k) The likelihood that the Education Provider will continue to fund the increases in the level of school counseling services following expiration of the grant.

2.01(4) Professional Development. The Department shall provide support to the Recipient Schools to train principals on the most effective use of the Program.

2.01(5) Creation of Advisory Board. The Advisory Board will be created within the Department. The Department shall consult with experts in the area of school counseling, including but not limited to School Counselors, persons who provide education and professional development in the areas of school counseling and career counseling, Postsecondary Service Providers, and higher education admissions officers, in establishing any additional criteria for awarding grants and in reviewing applications and selecting grant recipients.

2.01(5)(a) The Department will establish guidelines for the Advisory Board to include the duties, membership, and responsibilities of the Advisory Board.

2.01(5)(b) The Advisory Board may include members who represent the Department, Higher Education, Labor and Employment, Community Colleges, school districts, or individuals with expertise in elementary, middle, and high school counseling; student retention; counselor education; career and technical education; student support services; career planning; pre-collegiate services and college admissions; or mental health and suicide prevention.

2.01(6) Duration and Amount of Grant Awards. Subject to available appropriations, the State Board shall award grants to applying Education Providers pursuant to section 22-91-104, C.R.S. The State Board shall base the grant awards on the Department's recommendations. Each grant shall have a term of four years. In making the award, the State Board shall specify the amount of each grant.

2.01(7) Reporting. Each Education Provider that receives a grant through the Program shall report the following information to the Department each year during the term of the grant:

2.01(7)(a) The number of School Counselors hired using grant moneys;

A Guide to K-12 Student Behavioral Health Supports with a Focus on Prevention, Early Intervention, and Intervention for Students’ Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Health Needs

(1) The general assembly hereby finds that:

• (a) A student's level of education attainment will directly influence the student's level of achievement and success throughout the rest of his or her life;

• (b) The national center for education statistics reports that, in comparing employment rates and levels of education attainment across the country, in 2005, the unemployment rate for persons who dropped out of high school was seven and six-tenths percent, compared to an overall average unemployment rate for all education levels of four percent. The unemployment rate for persons who graduated from high school and attained an associates degree was three and three-tenths percent, and the unemployment rate dropped to two and three-tenths percent for persons who attained a bachelor's degree.

• (c) The Colorado department of education reports that the graduation rate for Colorado school districts in the spring of 2006 was seventy-four and one-tenth percent;

• (d) In 2003, approximately forty-nine percent of the students who graduated from a Colorado public high school enrolled in a public institution of higher education in Colorado;

• (e) As recently as 2006, statistics showed that there is a forty percent probability that a student who is enrolled in ninth grade in Colorado will be enrolled in postsecondary education when the student is nineteen years of age, and thirty-four percent of the persons in Colorado who are eighteen to twenty-four years of age are enrolled in postsecondary education;

• (f) Studies show that school counseling and postsecondary preparation can have a significant effect on students in assisting them to begin as early as seventh or eighth grade to identify their post-graduation goals and to begin planning to achieve them. This is especially true for African-American and Hispanic students, low-income students, and students whose parents have no direct experience with postsecondary education.

• (g) Studies further show that strategic partnerships among school counselors, properly trained administrators, teachers, and community-based postsecondary service providers result in improved attendance, improved academic performance, and increased postsecondary success for students from low-income families and students whose parents have no direct experience with postsecondary education;

• (h) Studies also show that a significant factor in assisting a student to remain in school and to graduate is the creation of a strong personal relationship with at least one adult in the school, and in many cases that adult is a school counselor;

• (i) Professional school counselors are trained to provide comprehensive programs that facilitate the development of the whole child in the areas of academic, career, and personal and social needs;

• (j) For the 2006-07 school year, the student-to-counselor ratio in Colorado public schools was approximately five hundred to one, which is double the ratio recommended by the American school counselors association as an average statewide ratio; and

• (k) Reducing the student-to-counselor ratio in Colorado's public schools is a positive move toward achieving the goals of closing the achievement gap, decreasing the dropout rate, and increasing the number of students who matriculate into postsecondary education without the need for remediation.

(2) The general assembly concludes, therefore, that it is in the best interests of the students in the state to encourage and support school districts, boards of cooperative services, and charter schools in increasing the number of school counselors available in middle, junior high, and high schools and in improving the level of school counseling services provided to students by enacting the school counselor corps grant program.

As used in this article 91, unless the context otherwise requires: (1) "Department" means the department of education created and existing pursuant to section 24-1-115, C.R.S. (2) "Education provider" means a school district, a board of cooperative services, a charter school authorized by a school district pursuant to part 1 of article 30.5 of this title, or a charter school authorized by the state charter school institute pursuant to part 5 of article 30.5 of this title. (2.5) "First-generation college student" means:

• (a) An individual both of whose parents did not complete a baccalaureate degree; or
• (b) In the case of an individual who regularly resided with and received support from only one parent, an individual whose only such parent did not complete a baccalaureate degree. (3) "Postsecondary service provider" means an independent agency whose primary purpose is to provide career and college preparatory services to students. (4) "Program" means the school counselor corps grant program created in section 22-91-103. (5) "Recipient school" means a school at which an education provider will use money received from the program to either increase the number of school counselors or otherwise raise the level of school counseling provided. (5.5) "School" means a public elementary, middle, junior high, or high school. (6) "School counselor" means a person who holds a special services provider license with a school counselor endorsement issued pursuant to article 60.5 of this title or who is otherwise endorsed or accredited by a national association to provide school counseling services. (7) Repealed. (8) "State board" means the state board of education created pursuant to section 1 of article IX of the state constitution.

(1) (a) There is created in the department the school counselor corps grant program to provide funding to education providers. The goal of the program is to increase the availability of effective school-based counseling to help increase the graduation rate within the state and increase the percentage of students who appropriately prepare for, apply to, and continue into postsecondary education.

• (b) An education provider that receives a grant under the program must use the moneys to increase the level of funding the education provider allocated to school-based counseling prior to receiving the grant and not to replace other funding sources allocated to school-based counseling.

• (c) The department shall administer the program as provided in this article and pursuant to rules adopted by the state board.

• (d) An education provider that receives a grant through the program shall use state guidelines and Standard to implement a comprehensive counseling model that includes a time and effort assessment, postsecondary workforce-ready programming, and social and emotional counseling work.

• (e) An education provider that receives a grant through the program shall use state models for accountability. The education provider shall collect data on its counseling program to demonstrate the impact of the school counseling program on student achievement, attendance, and behavior. The education provider shall use the data to analyze school counseling program assessments to guide future action and improve future results for all students.

(2) The state board shall adopt rules, pursuant to the "State Administrative Procedure Act", article 4 of title 24, C.R.S., for implementation of the program, including but not limited to rules regarding:

• (a) The timeline for submitting applications to the department;

• (b) The form of the grant application and any information in addition to that specified in section 22-91-104 (2) to be included in the application;

• (c) Any criteria for awarding grants in addition to those specified in section 22-91-104 (3); and

• (d) Any information to be included in the department's program report in addition to that required in section 22-91-105.

(1) An education provider seeking a grant from the program shall submit an application to the school counselor corps advisory board existing within the department in accordance with the rules adopted by the state board. The school counselor corps advisory board shall review each grant application received and make recommendations to the department and state board concerning whether a grant should be awarded to the education provider and the recommended amount of the grant. If the school counselor corps advisory board determines an application is missing any information required by rule to be included with the application, the school counselor corps advisory board may contact the education provider to obtain the missing information.

(2) At a minimum, each grant application must specify:

• (a) The intended recipient schools, the number of school counselors employed by the education provider prior to receipt of a grant, and the ratio of students to school counselors in the schools operated by or receiving services from the education provider;

• (b) Whether the education provider has adopted Standard for school counselor responsibilities, as recommended by a national association of school counselors;

• (c) Whether the education provider has entered into, or has committed to establishing, one or more partnerships with institutions of higher education or postsecondary service providers in Colorado to support and increase the capacity and effectiveness of the counseling and postsecondary preparation services provided to students enrolled in or receiving educational services from the education provider;

• (d) The education provider's plan for use of the grant money, including the extent to which the grant money will be used to increase the number of school counselors at recipient schools and to provide professional development for school counselors and professional development to enable other faculty members to provide counseling and postsecondary preparation services at recipient schools;

• (e) The education provider's plan for involving leaders at the recipient schools and in the surrounding community and the faculty at recipient schools in increasing the capacity and effectiveness of the counseling and postsecondary preparation services provided to students enrolled in or receiving educational services from the education provider;

• (f) The extent to which the education provider has developed or plans to develop partnerships to serve the postsecondary needs of all of the students enrolled in or receiving educational services from the education provider;

• (g) The education provider's use of district-level, or school-level if the education provider is a charter school, needs assessments that identify challenging issues in the district or school in terms of student learning and success and identification of any programs initiated or services provided by the education provider to students that have helped to increase graduation rates and the level of postsecondary success among graduates;

• (h) The attendance, grade-retention and promotion, and grading policies implemented by the education provider;

• (i) Whether the education provider intends to provide matching funds to augment any grant moneys received from the program and the anticipated amount and source of any matching funds; and

• (j) The education provider's plan for continuing to fund the increases in school counseling services following expiration of the grant.

(3) In reviewing applications and making recommendations to the department and state board, the school counselor corps advisory board shall consider the following criteria, in addition to any other criteria adopted by rule of the state board:

• (a) The dropout rate at the intended recipient school or schools and, if the education provider is a school district, at all of the schools within the school district. The school counselor corps advisory board, department, and state board shall give priority to education providers that intend to use the grant money to assist schools at which the dropout rate exceeds the statewide average.

• (a.5) The remediation rate at the intended recipient school or schools and, if the education provider is a school district, all of the schools within the school district. The school counselor corps advisory board, department, and state board shall give priority to education providers that intend to use the grant money to assist schools at which the remediation rate is greater than the statewide average.

• (b) The percentage of students enrolled in the intended recipient school or schools, and, if the education provider is a school district, all of the schools within the school district, who are eligible for free or reduced-cost lunch or who are considered at-risk students. The school counselor corps advisory board, department, and state board shall give priority to education providers that identify intended recipient schools with a high percentage of said students.

• (c) The percentage of students enrolled in the intended recipient school or schools and, if the education provider is a school district, all of the schools in the school district, who graduate and enroll in postsecondary education within two years after graduating from high school;

• (c.5) The number of students enrolled in the intended recipient school or schools and, if the education provider is a school district, all of the schools in the school district, who apply to and enroll in postsecondary education within two years after graduating from high school and who are first-generation college students. The school counselor corps advisory board, department, and state board shall give priority to education providers that identify intended recipient schools with a high percentage of first-generation college students.

• (d) Whether the education provider has adopted, or has demonstrated a commitment to adopting, Standard for school counselor responsibilities, as recommended by a national association of school counselors;

• (e) The likelihood that the education provider will continue to fund the increases in the level of school counseling services following expiration of the grant;

• (f) The geographic location of the education provider. The school counselor corps advisory board, department, and state board may provide a preference in awarding grants to underserved areas of the state.

• (g) The current student-to-counselor ratio at the school.

(4) The department and the state board shall consult with experts in the area of school counseling, including but not limited to school counselors, persons who provide education and professional development in the areas of school counseling and career counseling, and higher education admissions officers, in establishing any additional criteria for awarding grants and in reviewing applications and selecting grant recipients.

(4.5) The department shall provide support to schools to train principals on the most effective use of the program. ...

(1) There is created within the department the school counselor corps advisory board. The department shall establish guidelines for the duties, membership, and responsibilities of the advisory board. The advisory board may include, but is not limited to, members:

• (a) Who represent the departments of education, higher education, and labor and employment; community colleges; or school districts; or

• (b) Who have expertise in elementary, middle, and high school counseling; student retention; counselor education; career and technical education; student support services; career planning; pre-collegiate services and college admissions; and mental health and suicide prevention.

(1) Each education provider that receives a grant through the program shall report the following information to the department each year during the term of the grant:

• (a) The number of school counselors hired using grant moneys;

• (b) Any professional development programs provided using grant moneys;

• (c) Any other services provided using grant moneys;

• (d) A comparison of the dropout rates, and the college matriculation and remediation rates, if applicable, at the recipient schools for the years prior to receipt of the grant and the years for which the education provider receives the grant;

• (e) Information indicating an increase in the level of postsecondary preparation services provided to students at recipient schools, such as the use of individual career and academic plans or enrollment in pre-collegiate preparation programs or postsecondary or vocational preparation programs;

• (f)

• (I) A comparison of the number of students who completed the free application for federal student aid or applications for state student aid for the year the education provider receives the grant, if available, and the number of students who completed the free application for federal student aid or applications for state student aid for each of the years the education provider receives the grant.

• (II) This subsection (1)(f) is repealed, effective July 1, 2023.

• (g) Any additional information that the state board, by rule, may require.

(2) Notwithstanding section 24-1-136 (11)(a)(I), on or before May 15, 2009, and on or before May 15 each year thereafter, the department shall submit to the education committees of the senate and the house of representatives, or any successor committees, a report that, at a minimum, summarizes the information received by the department pursuant to subsection (1) of this section. The department shall also post the report to its website.

(3) The department of higher education shall cooperate with the department in providing information necessary for the report submitted by the department pursuant to subsection (2) of this section.