House File 126 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 126 BY ISENHART , KOESTER , HANSON , and BYRNES A BILL FOR An Act relating to school guidance counselors and professional 1 service providers, including professional service and 2 secondary guidance counselor preparation and professional 3 development programs, related licensing and endorsement 4 requirements under the board of educational examiners, and 5 the provision of career and academic guidance counseling 6 services by school districts. 7 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 8 TLSB 1193YH (5) 85 kh/nh

H.F. 126 Section 1. Section 256.9, Code 2013, is amended by adding 1 the following new subsection: 2 NEW SUBSECTION . 63. a. Collaborate with, at a minimum, 3 the board of educational examiners; the Iowa association of 4 community college trustees; the association of Iowa area 5 education agencies; the Iowa school counselor association; the 6 economic development authority; the department of workforce 7 development; the governor’s science, technology, engineering, 8 and mathematics advisory council; and students recommended by 9 the Iowa jobs for America’s graduates program; or successor 10 entities, to develop standards and procedures for the approval 11 of professional service and secondary guidance counselor 12 preparation and professional development programs that, 13 upon approval by the state board, accredited postsecondary 14 institutions which grant postgraduate degrees may offer to 15 persons seeking authorization under chapter 272 to serve as 16 secondary school guidance counselors or to provide professional 17 services in Iowa schools. A collaboration as specified in this 18 subsection shall include representation from any stakeholder 19 organization willing to assist the department in meeting the 20 requirements of this subsection. 21 b. Community colleges, the economic development authority, 22 and the department of workforce development shall consult 23 and coordinate with employment and workplace stakeholders in 24 assisting the director in developing standards and procedures 25 for the approval of programs pursuant to this subsection. 26 c. Accredited postsecondary institutions that offer programs 27 approved pursuant to this subsection shall coordinate with 28 community colleges to ensure that the professional development 29 programs approved under this subsection are offered throughout 30 the state at convenient times. 31 d. The requirements for coursework and programs approved 32 pursuant to this subsection shall include but not be limited 33 to the following: 34 (1) Provision of information regarding career exploration, 35 -1- LSB 1193YH (5) 85 kh/nh 1/ 6

H.F. 126 planning, and development assistance; and opportunities 1 available to Iowa’s students from targeted industries as 2 defined in section 15.102, subsection 11, as well as industries 3 requiring skilled workers with educational backgrounds in 4 science, technology, engineering, or mathematics. 5 (2) Elements designed to encourage the involvement of 6 parents in career exploration and planning with their children. 7 (3) Elements designed to encourage the involvement of 8 elementary counselors in career exploration and planning with 9 their students. 10 (4) One semester credit or the equivalent issued by a 11 community college or other accredited postsecondary institution 12 in Iowa for coursework or professional development in career 13 exploration, career education, and career planning. If offered 14 by a community college, the coursework shall be offered at 15 the resident tuition rate set pursuant to section 260C.14, 16 subsection 2, to students enrolled in approved professional 17 service and guidance counselor preparation programs and to 18 persons renewing their professional service or secondary 19 guidance counselor licenses or endorsements pursuant to section 20 272.9B. If a community college fails to offer coursework 21 or professional development in career exploration, career 22 education, and career planning by July 1, 2014, the provisions 23 of section 272.9B shall not apply to an applicant described in 24 that section who resides within the boundaries of the community 25 college and who is employed by an Iowa school as a secondary 26 guidance counselor until July 1, 2015, or until twelve months 27 following the date upon which the coursework is made available 28 by the community college, whichever is later. 29 e. The director shall establish an application and review 30 process for approval of programs developed and implemented 31 pursuant to this subsection. 32 f. For purposes of this subsection, “professional service” 33 refers to preparation and professional development programs 34 for, and licensure and endorsement of, persons who are 35 -2- LSB 1193YH (5) 85 kh/nh 2/ 6

H.F. 126 authorized under chapter 272 to provide services in Iowa 1 schools as a school counselor. 2 g. This subsection shall not be construed to require that an 3 accredited postsecondary institution offering a major course of 4 study related to the relevant coursework offered in programs 5 approved pursuant to this subsection establish additional 6 credit requirements to graduate or achieve certification from 7 the institution in the related major course of study from the 8 institution. However, only coursework and programs that meet 9 the requirements established by the director in accordance with 10 this subsection shall be approved by the state board under 11 section 256.7, subsection 3. 12 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION . 272.9B Professional service and 13 guidance counselor licenses. 14 Beginning July 1, 2015, except as provided in section 15 256.9, subsection 63, paragraph “d” , the board shall require 16 applicants for professional service and secondary guidance 17 counselor licenses and endorsements, and for the renewal of 18 such licenses and endorsements, to have successfully completed 19 a professional service or secondary guidance counselor 20 preparation program or professional development program, 21 as appropriate, approved in accordance with section 256.9, 22 subsection 63. 23 Sec. 3. Section 279.61, Code 2013, is amended by adding the 24 following new subsection: 25 NEW SUBSECTION . 3. Beginning July 1, 2016, except as 26 otherwise provided in section 256.9, subsection 63, paragraph 27 “d” , career and academic guidance counseling services shall 28 be provided by the board of directors of a school district 29 to students enrolled in grades nine through twelve only by 30 persons issued professional service or secondary guidance 31 counselor licenses or endorsements pursuant to section 272.9B, 32 or who hold a license issued by the board and meet the renewal 33 requirements for a license pursuant to section 272.9B. 34 EXPLANATION 35 -3- LSB 1193YH (5) 85 kh/nh 3/ 6

H.F. 126 This bill provides for the development, by the department of 1 education, of standards for professional service and secondary 2 guidance counselor preparation and professional development 3 programs, requires the board of educational examiners to 4 establish related licensing and endorsement requirements, and 5 requires, beginning July 1, 2016, that career and academic 6 guidance counseling services provided by school districts to 7 students enrolled in grades nine through 12 be provided only 8 by persons issued professional service or secondary guidance 9 counselor licenses or endorsements by the board of educational 10 examiners and by persons who meet the renewal requirements for 11 a license issued pursuant to the requirements established by 12 the bill. 13 The bill directs the director of the department of 14 education to collaborate with a number of entities to develop 15 requirements for professional service and secondary guidance 16 counselor preparation and professional development programs 17 that academic institutions which grant postgraduate degrees 18 may offer, upon approval by the state board of education, to 19 persons seeking authorization by the board of educational 20 examiners to serve as school counselors or as secondary school 21 guidance counselors. 22 The entities the director must collaborate with include 23 the board of educational examiners; the Iowa association of 24 community college trustees; the association of Iowa area 25 education agencies; the Iowa school counselor association; the 26 economic development authority; the department of workforce 27 development; the governor’s science, technology, engineering, 28 and mathematics advisory council; and students recommended by 29 the Iowa jobs for America’s graduates program; or successor 30 entities. Employment and workplace stakeholders must be 31 consulted in developing requirements for the programs. 32 Institutions that offer approved programs must coordinate 33 with community colleges to ensure that the professional 34 development programs are offered throughout the state at 35 -4- LSB 1193YH (5) 85 kh/nh 4/ 6

H.F. 126 convenient times. 1 The requirements for coursework and programs must include 2 but not be limited to the provision of information regarding 3 career exploration, planning, and development assistance, 4 and opportunities available to Iowa’s students from targeted 5 industries, as well as industries requiring skilled workers 6 with educational backgrounds in science, technology, 7 engineering, or mathematics; and one semester credit or 8 the equivalent issued by a community college for coursework 9 or professional development in career exploration, career 10 education, and career planning. The credit must be offered 11 by the community colleges at the resident tuition rate to 12 students enrolled in approved programs and to persons renewing 13 their professional service or secondary guidance counselor 14 licenses or endorsements. Each community college must offer 15 this coursework not later than July 1, 2014, unless there is 16 no demand for the coursework. 17 The bill affirms that accredited postsecondary institutions 18 are not required to offer the coursework and programs described 19 in the bill, but provides that only coursework and programs 20 that meet the requirements established by the director shall 21 be approved by the state board. 22 Beginning July 1, 2015, applicants for professional service 23 and secondary guidance counselor licenses and endorsements 24 shall have successfully completed an approved professional 25 service preparation program, an approved secondary guidance 26 counselor preparation program or, for those renewing such a 27 license or endorsement, an approved professional development 28 program, and shall have the credit issued by a community 29 college for coursework in career exploration, career education, 30 and career planning. 31 The bill allows an applicant additional time to meet the 32 requirement to have successfully completed a preparation 33 program in order to be licensed or employed as a school 34 counselor if their community college fails to offer the 35 -5- LSB 1193YH (5) 85 kh/nh 5/ 6