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Testimony to the Ohio State Board of EducationSara Williams, MA, LSCPresident, Ohio School Counselor AssociationSchool Counselor, Unioto High SchoolOperating Standards Revision – OAC 3301-35-05 – Five of Eight RuleGood morning President Terhar, Vice President Gunlock, and members of the Board, my name is Sara Williams and I am the President of the Ohio School Counselor Association. I have previously served as a teacher in the Little Miami Local School District near Cincinnati and I am currently a practicing school counselor in Ross County at Unioto High School in Chillicothe. Thank you for the opportunity to share with you my perspective on behalf of the school counseling profession regarding the proposed changes to the Ohio Operating Standards, specifically the 5 of 8 rule. First I would like to acknowledge the time, effort and energy of the committee that has been spent revising the operating standards over the last year. I appreciate the proposed updates to make the standards current by eliminating outdated terms and redundant language. I cannot imagine this was an easy task. The 5 of 8 rule, is the only provision in the current code that speaks to the importance of districts employing school counselors. The Ohio School Counselor Association strongly believes this rule should be strengthened, not weakened. Deleting it could result in fewer school counselors when the need for support of Ohio’s students has never been greater. I fully understand that the positions mentioned in the 5 of 8 rule, including school counselors, are not being eliminated by the new revisions but rather local control is being granted to school districts to allow freedom of choice based off of specific school district needs. However we have grave concerns that if given the option, school districts may choose to not employ school counselors. And every child, no matter his or her circumstances or learning needs and no matter where he or she lives or which school district he or she attends, deserves a school counselor. Every student in Ohio deserves a school counselor. An article titled “Not Your Mother’s School Counselor” appeared in the October 2014 issue of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development magazine and highlighted recent national directives and attention the school counseling profession has received. The First Lady of the United States said in a speech this July that K–12 school counselors are often "the deciding factor in whether young people attend college” and that "school counseling should not be an extra or a luxury just for school systems that can afford it." Also this summer, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan released a letter urging school districts to invest in relevant professional development for school counselors and to provide training for principals and teachers "so they understand how to most appropriately utilize and build on the capacities of school counselors." According to the Civil Rights Data Collection, students at 1 in 5 high schools don't have access to a school counselor. Although the American School Counselor Association recommends ratios of 1 counselor per 250 students, the national average is 1 to 471, according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics. In low-income schools, ASCA officials say the number can approach 1 counselor per 1,000 students. In the article, Richard Wong, ASCA's executive director, says that because of confusion around their role, school counselors are typically "seen as ancillary to the preK–12 curriculum and are often left out of efforts to improve education."In Ohio, school counselors are full time, licensed professionals by the Ohio Department of Education, with a master’s degree and a 600+ hour internship, who focus on the academic, career and social/emotional development of all students. School counselors are advocates for the whole child and work to guide students and teachers in developing non-cognitive, soft, 21st Century Learning Skills, which students must master to succeed in work and life. We are advocates for closing achievement gaps and for helping students eliminate non-academic barriers to school success. Also, school counselors are both proactive and responsive to assisting students, staff, and parents in dealing with incidents of crisis, bullying, and other difficulties that can impact achievement. School counselors, who are already employed in school districts, are the most highly qualified and trained educators to assist all students in reaching high school graduation and their academic goals through appropriate course selection, well-informed decision making of what it takes to obtain their future career, selecting the proper training program, or navigating the college application and financial aid processes. Currently the Ohio School Counselor Association is contributing to the Ohio Department of Education’s Career Connections model policy development and school counselors are prepared to be on the frontlines of linking together education and future employment for Ohio students. We are also actively working with the Ohio Department of Education in developing communication tools for sharing the new graduation requirements and the College Credit Plus program with students and families. Additionally, we have a collaborative partnership with the Ohio Board of Regents in working towards our common goal of supporting students as they access and succeed in a wide range of post-secondary training environments that will ensure Ohio has a highly trained workforce in the future. And school counselors have recently served on the writing team Office of Early Learning and School Readiness in creating Ohio’s social & emotional development standards and the bi-partisan committee for Safe and Secure Schools. Finally, I would like to address the new proposed definition of “educational service personnel” that now mentions many more individuals than the original eight. The updated definition includes school resource officer, EMIS data coordinator, transportation supervisor, food service director, and facilities administrator to name a few. While these might all be roles a school district needs to operate on a daily basis, the majority of the new additions are not licensed, professional educators nor do they require advanced degrees or training, like those listed in the current 5 of 8 rule. Simply put, licensed, professional school counselors (and the original 8) do not logically fit with the new mixed group of certified and classified staff in the proposed educational service personnel definition. School counselors are highly trained educators who work collaboratively with classroom teachers to maximize student learning and future success. As you prepare to vote in the next month, I hope you will remember that the 5 of 8 rule is the only place where the importance of school counselors is mentioned in Ohio code. School counselors are key stakeholders, collaborative partners, agents of change, and advocates for student-focused programs and efforts ultimately supporting the state board and department of education in Ohio. Every child deserves a licensed school counselor who is dedicated to serving all students as they reach their full potential as successful learners, productive employees, and positive citizens in our state and nation. The Ohio School Counselor Association urges the board to reconsider the proposed changes and the elimination of the 5 of 8 rule. I am happy to answer any questions you may have at this time. ................
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