The U.S. Department of Education awarded more than $24.8 million to 67 schools districts in 26 states across the country to establish or expand counseling programs. Grantees will use funds to support counseling programs in elementary and secondary schools. Specifically, the new Elementary and Secondary School Counseling grant awards will aid schools in hiring qualified mental-health professionals with the goal of expanding the range, availability, quantity and quality of counseling services. Parents of participating students will have input in the design and implementation of counseling services supported by these grants.
“School counselors are a vital resource for students and educators, and play a key role in creating safe and productive learning environments,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. “These grants will enhance school-based counseling programs, which have proven to be a great source of help for students and families with mental health and emotional issues.”
Grantees will use funds to help increase the number of available and qualified counselors based on a school’s student population. Research shows that having adequate counseling services can help reduce the number of disciplinary referrals in schools, improve student attendance and academic performance, and enhance development of social skills. Funds also may be used to support parental involvement, counselor and teacher professional development, and collaboration with community-based organizations that provide mental health and other services to students.
Below is a list of the 70 new grant awards. For more information on the Elementary and Secondary School Counseling grants program, including project abstracts, visit: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/elseccounseling/index.html.
One Response to “U.S. Department of Education Awards More Than $24.8 Million in Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Grants”
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May 14th, 2015 at 8:57 pm
Elementary and Secondary School being awarded $24.8 million grants to (67) school districts to establish or expand counseling programs to create safe and productive learning environments in the USA will prove to be a great source of help for students and families with mental health and emotional issues. This is a great victory for the elementary and secondary schools especially in the inner city-schools.
It is high time that more financial attention are being given to counselors so that students with emotional and mental health issues would be addressed. There has been so much shuffling of paper work and very little assistance given to address the needs of these students and the families. As a result, there has been a high rate of absenteeism, behavioral problems, low academic performance and developmental and social skills have been extremely poor.
As an educator who was a victim of student with a serious mental health problem, I was forced to leave the educational system prematurely without any compensation.
It has been my desire to see more done for school counselors in terms of funding. Now,it is my hope that the grantees will use the funds to help increase the number of available and qualified counselors based on a school’s student population and not perpetuate more paperwork for school counselor and no action. Also, I hope the system will use the funds to create a high awareness to the public the magnitude of mental health and emotional issues in elementary and secondary schools. The grantees will use the grants wisely to reduce the anxieties in parents, students and the general public at large.
It is my hope that high increase of the issues in the elementary and secondary schools will definitely help educe the number of disciplinary referrals in schools, improve on the overall management of students with these issues and reduce the rise of crimes in the schools against teachers and students.
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