SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLlC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Second Regular Session 
SENATE 
S. No. 
2549 
) 
) 
) 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
'15 
JAN -5 P 3 53 
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CREATING A DEMONSTRATION PROJECT TO FUND ADDITIONAL 
SECONDARY SCHOOL COUNSELORS IN TROUBLED SCHOOLS TO REDUCE 
THE DROPOUT RATE 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article 14, Section 1 provides: "The State shall protect and 
promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels and shall take 
appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all." 
According to UNICEF, while net enrolment in primary school is high at 85 
percent as of school year 2007 to 2008, this rate reportedly drastically declines to 
62 percent in high school in the same school year. 
On the other hand, drop-out rates are doubled as children reach secondary school. 
Around 11.64 million out-of-school youth and others situated in impoverished urban 
cities and far-flung communities still need to be reached. I 
The American School Counselor Association and the American Counseling 
Association reportedly recommend a ratio of one school counselor to 250 students and a 
lower ratio for counselors working primarily with students at risk.2 
Hence, this bill seeks to provide funding for additional counselors in high schools 
with high drop-out rates. These additional counselors would work intensively with 
I http://www.uniceforg/philippines/8900.html. 
2 http://iindasanchez.house.gov lindex. phPi!lress-room/archived-news/20 1 O-press-rel eases/S 63 ?task~view. 
1 


students at risk and would collaborate with parents, teachers, tutors, employers, and 
others to create a comprehensive plan to get these students back on the right track. 3 
~ 
... 4~~;~ 
MIRIAM DEF~SOR sANrl.GO 
1f 
3 This bill was originally filed in the U.S. HOllse of Representatives by Representatives Linda Sanchez, 
Odjalva, Brown, Cummings, Chu, Norton, Roybal-Allard, Ryan, Wilson, Cartwright, Carson, Jackson Lee, Honda, 
Hinojosa, Napolitano, Negrete Mcleod, Polis, Kaptur, Clarke, Loretta Sanchez, Rangel, Davis, Pierluisi, Cicilline, 
Lowenthal, Holt, Garamendi, Bass, and Takano, during the ll3 th Congress. 
2 


SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLlC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Second Regular Session 
SENA211 
S. No. 
• \)49 
) 
) 
) 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
'1~) 
JAN -5 P 3 :54 
Rh'El\ ED BY; --'B-~-
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1 
Be it enacted by the Senate and Hause af Representatives af the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
2 
AN ACT 
3 
CREATING A DEMONSTRATION PROJECT TO FUND ADDITIONAL 
4 
SECONDARY SCHOOL COUNSELORS IN TROUBLED SCHOOLS TO REDUCE 
5 
THE DROPOUT RATE 
6 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as "Put School Counselors 
7 
Where They Are Needed Act"; 
8 
SECTION 2. Definition of Terms. - For purposes of this Act, the term: 
9 
10 
(1) "Adjusted Cohort" means the students who entered third year high school 
11 _ together, and any student that transferred into the cohort in third year through fourth year 
12 
high school minus any student removed il'om the cohort. 
13 
(2) "Cohort Removal" means to remove students from the cohort, the school or 
14 
local educational agency must confirm that the student has (a) transferred out; (b) is in 
15 
the custody of the juvenile justice system; ( c) or is deceased. 
16 
(3) "Four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate" means the number of students who 
17 
earned a regular high school diploma at the conclusion of their fourth year, before their 
18 
fourth year, or during a summer session immediately following their fourth year, divided 
19 
by the number of students who formed the adjusted cohort for that graduating class. 
20 
(4) "Transfers in" means the students who enroll or re-enroll after the beginning of 
21 
the entering cohort's tirst year in high school, up to and including in fourth year. 


1 
(5) "Transfers Out" means students the school or local educational agency has 
2 
confirmed as transferred to another school or other educational program for which they 
3 
are expected to receive a regular high school diploma. Confirmation of a student's 
4 
transfer to another school or program requires formal documentation that the student 
5 
enrolled in the receiving school. Students enrolled in other alternative educational 
6 
programs that do not issue or provide credits toward the issuance of a regular high school 
7 
diploma are not considered transferred out. Students who were enrolled, but for whom 
8 
there is no confirmation of transfer or completion, may not be labeled transfers or errors, 
9 
but must remain in the cohort as non-graduates for reporting and accountability purposes. 
10 
(6) "Treatment of Other Leavers and Withdrawals" means students who were 
11 
retained in high school level, left school for any other reason may not be counted as 
12 
transferred out for the purpose of calculating graduation rates and must remain in the 
13 
adjusted cohort. 
14 
For purposes of this Act, those high schools that start after third year high school, 
15 
the cohort shall be calculated based on the earliest high school grade. 
16 
(7) "Regular high school diploma" means the standard high school diploma 
17 
awarded to the preponderance of students, or a higher diploma, and does not include 
18 
certificates of attendance, or any lesser diploma award. 
19 
For those students who have significant cognitive disabilities and are assessed 
20 
using an alternate assessment aligned to alternate achievement standards, receipt of a 
21 
regular high school diploma or government-defined alternate diploma shall be counted as 
22 
graduates with a regular high school diploma for the purposes of this Act. No more than 
23 
one percent of students can be counted as graduates with a regular high school diploma 
24 
under this subparagraph. 
25 
SECTION 3. 
Demonstration Project For Additional Secondary School 
26 
Counselors. - The Secretary of the Department of Education (here called the "Secretary") 
2 


shall carry out a demonstration project under which the Secretary makes grants on a 
2 
competitive basis to secondary public schools and have a four-year adjusted cohort 
3 
graduation rate of 60 percent or lower. 
4 
A grant under this Act shall be for a period of four years and may be used for the 
S 
following: 
6 
(1) to provide additional school counselors during that period; and 
7 
(2) to provide additional resources (such as professional development expenses or 
8 
travel expenses for home visits, and any services and materials referred to in this Act) and 
9 
to pay overhead expenses. 
10 
II 
A participating school should aim to provide one additional counselor per 250 
12 
students at risk. 
13 
SECTION 4. Scope of Counseling. - The additional school counselors shall 
14 
identify students who are at risk of not graduating in four years and shall provide 
1 S 
counseling primarily to those students. The counselors may identify such students at any 
16 
time, but shall strive to identify them before they enter third year high school. Services 
17 
shall be provided as long as necessary, including to the extent allowable and appropriate, 
18 
after the student's cohort graduation date. The counseling: 
19 
(1) may include a full panoply of services, including an individual graduation plan 
20 
and other resources, such as appropriate course placement and supplemental services (to 
21 
include not only supplemental educational services tutoring if available at the school site, 
22 
but also other tutoring as necessary, along with supplemental books and materials); and 
23 
(2) shall include meetings with each student so identiiied and with the teachers, 
24 
tutors, supplemental educational services providers, and parents of the student, and may 
2S 
also include meetings with other relevant individuals, such as a probation officer, mentor, 
26 
coach, or employer of the student. 
3 


1 
SECTION 5. Supplement Not Supplant. 
~ The additional school counselors 
2 
provided through funds under this Act must be in addition to any employees who work in 
3 
the secondary school guidance or counseling office, such as counselors, college 
4 
admissions specialists, career development specialists, guidance information specialists, 
5 
or any other professional or paraprofessional. 
6 
SECTION 6. Additional Grant Periods. ~ A school that receives a grant under this 
7 
Act and demonstrates adequate improvement over the period of the grant is eligible to 
8 
receive a second grant for a second period. If the school again demonstrates adequate 
9 
improvement over that second period, the school is eligible to receive a third grant for a 
10 
third period. The third grant shall provide amounts that decrease for each year of the third 
11 
period. 
12 
For purposes of this Act, a school demonstrates adequate improvement over a 
13 
grant period if the four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate increases (or is projected to 
14 
increase) by 10 percent or more over that period. 
15 
SECTION 7. Selection. -- The Secretary shall carry out the demonstration project 
16 
in at least 10 schools. The first five schools selected to participate shall each be from a 
17 
different region. 
18 
SECTION 8. Authorization of Appropriations. ~ There are authorized to be 
19 
appropriated to carry out this Act Ten Million Pesos (PoIO,OOO,OOO.OO) for each of the 
20 
first four fiscal years after thc etTectivity of this Act. 
21 
SECTION 9. Separability Clause. -- If any provision of this Act shall be declared 
22 
unconstitutional, any other provision not affected thereby shall remain in full force and 
23 
effect. 
4 


SECTION 10. Repealing Clause. -- All laws, decrees, orders, rules and 
2 
regulations, or parts thereof inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or amended 
3 
accordingly. 
4 
SECTION 11. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fi1tecn (15) days after its 
5 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
Ifldpdec2014 
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