I 
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6654 
To increase the recruitment and retention of school counselors, school social 
workers, and school psychologists by low-income local educational agencies. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 30, 2008 
Mr. TOWNS (for himself, Ms. LINDA T. SA´NCHEZ of California, Mr. GEORGE 
MILLER of California, Mr. BACA, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Mr. BISHOP 
of New York, Ms. BORDALLO, Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania, Ms. CORRINE 
BROWN of Florida, Ms. CLARKE, Mr. COHEN, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. 
COURTNEY, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. ELLISON, Mr. ETHERIDGE, Mr. 
FILNER, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. HARE, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, Ms. 
HIRONO, Mr. HOLT, Mr. HONDA, Mr. INSLEE, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of 
Texas, Mr. JEFFERSON, Mr. KUCINICH, Ms. LEE, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, 
Ms. MCCOLLUM of Minnesota, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. 
MCINTYRE, Mr. MEEKS of New York, Mr. MILLER of North Carolina, 
Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. 
SESTAK, Mr. STARK, and Ms. SUTTON) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor 
A BILL 
To increase the recruitment and retention of school coun-
selors, school social workers, and school psychologists 
by low-income local educational agencies. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Increased Student 
Achievement Through Increased Student Support Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Research shows that socioeconomic status 
and family background characteristics are highly 
correlated with educational outcomes, with a con-
centration of low-performing schools in low-income 
and under-served communities. 
(2) Teachers cite poor working conditions, stu-
dent behavior, lack of student motivation, and lack 
of administrative support as key reasons why they 
choose to leave the teaching profession. 
(3) Teachers and principals working for low-in-
come local educational agencies are increasingly 
tasked with addressing not only the academic needs 
of a child, but also the social, emotional, and behav-
ioral needs of a child that require the services of a 
school counselor, school social worker, and school 
psychologist, and these needs often interfere with de-
livering quality instruction and raising student 
achievement. 
(4) Rates of abuse and neglect of young chil-
dren in military families have doubled with the in-
creased military involvement of the United States 
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abroad since October 2002; likewise, adolescents 
with deployed parents report increased perceptions 
of uncertainty and loss, role ambiguity, negative 
changes in mental and behavioral health, and in-
creased relationship conflict, raising concerns about 
the impact of deployment on military personnel and 
their families and whether schools that serve a large 
number of children with deployed parents have suffi-
cient staff and expertise to meet these challenges. 
(5) Children of military families in rural com-
munities are often geographically isolated, and 
schools that were already experiencing understaffing 
of school counselors, school social workers, and 
school psychologists face even greater challenges 
meeting the increased needs of students enduring 
the stress that comes along with having a deployed 
parent or parents. 
(6) Schools served by low-income local edu-
cational agencies suffer disproportionately from a 
lack of services, with many schools sharing a single 
school counselor, school social worker, or school psy-
chologist with neighboring schools. 
(7) Too few school counselors, school social 
workers, and school psychologists per student means 
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that such personnel are often unable to effectively 
address the needs of students. 
(8) The American School Counselor Association 
and American Counseling Association recommend 
having at least 1 school counselor for every 250 stu-
dents. 
(9) The School Social Work Association of 
America recommends having at least 1 school social 
worker for every 400 students. 
(10) The National Association of School Psy-
chologists recommends having at least 1 school psy-
chologist for every 1,000 students. 
SEC. 3. PURPOSE. 
The purpose of this Act is to increase the recruitment 
and retention of school counselors, school social workers, 
and school psychologists by low-income local educational 
agencies in order to— 
(1) support all students who are at risk of neg-
ative educational outcomes; 
(2) improve student achievement, which may be 
measured by growth in academic achievement on 
tests required by the applicable State educational 
agency, persistence rates, graduation rates, and 
other appropriate measures; 
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(3) improve retention of teachers who are high-
ly qualified; 
(4) increase and improve outreach and collabo-
ration between school counselors, school social work-
ers, and school psychologists and parents and fami-
lies served by low-income local educational agencies; 
(5) increase and improve collaboration among 
teachers, principals, school counselors, school social 
workers, and school psychologists and improve pro-
fessional development opportunities for teachers and 
principals in the area of strategies related to improv-
ing classroom climate and classroom management; 
and 
(6) improve working conditions for all school 
personnel. 
SEC. 4. GRANT PROGRAM TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF 
SCHOOL 
COUNSELORS, 
SCHOOL 
SOCIAL 
WORKERS, AND SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS EM-
PLOYED 
BY 
LOW-INCOME 
LOCAL 
EDU-
CATIONAL AGENCIES. 
(a) GRANT PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary 
of Education (hereafter the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall award 
grants on a competitive basis to eligible partnerships that 
receive recommendations from the peer review panel estab-
lished under subsection (d) to enable such partnerships 
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to carry out pipeline programs to increase the number of 
school counselors, school social workers, and school psy-
chologists employed by low-income local educational agen-
cies by carrying out any of the activities described by sub-
section (g). 
(b) GRANT PERIOD.—A grant awarded under this 
section shall be for a 5-year period and may be renewed 
for additional 5-year periods upon a showing of adequate 
progress, as the Secretary determines appropriate. 
(c) APPLICATION.—To be eligible to receive a grant 
under this section, an eligible graduate institution, on be-
half of an eligible partnership, shall submit to the Sec-
retary a grant application, including— 
(1) an assessment of the existing ratios of 
school counselors, school social workers, and school 
psychologists to students enrolled in schools in each 
low-income local educational agency that is part of 
the eligible partnership; and 
(2) a detailed description of— 
(A) a plan to carry out a pipeline program 
to train, place, and retain school counselors, 
school social workers, or school psychologists, or 
any combination thereof, as applicable, in low- 
income local educational agencies; and 
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(B) the proposed allocation and use of 
grant funds to carry out activities described by 
subsection (g). 
(d) PEER REVIEW PANEL.— 
(1) ESTABLISHMENT
OF
PANEL.—The Sec-
retary shall establish a peer review panel to evaluate 
applications for grants under subsection (c) and 
make recommendations to the Secretary regarding 
such applications. 
(2) EVALUATION OF APPLICATIONS.—In mak-
ing its recommendations, the peer review panel shall 
take into account the purpose of this Act and the 
application requirements under subsection (c), in-
cluding the quality of the proposed pipeline program. 
(3) RECOMMENDATION OF PANEL.—The Sec-
retary may award grants under this section only to 
eligible partnerships whose applications receive a 
recommendation from the peer review panel. 
(4) MEMBERSHIP OF PANEL.—The peer review 
panel shall include at a minimum the following 
members: 
(A) One tenured or tenure track faculty 
member at an institution of higher education 
with a current appointment to teach courses in 
the subject area of school counselor education. 
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(B) One tenured or tenure track faculty 
member at an institution of higher education 
with a current appointment to teach courses in 
the subject area of school social worker edu-
cation. 
(C) One tenured or tenure track faculty 
member at an institution of higher education 
with a current appointment to teach courses in 
the subject area of school psychology education. 
(D) One tenured or tenure track faculty 
member at an institution of higher education 
with a current appointment to teach courses in 
the subject area of teacher education. 
(E) One individual with expertise in school 
counseling who works or has worked in public 
schools. 
(F) One individual with expertise in school 
social work who works or has worked in public 
schools. 
(G) One individual with expertise in school 
psychology who works or has worked in public 
schools. 
(H) One administrator who works or has 
worked for a low-income local educational agen-
cy. 
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(I) One highly qualified teacher who has 
substantial experience working for a low-income 
local educational agency. 
(e) DISTRIBUTION OF GRANTS.—From among the 
applications receiving a recommendation by the peer re-
view panel, the Secretary shall— 
(1) award the first 5 grants to eligible partner-
ships from 5 different States; 
(2) to the extent practicable, distribute grants 
equitably among eligible partnerships that propose 
to train graduate students in each of the three pro-
fessions of school counseling, school social work, and 
school psychology; and 
(3) to the extent practicable, equitably dis-
tribute the grants among eligible partnerships that 
include an urban low-income local educational agen-
cy and partnerships that include a rural low-income 
local educational agency, with a minimum of 16.3 
percent of the funds (representing the percent of 
low-income children served by rural local educational 
agencies according to the United States Bureau of 
Census Small Area Income Poverty Estimates, 
2006) awarded to eligible partnerships that include 
a rural low-income local educational agency. 
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(f) PRIORITY.—The Secretary shall give priority to 
eligible partnerships that— 
(1) propose to use the grant funds to carry out 
the activities described under paragraphs (1) 
through (3) of subsection (g) in schools that have 
higher numbers or percentages of low-income stu-
dents and students not meeting the proficient level 
of achievement (as described by section 1111 of the 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 6311)) in comparison to other schools 
that are served by the low-income local educational 
agency that is part of the eligible partnership; 
(2) include a low-income local educational agen-
cy that has fewer school counselors, school social 
workers, and school psychologists per student than 
other eligible partnerships; and 
(3) include one or more eligible graduate insti-
tutions that offer graduate programs in the greatest 
number of the following areas: 
(A) school counseling; 
(B) school social work; and 
(C) school psychology. 
(g) USE OF GRANT FUNDS.—Grant funds awarded 
under this section may be used— 
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(1) to pay the administrative costs (including 
supplies, office and classroom space, supervision, 
mentoring, and transportation stipends as necessary 
and appropriate) related to— 
(A) having graduate students of school 
counseling, school social work, and school psy-
chology placed in schools served by partici-
pating low-income local educational agencies to 
complete required field work, credit hours, in-
ternships, or related training as applicable for 
the degree, license, or credential program of 
each such student; and 
(B) offering required graduate course work 
for graduate students of school counseling, 
school social work, and school psychology on the 
site of a participating low-income local edu-
cational agency; 
(2) for not more than the first 3 years after 
participating graduates receive a masters or other 
graduate degree or obtain a State license or creden-
tial in school counseling, school social work, or 
school psychology, to hire and pay all or part of the 
salaries of such participating graduates to work as 
school counselors, school social workers, and school 
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psychologists in schools served by participating low- 
income local educational agencies; 
(3) to increase the number of school counselors, 
school social workers, and school psychologists per 
student in schools served by participating low-income 
local educational agencies to work towards the stu-
dent support personnel target ratios; 
(4) to recruit, hire, and pay faculty as nec-
essary to increase the capacity of a participating eli-
gible graduate institution to train graduate students 
in the fields of school counseling, school social work, 
and school psychology; 
(5) to develop course work that will— 
(A) encourage a commitment by graduate 
students in school counseling, school social 
work, or school psychology to work for low-in-
come local educational agencies; 
(B) give participating graduates the knowl-
edge and skill sets necessary to meet the needs 
of— 
(i) students and families served by 
low-income local educational agencies; and 
(ii) 
teachers, 
administrators, 
and 
other staff who work for low-income local 
educational agencies; and 
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(C) enable participating graduates to meet 
the unique needs of students at-risk of negative 
educational outcomes, including students who— 
(i) are English language learners; 
(ii) have a parent or caregiver who is 
a migrant worker; 
(iii) have a parent or caregiver who is 
a member of the Armed Forces or Na-
tional Guard who has been deployed or re-
turned from deployment; 
(iv) are homeless, including unaccom-
panied youth; 
(v) are foster youth; 
(vi) have been adjudicated by the 
adult or juvenile criminal justice system; 
and 
(vii) have been identified as eligible 
for services under the Individuals with Dis-
abilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1400 et 
seq.) or the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 
U.S.C. 701 et seq.); 
(6) to provide tuition credits to graduate stu-
dents participating in the program; 
(7) for student loan forgiveness for partici-
pating graduates who are employed as school coun-
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selors, school social workers, or school psychologists 
by participating low-income local educational agen-
cies for a minimum of 5 consecutive years; and 
(8) for similar activities to fulfill the purpose of 
this Act, as the Secretary determines appropriate. 
(h) SUPPLEMENT NOT SUPPLANT.—Funds made 
available under this section shall be used to supplement, 
not supplant, Federal, State, or local funds for the activi-
ties described in subsection (g). 
(i) REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.—Each eligible part-
nership that receives a grant under this section shall sub-
mit an annual report to the Secretary on the progress of 
such partnership in carrying out the purpose of this Act. 
Such report shall include a description of— 
(1) actual service delivery provided through 
grant funds including— 
(A) characteristics of the participating eli-
gible graduate institution, including descriptive 
information on the model used and actual pro-
gram performance; 
(B) characteristics of graduate students 
participating in the program, including per-
formance on any tests required by the State 
educational agency for credentialing or licens-
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(4) the effectiveness of any training and ongo-
ing professional development provided— 
(A) to students and faculty in the appro-
priate departments or schools of the partici-
pating eligible graduate institution; 
(B) to the faculty, administration, and 
staff of the participating low-income local edu-
cational agency; and 
(C) to the broader community of providers 
of social, emotional, behavioral, and related 
support to students and to those who train such 
providers. 
(j) EVALUATIONS.— 
(1) INTERIM
EVALUATIONS.—The Secretary 
may conduct interim evaluations to determine 
whether each eligible partnership receiving a grant is 
making adequate progress as the Secretary considers 
appropriate. The contents of the annual report sub-
mitted to the Secretary under subsection (i) may be 
used by the Secretary to determine whether an eligi-
ble partnership receiving a grant is demonstrating 
adequate progress. 
(2) FINAL EVALUATION.—The Secretary shall 
conduct a final evaluation to— 
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(A) determine the effectiveness of the 
grant program in carrying out the purpose of 
this Act; and 
(B) compare the relative effectiveness of 
each of the various activities described by sub-
section (g) for which grant funds may be used. 
(k) REPORT.—Not sooner than 5 years nor later than 
6 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary shall submit to Congress a report containing the 
findings of the evaluation conducted under subsection 
(j)(2), and such recommendations as the Secretary con-
siders appropriate. 
(l) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 
(1) There is authorized to be appropriated to 
carry out this section $30,000,000 for each of the 
fiscal years 2009 to 2019. 
(2) From the total amount appropriated to 
carry out this section each fiscal year, the Secretary 
shall reserve not more than 3 percent of that appro-
priation for evaluations under subsection (j). 
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SEC. 5. STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS FOR INDIVIDUALS 
WHO ARE EMPLOYED FOR 5 OR MORE CON-
SECUTIVE SCHOOL YEARS AS SCHOOL COUN-
SELORS, SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS, SCHOOL 
PSYCHOLOGISTS, OR OTHER QUALIFIED PSY-
CHOLOGISTS OR PSYCHIATRISTS BY LOW-IN-
COME LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.—The Secretary 
shall establish a program to provide student loan forgive-
ness to individuals who are not and have never been par-
ticipants in the grant program established under section 
4 and who have been employed for 5 or more consecutive 
school years as school counselors, school social workers, 
school psychologists, other qualified psychologists, or child 
and adolescent psychiatrists by low-income local edu-
cational agencies. 
(b) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary such 
sums as may be necessary to carry out the program under 
this section. 
SEC. 6. FUTURE DESIGNATION STUDY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall conduct a 
study to identify a formula for future designation of re-
gions with a shortage of school counselors, school social 
workers, and school psychologists to use in implementing 
grant programs and other programs such as the programs 
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established under this Act or for other purposes related 
to any such designation, based on the latest available data 
on— 
(1) the number of residents under the age of 18 
in an area served by a low-income local educational 
agency; 
(2) the percentage of the population of an area 
served by a low-income local educational agency with 
incomes below the poverty line; 
(3) the percentage of residents age 18 or above 
in an area served by a low-income local educational 
agency with high school diplomas; 
(4) the percentage of students identified as eli-
gible for special education services in an area served 
by a low-income local educational agency; 
(5) the youth crime rate in an area served by 
a low-income local educational agency; 
(6) the current number of full-time-equivalent 
and active school counselors, school social workers, 
and school psychologists employed by a low-income 
educational agency; and 
(7) such other criteria as the Secretary con-
siders appropriate. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to 
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Congress a report containing the findings of the study 
conducted under subsection (a). 
SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) The terms ‘‘child and adolescent psychia-
trist’’, ‘‘school counselor’’, ‘‘school psychologist’’, 
‘‘school social worker’’, and ‘‘other qualified psychol-
ogist’’ have the meaning given the terms in section 
5421 of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7245). 
(2) The terms ‘‘State educational agency’’, 
‘‘local educational agency’’, and ‘‘highly qualified’’ 
have the meaning given the terms in section 9101 of 
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 
(3) The term ‘‘low-income local educational 
agency’’ means a local educational agency— 
(A) in which not less than 20 percent of 
the students served by such agency are from 
families with incomes below the poverty line as 
determined by the Bureau of the Census on the 
basis of the most recent satisfactory data avail-
able; 
(B) that has existing ratios of school coun-
selors, school social workers, and school psy-
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chologists to students served by the partici-
pating low-income local educational agency 
which fall at least 10 percent below the student 
support personnel target ratios, meaning such 
low-income local educational agency has no 
more than one counselor per 277 students, no 
more than one school psychologist per 1111 
students, and no more than one school social 
worker per 444 students; and 
(C) that has been identified for improve-
ment or corrective action (as described by sec-
tion 1116 of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6316)) or 
that includes at least one school that has been 
identified for school improvement, corrective ac-
tion, or restructuring (as described by section 
1116 of such Act). 
(4) The term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ 
has the meaning given such term in section 102 of 
the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1002), but excludes any institution of higher edu-
cation described in section 102(a)(1)(C) of such Act. 
(5) The term ‘‘eligible graduate institution’’ 
means an institution of higher education that offers 
a nationally recognized by the National Association 
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