33-1212A. COLLEGE AND CAREER ADVISORS AND STUDENT MENTORS. (1) College and career advising and student mentoring is an essential component of students’ educational experience. Such advising and mentoring provide all students with an early opportunity to identify academic strengths, areas in need of improvement and areas of interest for the purpose of making informed choices and setting postsecondary education and career goals. The focus of college and career planning is to help students acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to achieve academic success and to be college and career ready upon high school graduation.

(2) School districts and charter schools may employ noncertificated staff to serve in the role of college and career advisors and student mentors. Appropriate alternative forms of advising and mentoring shall be research-based and may include the following:

(a) High contact programs such as:

(i) Near peer or college student mentors; and

(ii) Counselor, teacher or paraprofessional as advisor or mentor;

(b) Collaborative programs such as:

(i) Student ambassadors; and

(ii) Cooperative agreements with other school districts or postsecondary institutions; and

(c) Virtual coach or mentor programs.

(3) School districts and charter schools shall provide professional development in the area of college and career advising to all staff serving in the role of student mentors or advisors. All individuals providing services in the role of a college and career advisor must have a basic level of training or experience in the area of advising or mentoring to provide such services.

(4) School districts and charter schools shall develop a plan to deliver college and career advising to students in grades 8 through 12.

(5) School districts and charter schools shall notify parents or guardians of all students in grades 8 through 12 of the availability of college and career advising provided by the district and how to access such services.

(6) School districts and charter schools shall report annually on the effectiveness of their college and career advising programs as part of their annual continuous improvement plan. Reports shall include:

(a) The type of program being implemented; and

(b) Student outcomes indicating the effectiveness of the program.

(7) The state board of education shall promulgate rules to specify those student outcomes that can be used to satisfy the reporting requirement, as well as other rules necessary for the administration of this section.

History:

[33-1212A, added 2015, ch. 314, sec. 3, p. 1230; am. 2016, ch. 43, sec. 1, p. 93.]