2014 – S 2864
Enacted 05/06/14
S E N A T E R E S O L U T I O N
Introduced By: Senators Picard, Pichardo, Cool Rumsey, Sheehan, and Cote
Date Introduced: April 09, 2014
WHEREAS, School counselors play a central role in promoting student achievement and supporting students as they consider their options for colleges and careers. These education professionals serve as key conduits of information regarding career exploration opportunities. They are natural collaborators who work well with agencies and organizations in the community to maximize students' chances for success; and
WHEREAS, School counselors must be prepared to respond to the needs of today's students, who now confront a challenging economy and careers that may span multiple disciplines. For many students, first-hand workplace experience in the form of internships and apprenticeships allows them to acquire job-embedded knowledge, develop insights into potential careers, and build essential soft skills; and
WHEREAS, The educator preparation programs at Rhode Island's institutions of higher education are responsible for providing school counselors with the coursework and training that will enable them to support a range of students, including those in career and technical schools and those who enter the workforce directly; and
WHEREAS, It is critical for school counselor preparation programs to ensure that their graduates understand the ways that internships and apprenticeships enhance classroom-based learning for K-12 students, and acquire practical knowledge of how to partner productively with businesses, non-profit organizations, and other entities from the community that can offer students extraordinary experiences; and
WHEREAS, The Rhode Island Senate’s recent report, The Rhode to Work, underscores the need for many more secondary students to have the opportunity to pursue internships and apprenticeships, to gain the skills they need to succeed in tomorrow’s workforce; and
WHEREAS, The new set of standards for educator preparation programs approved by the Board of Education at its November 13, 2013, meeting similarly highlight the need for educator preparation programs to get K-12 students career ready and to integrate Rhode Island initiatives; and
WHEREAS, The Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (RIDE) is scheduled to review school counselor preparation programs at institutions of higher education in the state; now, therefore be it
RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations hereby respectfully requests that the Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to include in its next round of school counselor program approval reviews a greater emphasis on strategies and skills in order to allow school counselors to more effectively support workforce readiness efforts in K-12 settings; and be it further
RESOLVED, That this Senate hereby further requests that the school counselor preparation programs in the state collaborate with RIDE to expand the learning opportunities for school counselors in training that center on workforce readiness; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the Chair of the Board of Education, the Commissioner of Education, the Dean of the School of Education at Rhode Island College, and the Dean of the School of Professional Studies at Providence College.
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LC004585
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