2010 Arkansas Code
Title 6 - Education
Subtitle 2 - Elementary And Secondary Education Generally
Chapter 18 - Students
Subchapter 10 - Public School Student Services Act
§ 6-18-1005 - Student services program defined.

6-18-1005. Student services program defined.

(a) "Student services program" means a coordinated effort, which shall include, but is not limited to:

(1) Guidance and counseling services, which shall include, but are not limited to:

(A) The availability of individual and group counseling to all students;

(B) Orientation programs for new students at each level of education and for transferring students;

(C) Academic advisement for class selection by establishing academic goals in elementary, middle, and high school;

(D) Consultation with parents, faculty, and out-of-school agencies concerning student problems and needs;

(E) Utilization of student records and files;

(F) Interpretation of augmented, criterion-referenced, or norm-referenced assessments and dissemination of results to the school, students, parents, and community;

(G) The following up of early school dropouts and graduates;

(H) A school-initiated system of parental involvement;

(I) An organized system of informational resources on which to base educational and vocational decision making;

(J) Educational, academic assessment, and career counseling, including advising students on the national college assessments, workforce opportunities, and alternative programs that could provide successful high school completion and postsecondary opportunities for students;

(K) Coordinating administration of the Test for Adult Basic Education or the General Educational Development pretest to students by designating appropriate personnel, other than the school guidance counselor, to administer the tests;

(L) Classroom guidance, which shall be limited to forty-minute class sessions, not to exceed three (3) per day or ten (10) per week; and

(M) Guidance in understanding the relationship between classroom performance and success in school;

(2) Psychological services, which shall include, but are not limited to, the following:

(A) Evaluation of students with learning or adjustment problems;

(B) Evaluation of students in exceptional child education programs;

(C) Consultation and counseling with parents, students, and school personnel to ensure that all students are ready to succeed and that all students are preparing for college and work;

(D) A system for the early identification of learning potential and factors that affect the child's educational performance;

(E) A system of liaison and referrals, with resources available outside the school; and

(F) Written policies that assure ethical procedures in psychological activities;

(3) Visiting teacher and school social work services, which shall include, but are not limited to, the following:

(A) Providing casework to assist in the prevention and remediation of problems of attendance, behavior, adjustment, and learning; and

(B) Serving as liaison between the home and school by making home visits and referring students and parents to appropriate school and community agencies for assistance;

(4) Career services, which shall include, but are not limited to, the dissemination of career education information, appropriate course-taking patterns, and the effect of taking more rigorous courses so that students are better prepared for college and work success;

(5) Group conflict resolution services, which shall include, but are not limited to, the following:

(A) Educational and social programs that help students develop skills enabling them to resolve differences and conflicts between groups;

(B) Programs designed to promote understanding, positive communication, and greater utilization of a race relations specialist or human relations specialist to assist in the development of intergroup skills; and

(C) Programs designed to prevent bullying;

(6) Health services, which shall include, but are not limited to, the following:

(A) Students with special health care needs, including the chronically ill, medically fragile, and technology-dependent, and students with other health impairments shall have individualized health care plans;

(B) (i) Invasive medical procedures required by students and provided at the school shall be performed by trained, licensed personnel who are licensed to perform the task subject to 17-87-102(6)(D) or other professional licensure statutes.

(ii) The regular classroom teacher shall not perform these tasks; and

(C) Custodial health care services required by students under individualized health care plans shall be provided by trained school employees other than the regular classroom teachers; and

(7) The distribution of a suicide prevention public awareness program developed for distribution by the Arkansas Youth Suicide Prevention Task Force.

(b) School counselors shall spend at least seventy-five percent (75%) of work time each week providing direct counseling related to students and shall devote no more than twenty-five percent (25%) of work time each week to administrative activities provided that the activities relate to the provision of guidance services.