Timetable Slips for School Counseling Grants!

Applications Not Available Until End of March/Early April

Not unexpectedly, the U.S. Department of Education has been unable to meet its ambitious timetable for disseminating applications for the Elementary School Counseling Demonstration (ESCD) grants. In a meeting with the Department's grant administrators yesterday, NASW learned that the new projected timetable is as follows.

• APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE: End of March or Early April 2000.
• APPLICATIONS DUE: June 1, 2000 or 60 days after applications are available.
• AWARDS MADE: End of July 2000.

To be placed on the Department's mailing list for application packages, please send an e-mail to: Loretta_Riggans@ed.gov. Be sure to include your name and mailing address.

When available, the application will be posed on NASW's website: www.socialworkers.org/sections/ssw and the website for the Department's Safe and Drug Free Schools (SDFS) program: www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/SDFS.

Approximately 60 grants will be awarded to "local educational agencies" only. If you are interested in applying, it is not too early to begin discussions with your district school administrators. In general, applications must include the following:

• Description of the elementary school population to be targeted by the program, the particular personal, social, emotional, educational, and career development needs of such population, and the current school counseling resources available for meeting such needs;
• Description of the activities, services, and training to be provided by the program and the specific approaches to be used to meet the needs;
• Description of the methods to be used to evaluate the outcomes and effectiveness of the program;
• Description of the collaborative efforts to be undertaken with institutions of higher education, businesses, labor organizations, community groups, social service agencies, and other public or private entities to enhance the program and promote school-linked services integration;
• Description of collaborative efforts with institutions of higher education which specifically seek to enhance or improve graduate programs specializing in the preparation of elementary school counselors, school psychologists, and school social workers;
• Documentation that the applicant has the personnel qualified to develop, implement, and administer the program;
• Description of how any diverse cultural populations, if applicable, would be served through the program;
• Assurance that the funds made available will be used to supplement, not supplant funds that would otherwise be available from non-Federal sources for the program; and
• Assurance that the applicant will appoint an advisory board composed of parents, school counselors, school psychologists, school social workers, other pupil services personnel, teachers, school administrators, and community leaders to advise the local educational agency on the design and implementation of the program.

For more information on the grant requirements, please see NASW's website: www.socialworkers.org/sections/ssw/legislative.

GRANT REVIEWERS NEEDED

In addition to developing the grant application, the Department is preparing a one-page application for potential grant reviewers. Department staff is looking for approximately 90 reviewers, with at least 30 having direct experience in school counseling. When available, the application and other particulars will be posted on NASW's website and the Safe and Drug Free Schools website (see addresses above). The bulk, if not all, of the review work will be done via e-mail and conference call. Reviews will be expected to be completed within a two-week time frame. If you are interested, please express that interest via e-mail to: Loretta_Riggans@ed.gov.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

NASW has received word that the reauthorization of the Elementary School Counseling Demonstration (ESCD) program has been saved in the Senate! We have not seen anything in writing yet, but Majority Staff for the Senate's Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee said to "Call off the dogs!" -- that they would reverse their decision to eliminate the ESCD and instead, include the 1994 version of the program in the Committee's draft bill.

Another victory for school social work! Thanks to all who responded to NASW's CALL TO ACTION! Your phone calls made a difference!

NASW is continuing to work with Senator Harkin (D-IA) to convince the HELP Committee to expand the counseling program to secondary schools (the 1994 version of the ESCD only includes elementary schools) and increase its funding authorization to $100 million.

ACTION NEEDED: If you have not yet called the Committee, call and thank them for agreeing to include the 1994 version of the ESCD in the draft bill, but urge them to add the expansion to secondary schools included in Senator Harkin's Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Improvement Act (S. 1443). (See www.socialworkers.org/sections/ssw/legislative -- January 28, 2000 Update for more information and telephone numbers.)