Editorial: Giving enough guidance

Sunday, Oct. 14, 2007 | 1:29 a.m.

In an era of standardized testing, school counselors in Nevada became proctors, and counseling time was squeezed because of the number of tests.

The federal No Child Left Behind Act created so much testing that school have used counselors to coordinate the exams. That has left little time for counselors to address their already crowded schedules.

As Emily Richmond reported in Thursday's Las Vegas Sun, the average student-to-counselor ratio in the Clark County School District is 400-to-1. The recommendation by national counselor groups is 250-to-1.

The state Legislature took up the issue this year, noting that Nevada had poor graduation and dropout rates compared to other states.

"Every year we've given our counselors more duties, most related to testing," said Assemblywoman Bonnie Parnell, D-Carson City. "How can we expect our counselors to help students if we don't give them the time to do that?"

Willie Hutson, a guidance counselor at Sierra Vista High School, tried to work around his test-coordinating duties so he could still be available for students, but with counselors at his high school having an average of 429 students, that was difficult.

"You have to be there for them," Hutson said. "It might not be in the office. It might be in the halls between classes. You work it out."

Parnell sponsored a bill , which became law, that limits the amount of time counselors can spend handling tests. As well, the law requires individual counseling sessions for incoming ninth graders to set academic plans. Parents and students are required to sign off on those plans.

It is good that the Legislature passed such a bill. Students need help. The lack of guidance may be the difference between a student dropping out or succeeding. As well, counselors can help students find the right career path, whether college, a trade school or a job after graduation. Hopefully the new law will give the counselors the time to do what they were hired to do - guide students.