0001|                       HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 25
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0002|     43RD LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - SECOND SESSION, 1998
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0003|                            INTRODUCED BY
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0004|                            DANICE PICRAUX
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0005|     
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0006|                                   
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0007|                                   
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0008|     
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0009|     
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0010|                           A JOINT MEMORIAL
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0011|     REQUESTING THE LEGISLATIVE EDUCATION STUDY COMMITTEE TO STUDY
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0012|     COUNSELING PROGRAMS ON THE MIDDLE, JUNIOR AND HIGH SCHOOL
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0013|     LEVELS.
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0014|     
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0015|          WHEREAS, school children are being subjected to social
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0016|     stresses, including family fragmentation, substance abuse,
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0017|     child abuse, poverty and violence; and
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0018|          WHEREAS, children may exhibit barriers to learning, such
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0019|     as emotional disorders, underachievement, disruptive behavior,
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0020|     juvenile delinquency and withdrawal; and
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0021|          WHEREAS, school dropouts, gang members, pregnant teens
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0022|     and substance-abusing youth pose significant social problems;
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0023|     and
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0024|          WHEREAS, counseling provided by public schools can reduce
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0025|     drug abuse, dropout rates, teen suicide, unemployment and
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0001|     incarceration; and
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0002|          WHEREAS, school counseling addresses the barriers to
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0003|     learning and contributes to students' success by positively
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0004|     affecting the school environment, student self-discipline,
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0005|     attendance and academic achievement; and
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0006|          WHEREAS, state policy to reduce social problems and crime
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0007|     can be served by enhancing the availability and quality of
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0008|     public school counseling programs;
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0009|          NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE
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0010|     STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the legislative education study
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0011|     committee be requested to study school counseling programs at
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0012|     the middle, junior and high school levels to augment the
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0013|     committee's 1994 study of elementary school counseling
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0014|     programs and that it include information on national
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0015|     counselor-student ratios; national and state standards for
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0016|     counseling programs and staff; and community, parent and
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0017|     student expectations; and
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0018|          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the legislative education
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0019|     study committee review the impact of the school funding
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0020|     formula on K-12 counseling programs in each school district;
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0021|     and
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0022|          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the legislative education
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0023|     study committee report its findings and recommendations to the
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0024|     legislature by December 1, 1998; and
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0025|          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be
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0001|     transmitted to the director of the legislative education study
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0002|     committee and to the superintendents of each school district.
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0003|                              
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