Counseling for Career Choice Act

Counseling for Career Choice Act

Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to award competitive establishment grants to states to develop and implement comprehensive school career counseling programs that provide students with effective postsecondary education planning and career guidance services.

Requires each program to be aligned with a statewide counseling framework that: (1) encompasses grades 6 through 12 and postsecondary education; and (2) is developed in consultation with, or exists with the support of, at least five stakeholders that include at least one business or industry and at least one local educational agency (LEA) or secondary school.

Requires establishment grant funds to be used to:

• train and hire school counselors;
• identify regional workforce trends and postsecondary options available in the state;
• establish, improve, or coordinate postsecondary opportunities;
• recommend curricular improvements to better align curricula with workforce trends and available postsecondary opportunities;
• establish partnerships with American Job Centers; and
• leverage the resources and emerging technologies being developed by stakeholders to support the counseling framework.

Allows states to carry out program activities directly or through competitive subgrants to LEAs, or consortia consisting of an LEA, and one or more LEAs, educational service agencies, tribal organizations, postsecondary institutions, or nonprofit organizations with expertise in counseling or career and technical education.

Directs the Secretary to reserve at least 10%, but no more than 20%, of the amount appropriated for this Act's counseling program to award competitive capacity-building grants to states that do not receive an establishment grant.