Each school shall offer student counseling services concerned with physical, social, emotional, intellectual, and vocational growth for each individual. Counseling services shall be included in a school-wide assessment program.

(a) Each Agency and Area, as appropriate, shall institute and supervise an assessment program for its schools in order to provide for the objective assessment of student academic performance. Required formal tests shall be administered annually to all regular program students in grades 4, 8, and 12. (The testing of special education and gifted/talented students shall be in accordance with respective regulations.) If required by state certification standards, schools may use the state mandated academic achievement tests and accompanying requirements. These formal tests and their subtest contents, as well as the test-related procedures, shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

(1) Each Spring, schools shall conduct testing for grades 4, 8, and 12 using a current version of a standardized academic achievement test based upon the national assessment standards designed to assess higher order thinking skills. All schools shall keep a current record, with the Office of Indian Education Programs, of the test the school administers each Spring and the testing dates.

(2) Schools shall use some form of performance-based or authentic assessment in addition to standardized achievement testing.

(3) Each school shall report the summative results of its assessment program to its respective Agency or Area, as appropriate, and its school board.

(4) Parents/guardians shall be informed of their children's assessment results and provided with an explanation and interpretation to ensure adequate understanding of the results.

(5) Each school's instructional program shall establish an ongoing student academic assessment program to ensure that defined assessment procedures are in place. The program shall include regular training in basic assessment procedures and routines for all teachers and other staff involved in student assessment.

(6) Each Agency and Area, as appropriate, shall report the results of each school's formal Spring tests to the Office of Indian Education Programs by August 1 of each year. Summative information from performance-based and authentic assessments shall be reported at the same time.

(b) Each counseling program shall provide the following:

(1) Each school having a minimum school ADM of 200 students shall make provisions for the full-time professional services of a counselor, and each school enrolling fewer than 200 students shall make provisions for a part-time professional counselor.

(2) The counselors shall be familiar with the unique tribal, social, and economic characteristics of students.

(3) The counseling program shall contain the following:

(i) A written referral procedure;

(ii) Counseling techniques and documentation procedures to provide for the career, academic, social, and personal needs of the students which are based on the cultural beliefs and values of the students being served;

(iii) Preventative and crisis counseling on both individual and group bases;

(iv) Confidentiality and security of counseling records for each student; and

(v) Design and implementation of orientation programs to facilitate the pupil's transition from elementary to junior high/middle school and from junior high/middle school to high school.

(vi) Each junior or middle school and high school student shall receive academic counseling a minimum of twice yearly during which time the counselor shall assist the student in developing a written academic and career plan based on ability, aptitude, and interests. Additionally, counselors will assist high school students in selecting courses which satisfy the school's and the state's graduation requirements and the student's academic and career plan. Further, seniors will be given aid in completing registration and/or financial assistance applications for either vocational or academic post-secondary institutions.

(vii) Each high school counseling program shall be required to have on file for each student a planned academic program of studies which is available from the regular course offerings of the school to meet the student's career objectives and which will show that the student has received counseling.

[50 FR 36816, Sept. 9, 1985, as amended at 59 FR 61766, Dec. 1, 1994]