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PRINTER'S NO. 2066
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No.
1271
Session of
2018
INTRODUCED BY HUGHES, BROWNE, STREET, TARTAGLIONE, FONTANA,
SCHWANK, COSTA, BLAKE, RAFFERTY AND FARNESE, OCTOBER 2, 2018
REFERRED TO EDUCATION, OCTOBER 2, 2018
AN ACT
Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
act relating to the public school system, including certain
provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
laws relating thereto," in school directors, further
providing for school director training programs; in
certification of teachers, further providing for continuing
professional development, providing for trauma-informed
education and further providing for postbaccalaureate
certification and Pennsylvania School Leadership Standards;
in school safety and security, further providing for school
safety and security coordinator and for school safety and
security training; in early learning programs, further
providing for definitions and for duties of department; and,
in the State Board of Education, further providing for
definitions, for powers and duties of the board and for
powers and duties of Council of Basic Education and Council
of Higher Education.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 328(a)(1), (2), (b)(1) and (2) of the act
of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School
Code of 1949, added November 6, 2017 (P.L.1142, No.55), are
amended to read:
Section 328. School Director Training Programs.--(a)
Beginning in the 2018-2019 school year and in each school year
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thereafter, the following shall apply:
(1) Each newly elected or appointed school director shall
complete, during the first year of the school director's first
term, a training program made available by the Department of
Education, in consultation with a Statewide organization
representing school directors and a Statewide organization
representing school business officials, pertaining to the skills
and knowledge necessary to serve as a school director. The
training program shall consist of a minimum of [four (4)] five
(5) hours of instruction, including, at a minimum, information
regarding the following:
(i) Instruction and academic programs.
(i.1) A minimum of one (1) hour of instruction shall focus
on best practices related to trauma-informed approaches to
education as defined in section 1205.7(b).
(ii) Personnel.
(iii) Fiscal management.
(iv) Operations.
(v) Governance.
(vi) Ethics and open meetings, to include the requirements
under 65 Pa.C.S. Pt. II (relating to accountability).
(2) Within one (1) year after each reelection or
reappointment to the board of school directors, each school
director shall complete an advanced training program made
available by the Department of Education in consultation with a
Statewide organization representing school directors and a
Statewide organization representing school business officials.
The advanced training program shall consist of a minimum of [two
(2)] three (3) hours of instruction, including information on
relevant changes to Federal and State public school law and
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regulations, fiscal management, trauma-informed approaches to
education and other information deemed appropriate by the
Department of Education to enable the school director to serve
effectively.
* * *
(b) Beginning in the 2018-2019 school year, and in each
school year thereafter, the following shall apply:
(1) Each newly appointed trustee of a charter school entity
shall complete, within the trustee's first year of service, a
training program made available by the Department of Education,
in consultation with Statewide organizations representing
charter school entities, pertaining to the skills and knowledge
necessary to serve as a charter school entity trustee. The
training program shall consist of a minimum of [four (4)] five
(5) hours of instruction, including, at a minimum, the
information listed in subsection (a)(1) and information
concerning Article XVII-A.
(2) During the fifth year of a trustee's service on the
board of trustees and every four (4) years thereafter, each
trustee shall complete an advanced training program made
available by the Department of Education in consultation with
Statewide organizations representing charter school entities.
The advanced training program shall consist of a minimum of [two
(2)] three (3) hours of instruction, including information on
relevant changes to Federal and State public school law and
regulations, including Article XVII-A, fiscal management,
trauma-informed approaches to education and other information
deemed appropriate by the Department of Education to enable the
trustee to serve effectively.
* * *
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Section 2. Section 1205.1 of the act is amended by adding a
subsection to read:
Section 1205.1. Continuing Professional Development.--* * *
(b.1) The professional education plan of each school entity
shall include a minimum of one (1) hour of required training in
trauma-informed approaches to education as defined in section
1205.7(b).
* * *
Section 3. The act is amended by adding a section to read:
Section 1205.7. Trauma-Informed Education.--(a) School
entities shall provide school employes with training on trauma-
informed approaches to education. The following apply:
(1) Training shall address, but shall not be limited to, the
following topics:
(i) Recognition of the signs of trauma in students.
(ii) Best practices for trauma-informed schools and
classrooms, including utilization of multi-tiered systems of
support.
(iii) The school entity's policies related to trauma-
informed education, which may include policies related to
schoolwide positive behavior supports, restorative justice and
resiliency.
(2) Training shall be evidence-based and reflect current
best practices related to trauma-informed approaches to
education.
(3) School employes shall complete a minimum of one (1) hour
of training annually.
(4) School employes required to undergo continuing
professional education under section 1205.2 or 1205.5 shall
receive credit toward their continuing professional education
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requirements if the training program has been approved by the
Department of Education.
(5) The school entity shall make a reasonable effort to
facilitate a time and location for school employes under this
section to participate in the training during paid working hours
or in-service training.
(b) As used in this section, the following words and phrases
shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection:
"Evidence-based" shall have the meaning given in section
8101(21) of the Every Student Succeeds Act (Public Law 114-95,
129 Stat. 1802).
"School employe" shall have the meaning given in section
1101(1).
"School entity" shall mean a public school, including a
school district, charter school, cyber charter school, multiple
charter school organizations, regional charter school,
intermediate unit or area vocational-technical school, a private
school or a nonpublic school.
"Trauma" shall include results from an event, series of
events or set of circumstances that is experienced by an
individual as physically or emotionally harmful or threatening
and that has lasting adverse effects on the individual's
functioning and physical, social, emotional or spiritual well-
being.
"Trauma-informed approach" shall mean an approach to
education that recognizes the signs and symptoms of trauma in
students, families and staff and responds by fully integrating
knowledge about trauma into policies, procedures and practices
for the purposes of recognizing the presence and onset of
trauma, resisting the reoccurrence of trauma and promoting
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resiliency.
Section 4. Section 1207.1(a)(3)(i) of the act is amended by
adding a clause to read:
Section 1207.1. Postbaccalaureate Certification.--(a)
Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the
Secretary of Education shall have all of the following powers
and duties with regard to postbaccalaureate certification
programs:
* * *
(3) Develop guidelines for the approval of flexible
postbaccalaureate instructional certification programs. Such
program guidelines shall address:
(i) Instruction and training in the following:
* * *
(H) Trauma-informed approaches to education as defined in
section 1205.7(b).
* * *
Section 5. Section 1217(a)(1) of the act is amended by
adding a subparagraph to read:
Section 1217. Pennsylvania School Leadership Standards.--(a)
Programs provided under section 1205.5(c) and (d) to prepare
school or system leaders and for purposes of issuing
administrator certificates or letters of eligibility and
approved programs for the induction and continuing professional
education of school or system leaders shall address:
(1) The following core standards:
* * *
(iv) Understanding the impact of trauma on a child's
educational experience and applying trauma-informed approaches
to education to inform decision-making at all levels of the
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system.
* * *
Section 6. Section 1309-B(c)(2) and 1310-B(1) of the act,
added June 22, 2018 (P.L.327, No.44), are amended to read:
Section 1309-B. School safety and security coordinator.
* * *
(c) Specific duties.--The school safety and security
coordinator shall:
* * *
(2) Coordinate training and resources for students and
school entity staff in matters relating to situational
awareness, trauma-informed [education awareness,] approaches
to educational awareness as defined in section 1205.7(b),
behavioral health awareness, suicide and bullying awareness,
substance abuse awareness and emergency procedures and
training drills, including fire, natural disaster, active
shooter, hostage situation and bomb threat.
* * *
Section 1310-B. School safety and security training.
School entities shall provide their employees with mandatory
training on school safety and security subject to the following:
(1) Training shall address the following:
(i) Situational awareness.
(ii) Trauma-informed [education awareness.]
approaches to educational awareness as defined in section
1205.7(b).
(iii) Behavioral health awareness.
(iv) Suicide and bullying awareness.
(v) Substance use awareness.
(vi) Emergency training drills, including fire,
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natural disaster, active shooter, hostage situation and
bomb threat.
* * *
Section 7. Section 1511-D of the act is amended by adding a
definition to read:
Section 1511-D. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this subarticle
shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
* * *
"Trauma-informed approach." As defined in section 1205.7(b).
Section 8. Section 1513-D of the act is amended by adding a
paragraph to read:
Section 1513-D. Duties of department.
The department shall have the following powers and duties:
* * *
(8) To encourage the integration of trauma-informed
approaches to education as defined in section 1205.7(b) into
the program curriculum and the professional development of
personnel of the eligible provider who have regular contact
with children.
Section 9. Sections 2601-B and 2603-B(d) of the act are
amended by adding clauses to read:
Section 2601-B. Definitions.--When used in this article the
following words and phrases shall have the following meanings:
* * *
(3) "Trauma-informed approach" shall have the same
definition as under section 1205.7(b).
Section 2603-B. Powers and Duties of the Board.--* * *
(d) The board shall also have the authority and duty to:
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* * *
(9.1) Adopt policies encouraging the inclusion of trauma-
informed approaches to education, as defined in section
1205.7(b), in the curriculum of programs of professional
education in all public and private institutions of higher
education in this Commonwealth issuing degrees to persons who
may desire to teach in the schools of this Commonwealth.
* * *
Section 10. Section 2604-B(b)(2)(vii) and (viii) are amended
and subsection (b)(2) is amended by adding a subclause to read:
Section 2604-B. Powers and Duties of Council of Basic
Education and Council of Higher Education.--* * *
(b) The Council of Basic Education shall have the power, and
its duty shall be to:
* * *
(2) investigate programs, conduct research studies and
formulate policy proposals in all educational areas not within
the purview of higher education, including, but not limited to:
* * *
(vii) the subjects to be taught and the activities to be
conducted in elementary, secondary, adult education and other
schools; [and]
(viii) the qualifications for employment of professional
personnel in the public schools; and
(ix) the education and training of children impacted by
trauma as defined in section 1205.7;
* * *
Section 11. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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