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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a trauma-informed care policy for school districts and |
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open-enrollment charter schools and training regarding the policy |
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for district and school employees. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 11.252(a), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) Each school district shall have a district improvement |
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plan that is developed, evaluated, and revised annually, in |
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accordance with district policy, by the superintendent with the |
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assistance of the district-level committee established under |
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Section 11.251. The purpose of the district improvement plan is to |
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guide district and campus staff in the improvement of student |
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performance for all student groups in order to attain state |
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standards in respect to the achievement indicators adopted under |
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Section 39.053(c). The district improvement plan must include |
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provisions for: |
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(1) a comprehensive needs assessment addressing |
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district student performance on the achievement indicators, and |
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other appropriate measures of performance, that are disaggregated |
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by all student groups served by the district, including categories |
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of ethnicity, socioeconomic status, sex, and populations served by |
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special programs, including students in special education programs |
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under Subchapter A, Chapter 29; |
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(2) measurable district performance objectives for |
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all appropriate achievement indicators for all student |
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populations, including students in special education programs |
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under Subchapter A, Chapter 29, and other measures of student |
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performance that may be identified through the comprehensive needs |
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assessment; |
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(3) strategies for improvement of student performance |
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that include: |
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(A) instructional methods for addressing the |
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needs of student groups not achieving their full potential; |
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(B) methods for addressing the needs of students |
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for special programs, including: |
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(i) suicide prevention programs, in |
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accordance with Subchapter O-1, Chapter 161, Health and Safety |
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Code, which includes a parental or guardian notification procedure; |
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(ii) conflict resolution programs; |
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(iii) violence prevention programs; and |
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(iv) dyslexia treatment programs; |
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(C) dropout reduction; |
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(D) integration of technology in instructional |
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and administrative programs; |
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(E) discipline management; |
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(F) staff development for professional staff of |
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the district; |
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(G) career education to assist students in |
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developing the knowledge, skills, and competencies necessary for a |
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broad range of career opportunities; and |
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(H) accelerated education; |
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(4) strategies for providing to middle school, junior |
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high school, and high school students, those students' teachers and |
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school counselors, and those students' parents information about: |
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(A) higher education admissions and financial |
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aid opportunities; |
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(B) the TEXAS grant program and the Teach for |
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Texas grant program established under Chapter 56; |
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(C) the need for students to make informed |
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curriculum choices to be prepared for success beyond high school; |
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and |
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(D) sources of information on higher education |
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admissions and financial aid; |
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(5) resources needed to implement identified |
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strategies; |
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(6) staff responsible for ensuring the accomplishment |
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of each strategy; |
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(7) timelines for ongoing monitoring of the |
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implementation of each improvement strategy; |
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(8) formative evaluation criteria for determining |
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periodically whether strategies are resulting in intended |
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improvement of student performance; [and] |
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(9) the policy under Section 38.0041 addressing sexual |
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abuse and other maltreatment of children; and |
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(10) the trauma-informed care policy under Section |
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38.036. |
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SECTION 2. Sections 21.054(d) and (d-2), Education Code, |
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are amended to read as follows: |
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(d) Continuing education requirements for a classroom |
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teacher must provide that not more than 25 percent of the training |
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required every five years include instruction regarding: |
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(1) collecting and analyzing information that will |
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improve effectiveness in the classroom; |
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(2) recognizing early warning indicators that a |
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student may be at risk of dropping out of school; |
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(3) digital learning, digital teaching, and |
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integrating technology into classroom instruction; |
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(4) educating diverse student populations, including: |
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(A) students with disabilities, including mental |
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health disorders; |
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(B) students who are educationally |
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disadvantaged; |
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(C) students of limited English proficiency; and |
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(D) students at risk of dropping out of school; |
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[and] |
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(5) understanding appropriate relationships, |
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boundaries, and communications between educators and students; |
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and[.] |
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(6) [(d-2) Continuing education requirements for a
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classroom teacher may include instruction regarding] how grief and |
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trauma affect student learning and behavior and how evidence-based, |
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grief-informed, and trauma-informed strategies support the |
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academic success of students affected by grief and trauma. |
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(d-2) The instruction required under Subsection (d)(6) must |
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be: |
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(1) a training program that complies with Section |
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38.036(c)(1)(A); and |
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(2) approved by the commissioner. |
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SECTION 3. Subchapter A, Chapter 38, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 38.036 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 38.036. TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE POLICY. (a) Each school |
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district and open-enrollment charter school shall adopt and |
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implement a policy requiring the integration of trauma-informed |
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practices in each school environment. |
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(b) A policy required by this section must address: |
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(1) using resources developed by the agency, methods |
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for: |
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(A) increasing staff and parent awareness of |
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trauma-informed care; and |
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(B) implementation of trauma-informed practices |
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and care by district and campus staff; and |
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(2) available counseling options for students |
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affected by trauma or toxic stress. |
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(c) The methods under Subsection (b)(1) for increasing |
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awareness and implementation of trauma-informed care must include |
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training as provided by this subsection. The training: |
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(1) must be provided: |
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(A) through an evidence-based, |
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evidence-informed, or promising practices training program that |
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addresses the effects of trauma and is approved by the agency; and |
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(B) as part of any new employee orientation for |
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all new school district and open-enrollment charter school |
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educators or coaches; and |
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(2) may be provided to existing school district and |
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open-enrollment charter school educators or coaches on a schedule |
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recommended by commissioner rule. |
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(d) For any training provided under Subsection (c), each |
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school district and open-enrollment charter school shall maintain |
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records that include the name of each district or charter school |
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staff member who participated in the training. |
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(e) If a school district or open-enrollment charter school |
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determines that the district or charter school does not have |
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sufficient resources to provide the training required under |
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Subsection (c), the district or charter school shall make |
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reasonable efforts to collaborate with a community organization to |
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provide training that meets the requirements of Subsection (c) at |
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no cost to the district or charter school. |
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(f) The commissioner shall adopt rules as necessary to |
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administer this section. |
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SECTION 4. This Act applies beginning with the 2019-2020 |
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school year. |
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SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |