86R10433 MM-F
 
  By: Parker, Zerwas, Huberty, Miller, H.B. No. 3718
      Thompson of Harris, et al.
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to a trauma-informed care policy for school districts and
  open-enrollment charter schools and training regarding the policy
  for district and school employees.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 11.252(a), Education Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (a)  Each school district shall have a district improvement
  plan that is developed, evaluated, and revised annually, in
  accordance with district policy, by the superintendent with the
  assistance of the district-level committee established under
  Section 11.251.  The purpose of the district improvement plan is to
  guide district and campus staff in the improvement of student
  performance for all student groups in order to attain state
  standards in respect to the achievement indicators adopted under
  Section 39.053(c).  The district improvement plan must include
  provisions for:
               (1)  a comprehensive needs assessment addressing
  district student performance on the achievement indicators, and
  other appropriate measures of performance, that are disaggregated
  by all student groups served by the district, including categories
  of ethnicity, socioeconomic status, sex, and populations served by
  special programs, including students in special education programs
  under Subchapter A, Chapter 29;
               (2)  measurable district performance objectives for
  all appropriate achievement indicators for all student
  populations, including students in special education programs
  under Subchapter A, Chapter 29, and other measures of student
  performance that may be identified through the comprehensive needs
  assessment;
               (3)  strategies for improvement of student performance
  that include:
                     (A)  instructional methods for addressing the
  needs of student groups not achieving their full potential;
                     (B)  methods for addressing the needs of students
  for special programs, including:
                           (i)  suicide prevention programs, in
  accordance with Subchapter O-1, Chapter 161, Health and Safety
  Code, which includes a parental or guardian notification procedure;
                           (ii)  conflict resolution programs;
                           (iii)  violence prevention programs; and
                           (iv)  dyslexia treatment programs;
                     (C)  dropout reduction;
                     (D)  integration of technology in instructional
  and administrative programs;
                     (E)  discipline management;
                     (F)  staff development for professional staff of
  the district;
                     (G)  career education to assist students in
  developing the knowledge, skills, and competencies necessary for a
  broad range of career opportunities; and
                     (H)  accelerated education;
               (4)  strategies for providing to middle school, junior
  high school, and high school students, those students' teachers and
  school counselors, and those students' parents information about:
                     (A)  higher education admissions and financial
  aid opportunities;
                     (B)  the TEXAS grant program and the Teach for
  Texas grant program established under Chapter 56;
                     (C)  the need for students to make informed
  curriculum choices to be prepared for success beyond high school;
  and
                     (D)  sources of information on higher education
  admissions and financial aid;
               (5)  resources needed to implement identified
  strategies;
               (6)  staff responsible for ensuring the accomplishment
  of each strategy;
               (7)  timelines for ongoing monitoring of the
  implementation of each improvement strategy;
               (8)  formative evaluation criteria for determining
  periodically whether strategies are resulting in intended
  improvement of student performance; [and]
               (9)  the policy under Section 38.0041 addressing sexual
  abuse and other maltreatment of children; and
               (10)  the trauma-informed care policy under Section
  38.036.
         SECTION 2.  Sections 21.054(d) and (d-2), Education Code,
  are amended to read as follows:
         (d)  Continuing education requirements for a classroom
  teacher must provide that not more than 25 percent of the training
  required every five years include instruction regarding:
               (1)  collecting and analyzing information that will
  improve effectiveness in the classroom;
               (2)  recognizing early warning indicators that a
  student may be at risk of dropping out of school;
               (3)  digital learning, digital teaching, and
  integrating technology into classroom instruction;
               (4)  educating diverse student populations, including:
                     (A)  students with disabilities, including mental
  health disorders;
                     (B)  students who are educationally
  disadvantaged;
                     (C)  students of limited English proficiency; and
                     (D)  students at risk of dropping out of school;
  [and]
               (5)  understanding appropriate relationships,
  boundaries, and communications between educators and students;
  and[.]
               (6)  [(d-2) Continuing education requirements for a
  classroom teacher may include instruction regarding] how grief and
  trauma affect student learning and behavior and how evidence-based,
  grief-informed, and trauma-informed strategies support the
  academic success of students affected by grief and trauma.
         (d-2)  The instruction required under Subsection (d)(6) must
  be:
               (1)  a training program that complies with Section
  38.036(c)(1)(A); and
               (2)  approved by the commissioner.
         SECTION 3.  Subchapter A, Chapter 38, Education Code, is
  amended by adding Section 38.036 to read as follows:
         Sec. 38.036.  TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE POLICY.  (a)  Each school
  district and open-enrollment charter school shall adopt and
  implement a policy requiring the integration of trauma-informed
  practices in each school environment.
         (b)  A policy required by this section must address:
               (1)  using resources developed by the agency, methods
  for:
                     (A)  increasing staff and parent awareness  of
  trauma-informed care; and
                     (B)  implementation of trauma-informed practices
  and care by district and campus staff; and
               (2)  available counseling options for students
  affected by trauma or toxic stress.
         (c)  The methods under Subsection (b)(1) for increasing
  awareness and implementation of trauma-informed care must include
  training as provided by this subsection. The training:
               (1)  must be provided:
                     (A)  through an evidence-based,
  evidence-informed, or promising practices training program that
  addresses the effects of trauma and is approved by the agency; and
                     (B)  as part of any new employee orientation for
  all new school district and open-enrollment charter school
  educators or coaches; and
               (2)  may be provided to existing school district and
  open-enrollment charter school educators or coaches on a schedule
  recommended by commissioner rule.
         (d)  For any training provided under Subsection (c), each
  school district and open-enrollment charter school shall maintain
  records that include the name of each district or charter school
  staff member who participated in the training.
         (e)  If a school district or open-enrollment charter school
  determines that the district or charter school does not have
  sufficient resources to provide the training required under
  Subsection (c), the district or charter school shall make
  reasonable efforts to collaborate with a community organization to
  provide training that meets the requirements of Subsection (c) at
  no cost to the district or charter school.
         (f)  The commissioner shall adopt rules as necessary to
  administer this section.
         SECTION 4.  This Act applies beginning with the 2019-2020
  school year.
         SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2019.