79-3602.

Behavioral awareness training; statewide teacher support system; Educational Service Unit Coordinating Council; school district; duties; funding.

(1)(a) Beginning in school year 2024-25, the Educational Service Unit Coordinating Council shall (i) ensure annual behavioral awareness training is available statewide and (ii) develop, implement, and administer an ongoing statewide teacher support system.

(b) Beginning in school year 2026-27, each school district shall ensure that each administrator, teacher, paraprofessional, school nurse, and counselor receives behavioral awareness training. The length of such training shall be a reasonable amount as determined by each school board. Each administrator, teacher, paraprofessional, school nurse, and counselor who has received such training shall receive a behavioral awareness training review at least once every three years. Each school district may offer such training, or similar training, to any other school employees at the discretion of the school district. In addition, all school employees shall have a basic awareness of the goals, strategies, and schoolwide plans included in such training.

(c) Behavioral awareness training shall include, but not be limited to, evidence-based training on a continuum that includes:

(i) Recognition of detrimental factors impacting student behavior, including, but not limited to, signs of trauma;

(ii) Positive behavior support and proactive teaching strategies, including, but not limited to, expectations and boundaries; and

(iii) Verbal intervention and de-escalation techniques.

(2)(a) On or before July 1, 2025, and on or before July 1 of each year thereafter, each school district shall submit a behavioral awareness training report to the Educational Service Unit Coordinating Council. Such report shall include the school district behavioral awareness training plan and summarize how such plan fulfills the requirements of this section.

(b) On or before December 31, 2025, and each December 31 thereafter, the Educational Service Unit Coordinating Council shall submit a report to the Commissioner of Education and electronically to the Education Committee of the Legislature summarizing the behavioral awareness training reports received by school districts, the various trainings provided across the state, the teacher support system, and a financial report of funding received and expended in accordance with the Behavioral Intervention Training and Teacher Support Act.

(3)(a) Behavioral awareness training and the teacher support system required pursuant to this section shall be funded from the Behavioral Training Cash Fund.

(b) Any funding received by a school district for behavioral awareness training under the Behavioral Intervention Training and Teacher Support Act shall be considered special grant funds under section 79-1003.