24 Pa. Stat. § 13-1302-A

Current through Pa Acts 2024-53, 2024-56 through 2024-92
Section 13-1302-A - Student supports
(a) (Reserved).
(b) The Department of Education shall have the power and duty to implement the following:
(1)

To collect, develop and disseminate information, policies, strategies and other information to assist in the development of programs that support students, reduce unnecessary student disciplinary actions and promote an environment of greater productivity, safety and learning, including, but not limited to:

(i) School-wide positive behavior support that includes primary or universal, secondary and tertiary supports and interventions in school entities.
(ii) School-based diversion programs.
(iii) Classroom management.
(iv) Student discipline.
(v) Student codes of conduct.
(vi) Training to assess risk factors that increase the likelihood of problem behaviors among students.
(vii) Conflict resolution and dispute management.
(viii) Staff training programs in the use of positive behavior supports, de-escalation techniques, appropriate responses to student behavior that may require immediate intervention and trauma-informed treatment for mental health providers in schools.
(ix) Research-based violence prevention programs that address risk factors to reduce incidents of problem behaviors among students, including, but not limited to, mental health early intervention, self-care, bullying and suicide awareness and prevention.
(x) Risk assessment, safety-related, violence prevention curricula, including dating violence curricula, restorative justice strategies, mental health early intervention, self-care and suicide awareness and prevention curricula.
(xi) Evidence-based screenings for adverse childhood experiences that are proven to be determinants of physical, social and behavioral health and provide trauma-informed counseling services as necessary to students based upon the screening results.
(xii) Trauma-informed approaches that increase student and school employee access to quality trauma support services and behavioral health care.
(2) To provide direct training to school employes, parents, law enforcement officials and communities on effective measures to

Maintain and improve learning environments for students and staff.

(3) To assist in collaboration and coordination with the School Safety and Security Committee established under section 1302-B school entities and nonpublic schools on the development of policies to be used regarding possession of weapons by any person, acts of violence and protocols for coordination with and reporting to law enforcement officials and the Department of Education.
(4) To verify the existence of corrective action plans to reduce incidents of violence as required in the Every Student Succeeds Act ( Public Law 114-95, 129 Stat. 1802).
(5) To develop in collaboration and coordination with the School Safety and Security Committee established under section 1302-B forms to be used by school entities and police departments for reporting incidents involving acts of violence and possession of weapons on school property. The forms shall be reviewed on a biennial basis and revised when necessary.

(b.1) The Department of Education shall process and tabulate the data on an annual basis to assist school administrators, the School Safety and Security Committee established under section 1302-B and law enforcement officials in their duties under this article.

24 P.S. § 13-1302-A

Amended by P.L. TBD 2023 No. 33,§ 11, eff. 12/13/2023.
Amended by P.L. TBD 2019 No. 18, § 8, eff. 6/28/2019.
Amended by P.L. TBD 2018 No. 44, § 2, eff. 6/22/2018.
Amended by P.L. 1039 2014 No. 122, § 3, eff. 9/7/2014.
1949, March 10, P.L. 30, No. 14, art. XIII-A, § 1302-A, added 1995, June 30, P.L. 220, No. 26, § 7, effective in 90 days. Amended 1999, June 26, P.L. 394, No. 36, § 3, effective July 1, 1999; 2008, July 9, P.L. 846, No. 61, § 5, retroactive effective July 1, 2008; 2010, Nov. 17, P.L. 996, No. 104, § 10, effective in 90 days [Feb. 15, 2011].