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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 7110
January Session, 2019
AN ACT CONCERNING EN HANCED CLASSROOM SAF ETY AND
SCHOOL CLIMATE.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2019) (a) Not later than July 1, 1
2020, each local and regional board of education shall develop a 2
classroom safety plan for the schools under the jurisdiction of such 3
board. Each board shall implement a classroom safety plan for the 4
school year commencing July 1, 2020, and each school year thereafter. 5
Such classroom safety plan shall include: 6
(1) Protocols and supports for enhancing classroom safety, and 7
addressing incidents that (A) require the temporary removal of a 8
majority of the students and staff to reduce the likelihood of injury, (B) 9
result in an injury that requires medical attention beyond basic first aid 10
and that may include emergency room or doctor visits, or (C) result in 11
an injury that (i) has been caused by the same person on more than one 12
occasion, such as by means of kicking, biting or punching, (ii) has been 13
verified by the school nurse or other medical personnel, and (iii) may 14
not result in an emergency room or doctor visit. Such protocols and 15
supports shall include: 16
(I) A process for designating an administrator who is responsible for 17
mobilizing the crisis intervention team, described in subdivision (2) of 18 Substitute Bill No. 7110
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subsection (o) of section 10-236b of the general statutes, in the absence 19
of the school principal; 20
(II) The location where a student who is responsible for or involved 21
in such incident is sent when such student is temporarily removed 22
from the classroom, in accordance with section 10-233b of the general 23
statutes, in order to ensure the safety of such student and the other 24
students and staff in the classroom, and which shall include access to 25
appropriate professional staff, and which may include, but need not be 26
limited to, therapeutic resources, instructional materials and 27
technology, and any other resources conducive to addressing the 28
temporary needs of such student; 29
(III) A plan, developed in accordance with the provisions of the safe 30
school climate plan developed for the school district pursuant to 31
section 10-222d of the general statutes, to generally and proactively 32
lessen negative behaviors, enhance resiliency, increase the use of 33
deescalation strategies, and improve social and peer-relations skills, 34
which shall include training and may include, but need not be limited 35
to, therapeutic supports, restorative practices, protocols and support 36
provided by the Department of Education pursuant to section 3 of this 37
act, trauma-informed instruction, or strategies to improve the school 38
climate; and 39
(IV) A process for ensuring that such protocols and supports 40
described in this subdivision comply with all state and federal laws 41
and regulations for students who receive special education services or 42
an accommodation for a disability, and that any recommendations for 43
such students are consistent with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act 44
of 1973, as amended from time to time, and section 10-76d of the 45
general statutes, and are consistent with the individualized education 46
program for such student developed by such student's planning and 47
placement team or revised with the advice and consent of such 48
planning and placement team; 49
(2) A notification process concerning incidents described in 50 Substitute Bill No. 7110
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subdivision (1) of this subsection that occur within a classroom that 51
requires the principal of the school to (A) notify the parents or 52
guardians of the students who were engaged in or were injured during 53
such incident, provided such notification complies with the provisions 54
of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, 20 USC 55
1232g, as amended from time to time, and (B) discuss at a meeting 56
with the parents or guardians of the students who were engaged in 57
such incident the specific supports or interventions undertaken by the 58
school to address such incident, provided such meeting is conducted 59
in a mutually agreed upon location that is convenient for the parent or 60
guardian, which may be at the school or by means of a telephone 61
conversation or video conference; 62
(3) A procedure for each school to document and maintain records 63
relating to all reports and investigations of incidents described in 64
subdivision (1) of this subsection that occur at the school, including the 65
number of such incidents and grade level of the students involved in 66
such incidents; 67
(4) A prohibition against discrimination or retaliation against any 68
individual who reports or assists in the investigation of an incident 69
described in subdivision (1) of this subsection; 70
(5) A requirement that an administrator conduct a meeting with the 71
teacher who witnesses an incident described in subdivision (1) of this 72
subsection, not later than two school days following such incident, to 73
discuss and determine the supports and interventions necessary to 74
support the student and teacher, provided such meeting does not 75
violate the provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education 76
Act, 20 USC 1400 et seq., as amended from time to time, section 10-76d 77
of the general statutes and the individualized education program for 78
such student developed by such student's planning and placement 79
team; 80
(6) A requirement that notice of an incident described in subdivision 81
(1) of this subsection be sent, not later than two school days following 82 Substitute Bill No. 7110
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such incident, to the planning and placement team, if any, of a student 83
who was involved in such incident for the purpose of determining any 84
supports and interventions for such student; and 85
(7) A requirement that any student who is not receiving special 86
education and related services and who engages in (A) two or more 87
incidents described in subdivision (1) of this subsection, or (B) one or 88
more such incidents and whose behavior, attendance or academic 89
performance in school is considered unsatisfactory, be referred to a 90
planning and placement team to determine eligibility for special 91
education and related services pursuant to sections 10-76a to 10-76d, 92
inclusive, of the general statutes. 93
(b) In the case of a student who is not receiving special education 94
and related services, but for whom supports and interventions have 95
been provided following an incident described in subdivision (1) of 96
subsection (a) of this section, whenever a teacher has continued 97
concerns with such supports or interventions, or lack thereof, to 98
address such incident, the teacher may request an emergency meeting 99
of the scientific research-based intervention team or crisis intervention 100
team, as appropriate, to review the response to such incident. Such 101
emergency meeting shall occur not later than three school days 102
following such request. The committee shall review such supports or 103
interventions determined pursuant to subdivision (5) or (6) of 104
subsection (a) of this section, and may revise such supports or 105
interventions to address the concerns of the teacher. There shall be no 106
discrimination or retaliation against any teacher who requests a 107
meeting pursuant to this subsection. 108
(c) Any supports or interventions provided under this section to any 109
student who receives special education or related services or an 110
accommodation for a disability shall be determined in accordance with 111
and comply with all applicable state and federal laws and regulations, 112
including, but not limited to, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 113
1973, as amended from time to time, the Individuals with Disabilities 114
Education Act, 20 USC 1400 et seq., as amended from time to time, 115 Substitute Bill No. 7110
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section 10-76d of the general statutes and the individualized education 116
program for such student developed by such student's planning and 117
placement team. 118
(d) Each local and regional board of education shall submit an 119
annual report to the Department of Education concerning all incidents 120
described in subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of this section that 121
occurred in the classrooms of schools under the jurisdiction of such 122
board. Such report shall include the total number of such incidents, the 123
grade levels of students involved in such incidents, and the race and 124
category of disability of students involved in such incidents. 125
Sec. 2. Section 10-222h of the general statutes is repealed and the 126
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2019): 127
(a) The Department of Education shall [, within available 128
appropriations,] (1) document school districts' articulated needs for 129
technical assistance and training related to safe learning and bullying, 130
(2) collect information on the prevention and intervention strategies 131
used by schools to reduce the incidence of bullying, improve school 132
climate and improve reporting outcomes, (3) develop or recommend 133
model safe school climate plans for grades kindergarten to twelve, 134
inclusive, and (4) in collaboration with the Connecticut Association of 135
Schools, disseminate to all public schools grade-level appropriate 136
school climate assessment instruments, approved by the department, 137
to be used by local and regional boards of education for the purposes 138
of collecting information described in subdivision (2) of this subsection 139
so that the department can monitor bullying prevention efforts over 140
time and compare each district's progress to state trends. Such school 141
climate assessment instruments shall (A) include surveys that contain 142
uniform grade-level appropriate questions that collect information 143
about students' perspectives and opinions about the school climate at 144
the school, and (B) allow students to complete and submit such 145
assessment and survey anonymously. 146
(b) On or before [February 1, 2014] July 1, 2020, and annually 147 Substitute Bill No. 7110
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thereafter, the department shall, in accordance with the provisions of 148
section 11-4a, submit a report on the status of its efforts pursuant to 149
this section including, but not limited to, the number of verified acts of 150
bullying and incidents described in subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of 151
section 1 of this act in the state, an analysis of the responsive action 152
taken by school districts, an analysis of student responses on the 153
uniform grade-level appropriate questions described in subparagraph 154
(A) of subdivision (4) of subsection (a) of this section and any 155
recommendations it may have regarding additional activities or 156
funding to prevent bullying and incidents described in subdivision (1) 157
of subsection (a) of section 1 of this act in schools and improve school 158
climate and safety to the joint standing committees of the General 159
Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education and 160
children and to the speaker of the House of Representatives, the 161
president pro tempore of the Senate and the majority and minority 162
leaders of the House of Representatives and the Senate. 163
(c) Not later than January 1, 2020, the department shall procure or 164
otherwise invite requests for proposals to develop and implement a 165
biennial state-wide school climate survey, and thereafter enter into a 166
contract to carry out the provisions of this section and subsection (d) of 167
section 10-222d. The state-wide school climate survey shall at a 168
minimum: 169
(1) Seek confidential responses from school employees, including 170
principals, assistant principals, teachers, school social workers, school 171
psychologists, school nurses, school counselors and school 172
paraprofessionals, and, in a separate survey, seek confidential 173
responses from parents; and 174
(2) Solicit information from school employees and parents, as 175
deemed appropriate and relevant for such respondent, on (A) the 176
learning environment for students, including academic supports and 177
resources, school safety and security and outreach to parents, (B) the 178
teaching environment, including resources, supports and professional 179
development for teachers, administrators and other educators, teacher 180 Substitute Bill No. 7110
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leadership and collaborative planning time, (C) strategies for 181
establishing a positive and welcoming environment for students, 182
parents of students, teachers and administrators of all races, ethnicities 183
and cultural backgrounds, and (D) supports and strategies for the 184
development and retention of new teachers, minority teachers and 185
administrators, school psychologists and school counselors. 186
[(c)] (d) The department may accept private donations for the 187
purposes of this section. 188
Sec. 3. (Effective from passage) The Department of Education shall 189
solicit public input regarding the development and implementation of 190
the biennial state-wide school climate survey described in subsection 191
(c) of section 10-222h of the general statutes, as amended by this act. 192
Sec. 4. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2019) The Department of Education 193
shall, within available appropriations, (1) develop and disseminate 194
strategies to assist local and regional boards of education in (A) 195
enhancing their safe school climate plans, developed pursuant to 196
section 10-222d of the general statutes, and classroom safety plans, 197
developed pursuant to section 1 of this act, (B) reducing incidents of 198
school violence, and (C) promoting trauma sensitivity in schools, and 199
(2) make available to school districts designated as alliance districts 200
pursuant to section 10-262u of the general statutes, resources to 201
promote systemic improvement of school climate through training, 202
strategies for connecting youth to appropriate services and fostering 203
trauma-sensitive school communities. 204
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2019 New section
Sec. 2 July 1, 2019 10-222h
Sec. 3 from passage New section
Sec. 4 July 1, 2019 New section
Substitute Bill No. 7110
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ED Joint Favorable Subst. C/R APP