SPONSOR: Sen. Sturgeon & Rep. K. Williams DELAWARE STATE SENATE 152nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY SENATE BILL NO. 304 AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO REGULATORY PROVISIONS FOR NONACADEMIC TRAINING AND RELATED RESOURCES.
SPONSOR: Sen. Sturgeon & Rep. K. Williams
SPONSOR: Sen. Sturgeon & Rep. K. Williams
SPONSOR:
Sen. Sturgeon & Rep. K. Williams
DELAWARE STATE SENATE
152nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY
SENATE BILL NO. 304
AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO REGULATORY PROVISIONS FOR NONACADEMIC TRAINING AND RELATED RESOURCES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE: Section 1. Amend 4162, Title 14 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows: 4162. Child safety awareness, prevention, and other nonacademic trainings [For applicability of section, see 83 Del. Laws, c. 407, 2]. (a) Each school district and charter school shall require its employees to receive 12.5 9 hours of training every 3 years consisting of all of the following: (2) Three hours One hour of a school bullying prevention and criminal youth gang detection training program established under 4164(a) of this title. (3) Four and one-half Three hours of a suicide prevention training program established under 4165(a) of this title, with each school district and charter school employee receiving 90 60 minutes of such suicide prevention training each year. (b) Each school district and charter school shall require a school administrator, school nurse, or school counselor serving 1 or more of the grades in grades 7 through 12 to receive 2 hours 1 hour of a teen dating violence and sexual assault training program established under 4166(a) of this title every 3 years. This training may be included in paragraph (a)(4) of this section. (c) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, a school district or charter school shall require all of the following: (2) That a new school administrator, school nurse, or school counselor serving 1 or more of the grades in grades 7 through 12 in a school district or charter school receive 2 hours 1 hour of a teen dating violence and sexual assault training program established under 4166(a) of this title within 1 year of employment in such that position. (3) That a new school district or charter school employee receive 1 hour of a bullying prevention and criminal youth gang detection training program established under 4164(a) of this title within 1 year of employment in that position. (4) That a new school district or charter school employee receive 1 hour of a suicide prevention training program established under 4165(a) of this title within 1 year of employment in that position. (g) The Department of Education shall develop regulations that create a schedule for all trainings under this section. Section 2. Amend 4163, Title 14 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows: 4163. Child abuse and child safety awareness, prevention, detection, and reporting [For applicability of section, see 83 Del. Laws, c. 407, 2]. (b) Educational programming. The Child Protection Accountability Commission and the Division of Family Services of the Department of Services for Children, Youth, and Their Families shall identify and maintain educational programming to be used by each school district and charter school for informing school district and charter school employees, students, and parents about personal body safety and child abuse and about how to detect and report child abuse. The Department of Education, in consultation with the Child Protection Accountability Commission and the Division of Family Services of the Department of Services for Children, Youth, and Their Families, must review trainings every 3 years, at a minimum, and update the trainings as needed to be relevant to Delaware students and conform with best practices. The educational programming must include all of the following: Section 3. Amend 4164, Title 14 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows: 4164. School bullying awareness and prevention; criminal youth gang detection. (a) School bullying prevention and criminal youth gang detection training program. The Department of Justice and the Department of Education, in collaboration with law-enforcement agencies, the Delaware State Education Association, the Delaware School Boards Association, and the Delaware Association of School Administrators, shall identify and maintain a school bullying prevention and criminal youth gang detection training program for school district and charter school employees. The Department of Justice and the Department of Education, in consultation with law-enforcement agencies, the Delaware State Education Association, the Delaware School Boards Association, and the Delaware Association of School Administrators, must review trainings every 3 years, at a minimum, and update the trainings as needed to be relevant to Delaware students and conform with best practices. Section 4. Amend 4165, Title 14 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows: 4165. Suicide awareness and prevention. (a) Suicide prevention training program. The Department of Health and Social Services, the Department of Services for Children, Youth and their Their Families, and the Department of Education shall identify and maintain a suicide prevention training program for school district and charter school employees that is evidence-based, whenever available. The Department of Education, in consultation with the Department of Health and Social Services and the Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families, must review trainings every 3 years, at a minimum, and update the trainings as needed to be relevant to Delaware students and conform with best practices. Section 5. Amend 4166, Title 14 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows: 4166. Teen dating violence and sexual assault awareness and prevention. (a) Teen dating violence and sexual assault training program. The Delaware Domestic Violence Coordinating Council shall identify and maintain a teen dating violence and sexual assault training program for school administrators, school nurses, and school counselors serving 1 or more of the grades in grades 7 through 12. The Department of Education, in consultation with the Delaware Domestic Violence Coordinating Council, must review trainings every 3 years, at a minimum, and update the trainings as needed to be relevant to Delaware students and conform with best practices.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:
Section 1. Amend 4162, Title 14 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:
4162. Child safety awareness, prevention, and other nonacademic trainings [For applicability of section, see 83 Del. Laws, c. 407, 2].
(a) Each school district and charter school shall require its employees to receive 12.5 9 hours of training every 3 years consisting of all of the following:
(2) Three hours One hour of a school bullying prevention and criminal youth gang detection training program established under 4164(a) of this title.
(3) Four and one-half Three hours of a suicide prevention training program established under 4165(a) of this title, with each school district and charter school employee receiving 90 60 minutes of such suicide prevention training each year.
(b) Each school district and charter school shall require a school administrator, school nurse, or school counselor serving 1 or more of the grades in grades 7 through 12 to receive 2 hours 1 hour of a teen dating violence and sexual assault training program established under 4166(a) of this title every 3 years. This training may be included in paragraph (a)(4) of this section.
(c) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, a school district or charter school shall require all of the following:
(2) That a new school administrator, school nurse, or school counselor serving 1 or more of the grades in grades 7 through 12 in a school district or charter school receive 2 hours 1 hour of a teen dating violence and sexual assault training program established under 4166(a) of this title within 1 year of employment in such that position.
(3) That a new school district or charter school employee receive 1 hour of a bullying prevention and criminal youth gang detection training program established under 4164(a) of this title within 1 year of employment in that position.
(4) That a new school district or charter school employee receive 1 hour of a suicide prevention training program established under 4165(a) of this title within 1 year of employment in that position.
(g) The Department of Education shall develop regulations that create a schedule for all trainings under this section.
Section 2. Amend 4163, Title 14 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:
4163. Child abuse and child safety awareness, prevention, detection, and reporting [For applicability of section, see 83 Del. Laws, c. 407, 2].
(b) Educational programming.
The Child Protection Accountability Commission and the Division of Family Services of the Department of Services for Children, Youth, and Their Families shall identify and maintain educational programming to be used by each school district and charter school for informing school district and charter school employees, students, and parents about personal body safety and child abuse and about how to detect and report child abuse. The Department of Education, in consultation with the Child Protection Accountability Commission and the Division of Family Services of the Department of Services for Children, Youth, and Their Families, must review trainings every 3 years, at a minimum, and update the trainings as needed to be relevant to Delaware students and conform with best practices. The educational programming must include all of the following:
Section 3. Amend 4164, Title 14 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:
4164. School bullying awareness and prevention; criminal youth gang detection.
(a) School bullying prevention and criminal youth gang detection training program.
The Department of Justice and the Department of Education, in collaboration with law-enforcement agencies, the Delaware State Education Association, the Delaware School Boards Association, and the Delaware Association of School Administrators, shall identify and maintain a school bullying prevention and criminal youth gang detection training program for school district and charter school employees. The Department of Justice and the Department of Education, in consultation with law-enforcement agencies, the Delaware State Education Association, the Delaware School Boards Association, and the Delaware Association of School Administrators, must review trainings every 3 years, at a minimum, and update the trainings as needed to be relevant to Delaware students and conform with best practices.
Section 4. Amend 4165, Title 14 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:
4165. Suicide awareness and prevention.
(a) Suicide prevention training program.
The Department of Health and Social Services, the Department of Services for Children, Youth and their Their Families, and the Department of Education shall identify and maintain a suicide prevention training program for school district and charter school employees that is evidence-based, whenever available. The Department of Education, in consultation with the Department of Health and Social Services and the Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families, must review trainings every 3 years, at a minimum, and update the trainings as needed to be relevant to Delaware students and conform with best practices.
Section 5. Amend 4166, Title 14 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:
4166. Teen dating violence and sexual assault awareness and prevention.
(a) Teen dating violence and sexual assault training program.
The Delaware Domestic Violence Coordinating Council shall identify and maintain a teen dating violence and sexual assault training program for school administrators, school nurses, and school counselors serving 1 or more of the grades in grades 7 through 12. The Department of Education, in consultation with the Delaware Domestic Violence Coordinating Council, must review trainings every 3 years, at a minimum, and update the trainings as needed to be relevant to Delaware students and conform with best practices.
SYNOPSIS This Act makes changes to nonacademic training requirements for school district and charter school personnel to help ensure that mandatory trainings are relevant to student needs and based on best practices. While nonacademic mandatory trainings are essential to addressing critical issues facing Delaware students, school personnel have expressed concerns related to the time burden and relevance of required trainings. Streamlining and modernizing such trainings could enhance their effectiveness and allow school personnel to spend more time meeting the needs of students. To that end, this Act makes the following changes to nonacademic training requirements for school district and charter school personnel: (1) School bullying prevention and criminal youth gang detection training hours are reduced from 3 hours every 3 years to 1 hour every 3 years, and new employees must complete 1 hour of training within 1 year of employment. (2) Suicide prevention training hours are reduced from 4 hours every 3 years to 3 hours every 3 years, and new employees must complete 1 hour of training within 1 year of employment. (3) Teen dating violence and sexual assault training hours for school administrators, nurses, and counselors serving students in grades 7 through 12 are reduced from 2 hours every 3 years to 1 hour every 3 years, and new employees must complete 1 hour of training within 1 year of employment. This Act also directs the Department of Education, in consultation with other relevant entities, to review its mandatory training programs every 3 years, at a minimum, and update the programs as necessary to ensure that they are relevant to student needs and consistent with best practices. The Department of Education is also responsible under the Act for developing regulations that create a schedule for all trainings under 4162 of Title 14. Finally, this Act makes a minor technical correction to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual. Author: Senator Sturgeon
SYNOPSIS
This Act makes changes to nonacademic training requirements for school district and charter school personnel to help ensure that mandatory trainings are relevant to student needs and based on best practices. While nonacademic mandatory trainings are essential to addressing critical issues facing Delaware students, school personnel have expressed concerns related to the time burden and relevance of required trainings. Streamlining and modernizing such trainings could enhance their effectiveness and allow school personnel to spend more time meeting the needs of students. To that end, this Act makes the following changes to nonacademic training requirements for school district and charter school personnel:
(1) School bullying prevention and criminal youth gang detection training hours are reduced from 3 hours every 3 years to 1 hour every 3 years, and new employees must complete 1 hour of training within 1 year of employment.
(2) Suicide prevention training hours are reduced from 4 hours every 3 years to 3 hours every 3 years, and new employees must complete 1 hour of training within 1 year of employment.
(3) Teen dating violence and sexual assault training hours for school administrators, nurses, and counselors serving students in grades 7 through 12 are reduced from 2 hours every 3 years to 1 hour every 3 years, and new employees must complete 1 hour of training within 1 year of employment.
This Act also directs the Department of Education, in consultation with other relevant entities, to review its mandatory training programs every 3 years, at a minimum, and update the programs as necessary to ensure that they are relevant to student needs and consistent with best practices. The Department of Education is also responsible under the Act for developing regulations that create a schedule for all trainings under 4162 of Title 14.
Finally, this Act makes a minor technical correction to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.
Author: Senator Sturgeon