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STATE OF OKLAHOMA
1st Session of the 58th Legislature (2021)
HOUSE BILL 1886 By: Boatman
AS INTRODUCED
An Act relating to schools; amending Section 6-194,
as last amended by Section 1, Chapter 16, O.S.L. 2019
(70 O.S. Supp. 2020, Section 6 -194), which relates to
professional development programs; requiring mental
health training; mandating length and frequency of
training; allowing school districts to contract with
approved nonprofits and community partners;
authorizing school districts to develop training;
listing minimum components of training; and providing
an effective date.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2011, Section 6 -194, as
last amended by Section 1, Chapter 16, O.S.L. 2019 (70 O.S. Supp.
2020, Section 6-194), is amended to read as follows:
Section 6-194. A. The district boards of education of this
state shall establish professional development programs for the
certified teachers and adminis trators of the district. Programs
shall be adopted by each board based upon recommendations of a
professional development committee appointed by the board of
education for the district. For the fiscal years ending June 30,
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2011, and June 30, 2012, a scho ol district board of education may
elect not to adopt and offer a professional development program for
certified teachers and administrators of the district. If a school
district elects not to adopt and offer a professional development
program, the district may expend any monies allocated for
professional development for any purpose related to the support and
maintenance of the school district as determined by the board of
education of the school district.
B. Each professional development committee shall include
classroom teachers, administrators, school counselors or licensed
mental health providers, and parents, guardians or custodians of
children in the school district and shall consult with a higher
education faculty. A majority of the members of the professional
development committee shall be composed of classroom teachers. The
teacher members shall be selected by a designated administrator of
the school district from a list of names submitted by the teachers
in the school district. The members sele cted shall be subject to
the approval of a majority vote of the teachers in the district.
C. In developing program recommendations, each professional
development committee shall annually utilize a data -driven approach
to analyze student data and determine district and school
professional development needs. The professional development
programs adopted shall be directed toward development of
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competencies and instructional strategies in the core curriculum
areas for the following goals:
1. Increasing the a cademic performance data scores for the
district and each school site;
2. Closing achievement gaps among student subgroups;
3. Increasing student achievement as demonstrated on state -
mandated tests and the ACT;
4. Increasing high school graduation rates ; and
5. Decreasing college remediation rates.
Each program may also include components on classroom management
and student discipline strategies, outreach to parents, guardians or
custodians of students, special education, and racial and ethnic
education, which all personnel defined as teachers in Section 1 -116
of this title shall be required to complete on a periodic basis.
The State Board of Education shall provide guidelines to assist
school districts in developing and implementing racial and ethnic
education components into professional development programs.
D. At a minimum of once an academic year a program shall be
offered which includes the following:
1. Training on recognition of child abuse and neglect;
2. Recognition of child sexual abuse;
3. Proper reporting of suspected abuse; and
4. Available resources.
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E. One time per year, beginning in the 2009 -2010 school year,
training in the area of autism shall be offered and all resident
teachers of students in early childhood programs through gra de three
shall be required to complete the autism training during the
resident year and at least one time every three (3) years
thereafter. All other teachers and education support professionals
of students in early childhood programs through grade three shall be
required to complete the autism training at least one time every
three (3) years. The autism training shall include a minimum
awareness of the characteristics of autistic children, resources
available and an introduction to positive behavior supp orts to
challenging behavior. Each adopted program shall allow school
counselors to receive at least one -third (1/3) of the hours or
credit required each year through programs or courses specifically
designed for school counselors.
Districts are authorize d to utilize any means for professional
development that is not prohibited by law including, but not limited
to, professional development provided by the district, any state
agency, institution of higher education, or any private entity.
F. One time per year, beginning in the 2020 -2021 school year, a
dyslexia awareness program shall be offered. At a minimum, the
program shall include:
1. Training in awareness of dyslexia characteristics in
students;
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2. Training in effective classroom instruction to meet the
needs of students with dyslexia; and
3. Available dyslexia resources for teachers, students and
parents.
G. Beginning in the 2022 -2023 school year, all certified
teachers and administrators and all classroom support staff
including, but not limited to, paraprofessionals , teacher assistants
and teacher aides in direct contact with students shall complete at
least eight (8) hours of mental health training in the first year of
employment and at least five (5) hours of mental health training
once every three (3) years thereafter . The mental health training
hours completed pursuant to this subsection shall be transferred
with the employee if he or she moves to another school district in
the state. School districts may enter into agreements with
nonprofit entities and other community partners to assist with or
provide mental health training to teachers, administrators and staff
pursuant to this subsection if the nonprofits and community partners
are approved by the State Department of Education and the Dep artment
of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. School districts may
develop their own mental health training if approved by the State
Department of Education and the Department of Mental Health and
Substance Abuse Services. At a minimum, the training shall include:
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1. Strategies and action plans for helping students who are
experiencing a mental health or addiction challenge or who are in
crisis;
2. Introduction to common mental health challenges for youth;
3. Review of typical adolescent devel opment;
4. Information on topics, including, but not limited to,
anxiety, depression, substance use, disorders in which psychosis may
occur, disruptive behavior disorders and eating disorders;
5. Information about the services provided by community -based
organizations related to mental health, substance abuse and trauma;
6. Information about the impact trauma and adverse childhood
experiences can have on a student 's ability to learn;
7. The availability of mental health evaluation and treatment
by telemedicine; and
8. Information about evidence -based strategies for prevention
of at-risk behaviors.
H. Except as otherwise provided for in this subsection, each
certified teacher in this state shall be required by the district
board of education to meet the professional development requirements
established by the board, or established through the negotiation
process. Except as otherwise provided for in this subsection, the
professional development requirements established by each board of
education shall require every teacher to annually complete a minimum
number of the total number of points required to maintain
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employment. Failure of any teacher to meet district board of
education professional development requirements may be grounds for
nonrenewal of such teacher's contract by the board. Such failure
may also be grounds for nonconsideration of salary increments
affecting the teacher. For the fiscal years ending June 30, 2011,
and June 30, 2012, a certified teacher shall not be required to
complete any points of the total number of professional development
points required. Provided, a teacher may elect to complete some or
all of the minimum number of points required for the two (2) fiscal
years and any points completed shall be counted toward the total
number of points required to maintain employment. If a teacher does
not complete some or all of the minimum number of points required
for one (1) or both fiscal years, the total number of points
required to maintain employment shall be adjusted and reduced by the
number of points not completed.
H. I. Each district shall annually submit a report to the State
Department of Education on the district level professional
development needs, activities completed, expenditures, and results
achieved for each school y ear by each goal as provided in subsection
C of this section. If a school district elects not to adopt and
offer a professional development program as provided for in
subsection A of this section, the district shall not be required to
submit an annual rep ort as required pursuant to this subsection but
shall report to the State Department of Education its election not
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to offer a program and all professional development activities
completed by teachers and administrators of the school district.
I. J. Subject to the availability of funds, the Department
shall develop an online system for reporting as required in
subsection H I of this section. The Department shall also make such
information available on its website.
SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 2021.
58-1-6415 EK 01/18/21