Several Education-related Bills

Recently Signed Into Law By The Governor/July 2018

H.B. 87: This bill contains provisions related to how funds recovered through audit findings of community schools are distributed; and also requires ODE to develop standards for online learning management systems.

S.B. 216: This bill contains a variety of provisions that alleviate particular regulations of districts and schools.

• It also includes provisions that would adopt the Board’s recommendations for changing Ohio’s teacher evaluation
  system.
• Modify licensure for substitute teachers,
• Slightly modify teacher grade bands,
• Allow the option of using paper assessments for third grade students beginning in 2019-20 school year,
• Require the State Superintendent to review the statutory policies and procedures related to Academic Distress Commissions.

HB 316: Provisions include changes to the current Positive Behavior Intervention & Supports (PBIS) 

To view the current Positive Behavior Intervention & Supports (PBIS) Framework, go to http://education.ohio.gov/Miscellaneous/Search-Results?q=ohio%20positive%20behavioral%20interventions%20%26%20supports%20

• Clarifies that each school district, community school, STEM or STEAM school, and college-preparatory boarding school must implement a Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) framework and provides a list of potential objectives.

• New and current teachers must receive instruction or professional development in PBIS.

• Includes as a nongraded measure on a district’s or building’s report card a statement of whether the district or school has implemented a PBIS framework.

• Prohibits out-of-school suspension or expulsion of students in grades pre-K through three for minor offenses but delays full implementation of the prohibition until the 2021-2022 school year.

• Requires the Department to submit a report containing both a summary of the best practices of implementing a PBIS framework and the total number of out-of-school suspensions and expulsions issued for pre-K through three students.

• Within 90 days after the bill’s effective date, the State Board of Education must amend its current policy and standards for the implementation of a PBIS framework to reflect the changes made by the bill.28 The current policy requires each school district to adopt PBIS, and encourages, but does not require, training on PBIS.

• Appropriates $2M and prescribes procedures for competitive grants to school districts, community schools, and STEM or STEAM schools to implement PBIS frameworks, evidence- or research-based social and emotional learning initiatives, or both, in buildings that serve any of grades kindergarten through three.

Note: This bill also included provisions relative to school resource officers which will be administered by the Office of the Attorney General. An appropriation of $12M was also included for the Attorney General to support School Safety Training Grants.