Trauma-informed education is now mandatory at all Pennsylvania public schools thanks to new legislation included in the state’s 2019-2020 budget.
Earlier this year, Pennsylvania legislators introduced two bills that included the implementation of trauma-informed approaches to student learning. The approaches included in the bills recognized the signs and symptoms of trauma and integrated that knowledge into education-based policies, learning procedures and practices. During the budget process, legislators combined the bills and incorporated them into Senate Bill 144.
The mandatory training required includes:
- A minimum of one hour of training on trauma-informed approaches for both newly elected and reelected school board directors. Similar requirements apply to charter school trustees.
- A minimum of one hour of professional development training on trauma-informed approaches.
- The Pennsylvania Department of Education’s PA Leadership Standards must include information on trauma-informed approaches.
To read more, please click here.
Comments (0)