The Student Behavior and School Climate Task Force has to submit its final report to the General Assembly by Nov. 1. (Photo by Louis-Photo/Adobe Stock)
A state agency focused on improving the social environment of schools is closing in on submitting its final recommendations after reviewing a 25-item draft Monday night.
The 24-member Student Behavior and School Climate Task Force , made up of government and educational officials as well as school behavioral specialists and resource officers, is focusing on family engagement, safety on school buses, and improving the statewide multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS).
The document the group reviewed is a working draft, and some members requested additions before submission to the General Assembly.
“One of the things I had asked for as a recommendation was background check equity for parents, which is either funding background checks for parents to be able to participate in schools or increasing the time that a background check is good for,” said Ralph Ackerman, president of the Brandywine School District Board of Education.
The costs of background checks vary, but they’re typically around $25. There are also different types, and schools might require multiple checks to volunteer.
Many schools require both a criminal background check plus a child abuse clearance.
He said parental involvement is critical to improving conditions in schools.
The final report is due to the General Assembly by Nov. 1.
One recommendation is to create a statewide cell phone policy rather than forcing individual schools to develop their own.
Another is to shift the burden of proof of special education disputes from the districts to the parents.
This would mean that parents or guardians must prove that the district is not fulfilling its obligations under IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) to reduce the legal and financial strain on districts when they are struggling with resource limitations, allowing them to focus on providing services rather than defending against claims.
RELATED: School climate group stresses engagement, funding
On top of the countless parents offering public comment at board meetings about fights and safety concerns in schools, a recent survey of more than a thousand teachers showed such challenges as attacks by students; loss of instruction time because they have to waste time disciplining unruly students; and burnout from poor student behavior that is pushing them out of the profession.
The group has stressed the need for cameras on all school buses, particularly in cases where one driver has to supervise dozens of children while still keeping an eye on the road.
RELATED: Survey: many teachers injured by students, lose class time
Guidelines to school recommendations
The task force’s mission is to recommend a course of legislative, regulatory, and operational action that considers or addresses:
- The causes of student behavior issues, including the connection between student behavior and the social determinants of learning.
- The impact of student behavior issues on student learning, including for students with behavior issues and their classmates.
- The impact of student behavior issues on educators’ job satisfaction and retention.
- The effectiveness of current school discipline policies and initiatives in preventing and addressing student behavior issues, including restorative practices as adopted in Delaware and other jurisdictions.
- Adoption of data-driven, developmentally appropriate school discipline policies and interventions to improve school climate in Delaware schools.
- Effective school policies related to engaging families in the process of addressing student behavior issues.
In past meetings, the group has evaluated data from MTSS, intending to nip bad behavior in the bud before a student enters a more intensive tier of support.
After initial enrichment supports like before-, after-, and summer school, Tier I includes universal interventions for all types of students, bullying prevention, substance use prevention, health education, suicide prevention, and personal body safety.
Tier II are more targeted supports, including small group counseling and mental health screenings.
Tier III is the most intense and can include individual counseling, crisis response, monitoring, and more. This is the level where schools would refer struggling students to external services, like a psychologist, for example.
The recommendations essentially streamline the tiered support systems across the state, with funding to ensure resources like mental health interventions are available.
A little less than half the recommendations have a state cost associated with it, although the specific numbers have not yet been determined.
A copy of the draft recommendations can be found here .
The task force is considering listing its recommendations in order of priority. Its next meeting is Oct. 28 at 4 p.m. Watch it here .
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