(a) The Department of Education shall, within available appropriations, (1) document school districts' articulated needs for technical assistance and training related to safe learning and bullying, (2) collect information on the prevention and intervention strategies used by schools to reduce the incidence of bullying, improve school climate and improve reporting outcomes, (3) develop or recommend model safe school climate plans for grades kindergarten to twelve, inclusive, and (4) in collaboration with the Connecticut Association of Schools, disseminate to all public schools grade-level appropriate school climate assessment instruments, approved by the department, to be used by local and regional boards of education for the purposes of collecting information described in subdivision (2) of this subsection so that the department can monitor bullying prevention efforts over time and compare each district's progress to state trends. Such school climate assessment instruments shall (A) include surveys that contain uniform grade-level appropriate questions that collect information about students' perspectives and opinions about the school climate at the school, and (B) allow students to complete and submit such assessment and survey anonymously.

(b) On or before February 1, 2014, and annually thereafter, the department shall, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, submit a report on the status of its efforts pursuant to this section including, but not limited to, the number of verified acts of bullying in the state, an analysis of the responsive action taken by school districts, an analysis of student responses on the uniform grade-level appropriate questions described in subparagraph (A) of subdivision (4) of subsection (a) of this section and any recommendations it may have regarding additional activities or funding to prevent bullying in schools and improve school climate to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education and children and to the speaker of the House of Representatives, the president pro tempore of the Senate and the majority and minority leaders of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

(c) The department may accept private donations for the purposes of this section.

(P.A. 08-160, S. 7; P.A. 09-45, S. 5; P.A. 11-232, S. 3; P.A. 13-3, S. 89; P.A. 14-232, S. 4.)

History: P.A. 08-160 effective July 1, 2009; P.A. 09-45 made a technical change in Subsec. (a), effective May 20, 2009; P.A. 11-232 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting former Subdivs. (1) and (2) and redesignating existing Subdivs. (3) to (5) as Subdivs. (1) to (3), replacing reference to model bullying policies with reference to model safe school climate plan and adding “or recommend” in Subdiv. (3), adding Subdiv. (4) re dissemination of school climate assessment instruments, and adding “and biennially thereafter” and provision re number of verified acts of bullying and analysis of districts' responsive action to report requirements, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 13-3 amended Subsec. (a) by designating existing provision re submission of report as new Subsec. (b), amended same by replacing “2010” with “2014”, replacing “biennially” with “annually”, adding provision re report submitted to speaker of the House of Representatives, president pro tempore of the Senate and majority and minority leaders of the House and Senate and making conforming changes, and redesignated existing Subsec. (b) as Subsec. (c), effective April 4, 2013; P.A. 14-232 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting “a” and replacing “plan” with “plans” in Subdiv. (3), deleting “including surveys,” in Subdiv. (4), adding requirements re school climate assessment instruments and making a technical change, and amended Subsec. (b) by adding provision re analysis of student responses on uniform grade-level appropriate questions, effective June 13, 2014.