Ohio House Bill 318, concerning the qualifications and duties of school resource officers, became effective on November 2, 2018.
 
The law states that if a school district decides to utilize school resource officer services, the school district and the appropriate law enforcement agency shall first enter into a memorandum of understanding that clarifies the purpose of the school resource officer program and roles and expectations between the participating entities. If a school district is already utilizing school resource officer services on the effective date of this section, the school district and the law enforcement agency shall enter into a memorandum of understanding within one year after the effective date of this section.
 
Each memorandum of understanding shall address the following items:
  • Professional development, including training requirements that focus on age-appropriate practices for conflict resolution and developmentally informed de-escalation and crisis intervention methods.  
  • Clearly defined roles, responsibilities, and expectations of the parties involved, including
  • school resource officers, law enforcement, school administrators, staff, and teachers.  
The standards for the preparation of teachers adopted under section 3333.048 of the Revised Code shall require each institution that provides a teacher preparation program to include a semester course, or the equivalent, for all students pursuing a license to teach in any of grades pre-kindergarten through five that includes instruction on all of the following:
  • Positive behavior intervention and supports and social-emotional development.  
  • Classroom systems for establishing the foundation for positive behavior, such as supervision, acknowledgment, prompts, and precorrection.  
  • The impact of trauma, toxic stress, and other environmental variables on learning behavior.  
  • Within three years after the effective date of this section, each school district shall provide professional development or continuing education in positive behavior intervention and supports as part of the school-wide implementation of the positive behavior intervention and supports framework.  
The state board of education shall adopt rules under Chapter 119. of the Sub. H. B. No. 318 132nd G.A. 22 Revised Code that establish a both of the following:
  • A policy and standards for the implementation of positive behavior intervention and supports and framework.  
  • A policy and standards for the use of physical restraint or seclusion on students.  
School Safety Training Grant Available Through This Bill
A grant of $12,000,000, appropriated under item 055502, School Safety Training Grants, shall be used by the Attorney General, in consultation with the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Director of Mental Health and Addiction Services, solely to make grants to public and chartered nonpublic schools and schools operated by county boards of developmental disabilities administering special education services programs pursuant to section 5126.05 of the Revised Code for school safety and school climate programs and training. The use of the grants includes, but is not limited to, the following:
 
(1) The support of school resource officer certification training;
(2) Any type of active shooter and school safety training;
(3) All grade level type educational resources;
(4) Training to identify and assist students with mental health issues;
(5) Any other training related to school safety. 
 
CPI Training Can Help Your School Comply With the Statute
CPI offers training and resources to help schools meet legislative mandates like the policy requirements set forth in the Ohio Bill. Nonviolent Crisis Intervention® training equips staff with techniques for both the prevention of and the safe use of restraint. Our train-the-trainer program helps staff identify underlying causes of student behaviors, and how staff and student behaviors affect each other. The program also emphasizes:
  • Evaluating risk of harm and signs of distress.
  • Documenting incidents.
  • Safer, less restrictive holding skills to be used only as a last resort.
  • Behavioral supports.
  • Implementing evidence-based practices.  
How to Get Training
We can bring the Nonviolent Crisis Intervention® training program on-site to your school, or you can attend training in one of more than 170 public locations throughout the US.
 
More Resources
Get helpful hints for crisis intervention and learn about CPI training and restraint reduction.