Empowering Safe Learning Environments
Act 55 Training for Educators
Act 55 of 2022 mandated school safety-related training for all Pennsylvania public school employees. Section 1310-B of the PA Public School Code requires that all school entities provide employees with two hours of mandatory training on any combination of one or more of the following topics, based on the needs of the school entity and aligned with training standards (linked above) adopted by the School Safety and Security Committee (SSSC):
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Situational awareness.
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Trauma-informed approaches.
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Behavioral health awareness.
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Suicide and bullying awareness.
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Substance use awareness.
In addition, school entities must provide employees with one hour of (IN PERSON) annual training that addresses emergency training drills (including fire, natural disaster, active shooter, hostage situation and bomb threat) AND identification or recognition of student behavior that may indicate a threat to the safety of the student, other students, school employees, other individuals, school facilities or the community.
Once you have finished the modules, please submit your completion certificates by using the button below.
MCIU Staff Only
Act 55 Training Modules
Module 3: Behavioral Health Awareness
Behavioral and mental health awareness is an important issue for all school employees who may be the first line of intervention for their students.
Course attendees should leave this course with an understanding of the following:
- Signs and symptoms of individuals displaying behavioral or mental health concerns.
- Things to consider when responding to a student or other individual who is displaying signs and symptoms of behavioral or mental health concerns (e.g., concrete examples of language that may be useful when responding).
- Strategies for self-care and improving one’s own mental health and overall well-being.
- Brief overview/identification of laws regarding student and caregiver rights and how they may impact the employee.
Additional Resources: Behavioral Health Resource List
Module 4: Suicide & Bullying Awareness
While suicide awareness and bullying awareness are two unique topics, research has found that bullying is a significant risk factor for suicide. While these two topics are associated in this training module, it is important to underscore that suicide is a complex behavior that is rarely attributed to one cause.
All course attendees should leave this course with an understanding of the following:
- Definition of bullying (see PA Public School Code Section 1303.1-A).
- Description of the differences between cyber bullying and physical/in-person bullying.
- Warning signs of a student who is engaged in bullying.
- Warning signs of a student who is being bullied.
- Discussion regarding how bullying ties into the threat assessment process and when bullying may implicate nondiscrimination/harassment or anti-hazing requirements.
- Overview of bullying and its impact on student mental health and school-related outcomes (see PA Youth Survey linked below).
- Brief overview/identification of laws and policies related to bullying that may impact the employee.
Additional Resources: Suicide & Bullying Awareness Resources and References
MCIU Staff: Submit your Completion Certificate(s)
BOTH modules need to be completed by June 30th to meet Act 55 Requirements for the 2024-2025 School Year. Please complete them at your earliest convenience. Once complete, use the button below to create your completion certificate email – please remember to download and attach your certificate before submitting. Additional resources are available for both modules below.
