(a)
If a local educational agency expends funds for professional development for any schoolsite staff, the local educational agency shall consider the needs of its classified school employees.
(b)
For purposes of this article, the following terms have the following meanings:
(1)
“Classified school employee” means a person employed on a full-time or a part-time basis as a classified school employee at a community college, a public school, a charter school, or a county office of education.
(2)
“Local educational agency” means a school district, a county office of education, a
charter school, or a community college district.
(c)
Professional development training for classified school employees to update their skills and to learn best practices may include, but is not limited to, any of the following:
(1)
Pupil learning and achievement, including all of the following:
(A)
Training for paraprofessionals to assist teachers and administrators to improve the academic achievement of pupils.
(B)
Training to ensure the curriculum frameworks and instructional materials are aligned to the common core standards.
(C)
Training in the management and use of state and local pupil data to improve pupil learning.
(D)
Training on the best practices in the appropriate interventions and assistance to at-risk pupils.
(2)
Pupil and campus safety, including training and staff development in the latest and best practices for pupil safety and campus safety.
(3)
Education technology, including management strategies and best practices regarding the use of education technology to improve pupil performance.
(4)
School facility maintenance and operations, including new research and best practices in the operation and maintenance of school facilities, such as green technology and energy efficiency, that help reduce the use and the cost of energy at schoolsites.
(5)
Special education, including training and staff development on the best practices to meet the needs
of special education pupils, and to comply with any new state and federal mandates.
(6)
School transportation and bus safety, including training and staff development on the best practices and standards for pupil transportation.
(7)
Parent involvement, including training and staff development to enhance the ability of a school to increase parent involvement at schoolsites.
(8)
Food service, including training and staff development on new research and findings for food preparation to provide nutritional meals and food management.
(9)
Health, counseling, and nursing services, including training and staff development on the latest and best practices for pupil health care and counseling needs.
(10)
Environmental safety, including training and staff development on pesticides and other possibly toxic substances so that they may be safely used at schoolsites.