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TOPIC: Legislation Related to Student Support & Mental Health in Schools

After passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), we did analyses of how ESSA addresses barriers to learning and teaching. We concluded that, while the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) offers opportunities, it also continues the piecemeal approach to addressing barriers to learning and teaching and re-engaging disconnected students and families. See our analysis:

        >What are States Doing to Help Schools Address Barriers to Learning and Teaching?
           https://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/statelegis.pdf

>How Well Do State Legislatures Focus on Improving School Efforts to Address Barriers to Learning and Teaching & Re‑engage Disconnected Students? https://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/Legisanal.pdf    

To offer an adaptable prototype of a legislative bill that addresses the inadequacies of ESSA with respect to improving how schools address barriers to learning and teaching, over the first few months in 2019, our Center will be contacting legislators in every state about reframing school improvement policy to move from a two to a three component framework.

Specifically: Drawing from the Center's work over many years (as presented in recent books and briefs), we will send key legislators three brief documents:

Listed below is a sampling of legislation currently in place that focuses on student/learning supports, student support professionals, and mental health in schools in a comprehensive, multifaceted, and integrated way. Also included is enacted and proposed legislation that change school policy related to student/learning supports (e.g., braiding or redeploying funds, infrastructure changes, ending corporal punishment).

(Note: Clicking on the following links causes a new window to be opened. To return to this window, close the newly opened one.)

CDC 2017 State School-Based Health Education Law Summary Report

See https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/policy/state_law_summary_reports.htm

From the Education Commission of the States (EDC)

>State Education Policy Tracking
https://www.ecs.org/state-education-policy-tracking/

>State Funding for Student Mental Health (March 2, 2021, Policy Report)
https://www.ecs.org/state-funding-for-student-mental-health/

>Student Mental Health Services Ecosystem (May 10, 2021, Policy Report)
https://www.ecs.org/student-mental-health-services-ecosystem/

>State Approaches to Addressing Student Mental Health (This May 4, 2021 policy brief explores trends in this legislation, with particular attention to how the COVID-19 pandemic has intensified mental health challenges for students.)
https://www.ecs.org/state-approaches-to-addressing-student-mental-health/

>State Information Request: Trends in Student Mental Health (February 26, 2021, information on national and state trends related to student behavioral health, suicide prevention and childhood trauma)
https://www.ecs.org/state-information-request-trends-in-student-mental-health/

The following are examples that were listed before the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Every Student Succeeds Act -- the 2015 reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Act

  • ESSA, Equity of Opportunity, and Addressing Barriers to Learning

    Other Federal Examples

    Some State Examples


    Nebraska
    Nevada
    New Hampshire
    New Jersey
    New York
    North Carolina
    Ohio
    Oklahoma
    Oregon
    Pennsylvania
    Tennessee
    Texas
    Utah
    Vermont

    Virginia
    Washington
    West Virginia
    Wisconsin

    • Other Center Related Links

    Other Links

    Note: Obviously, there is a wide range of legislative activity focused on specific problems and programs related to such matters as bullying and violence, substance abuse, safe schools, before- and after-school, alternative education, parent involvement, service learning, and so forth. Good resources for searching for and tracking such legislation are:

    We hope these resources met your needs. If not, feel free to contact us for further assistance.For additional resources related to this topic, use our search page to find people, organizations, websites and documents.  You may also go to our technical assistance page for more specific technical assistance requests.

    If our website has been helpful, we are pleased and encourage you to use our site or contact our Center in the future.  At the same time, you can do your own technical assistance with "The fine Art of Fishing" which we have developed as an aid for do-it-yourself technical assistance.