(1) To the extent funds are appropriated, the superintendent of public instruction shall conduct professional development institutes to provide opportunities for teachers, principals, and other school staff to learn effective research-based strategies for handling disruptive students. The institutes shall be conducted during the summer of 2000. The training institutes shall emphasize methods for handling disruptions in regular classrooms and how to design and implement alternative learning settings and programs that have been proven to be effective in providing for the educational needs of students who exhibit frequent and prolonged disruptive behavior when placed in a regular classroom setting.

(2) The superintendent may enter into contracts with public or private entities that provide training in effective research-based methods for dealing with disruptive students. In developing the institutes, the superintendent shall work with school staff who have had experience working effectively with disruptive students. The institutes shall be open to teams of teachers, principals, and other school staff from each school district choosing to participate. However, as a condition of participating in the institutes, school district teams shall be required to develop during or immediately following the institute a district plan for carrying out the purposes of this section. Elementary schools and junior high and middle schools in districts that send teams to participate in institutes conducted under this section are encouraged to formulate school building-level plans for addressing the educational needs of disruptive students and the needs of students and teachers in the regular classrooms for an orderly and disciplined environment that is optimally conducive to learning. Individual participants in the institutes shall agree to provide assistance as needed to other school staff in their school building or school district, consistent with their other normal duties.

(3) Beginning with the 1999-2000 school year, elementary and junior high schools are encouraged to provide staff from both the regular education and special education programs opportunities to work together to share successful practices for managing disruptive students.

Findings—1999 c 166: "The legislature finds that disruptive students can significantly impede effective teaching and learning in the classroom. Training in effective strategies for handling disruptive students will help principals, teachers, and other staff gain additional skills to provide a classroom environment that is conducive to teaching and learning. Schools and school districts should be encouraged to provide staff with the training necessary to respond to disruptions effectively." [ 1999 c 166 s 1.]