(1) The department shall employ or contract with a pilot program coordinator to oversee the implementation of the pilot program across the pilot schools. The pilot program coordinator must be a school social worker who shall work with each pilot school's team of school mental health professionals. The duties of the pilot program coordinator include, at a minimum: (a) Coordinating data collection and program evaluation requirements with the professional program evaluator retained pursuant to subsection (2) of this section; (b) Serving as a contact person and resource for teams of school mental health professionals in the pilot schools; (c) Helping pilot schools identify successful practices for recruiting and retaining mental health professionals; (d) Sharing best practices relating to the pilot program and its implementation at the pilot schools; and (e) Ensuring fidelity to the goals of the pilot program across the pilot schools. (2) (a) The department shall select a professional program evaluator to complete a preliminary evaluation of the pilot program on or before September 1 of the second full school year of implementation of the pilot program and a final evaluation of the pilot program to be completed on or before September 1 immediately following the conclusion of the final school year of the pilot program. Subject to available appropriations or gifts, grants, or donations for the four-year term of the pilot program, the department shall contract with the evaluator in the school year prior to the implementation of the pilot program in the pilot schools to create a process for the collection and transmission of data and information to the evaluator to ensure that the evaluator has the data and information necessary to complete the preliminary and final reports concerning the impact and outcomes of the pilot program. The pilot program evaluator, in conjunction with the department, shall select a group of control schools that have school characteristics and student demographics similar to those of the pilot schools to serve as a control group for purposes of evaluating the impacts and outcomes of the pilot program on participating students and pilot schools. Data collected for pilot schools and control group schools must include data from school climate and healthy schools surveys for any grade in which such surveys have been created. (b) The department shall select a professional program evaluator that has the knowledge and skills necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of services provided by the pilot program and the resulting impacts and outcomes of the pilot program on the student cohorts participating in the pilot program. The department is encouraged, but is not required, to contract with a state institution of higher education to complete the evaluation of the pilot program. (c) The department and the pilot schools shall cooperate fully with the pilot program evaluator's collection and analysis of data and information relating to the pilot program's impact and outcomes. The department, pilot schools, the pilot program coordinator, and the contracted evaluator shall comply with all state and federal laws relating to the confidentiality of academic and medical records of students and shall provide aggregated data where appropriate. (d) The pilot program evaluator shall determine the impact of the pilot program on students' academic, mental, social-emotional, and physical health and well-being. The evaluator shall collect and analyze data relating to student and school outcomes, which outcomes may include: (I) The increase or decrease in students' disciplinary referrals, either within the pilot school, or pilot school's district, if relevant, or with law enforcement, and the increase or decrease in students adjudicated delinquent within the pilot school's district; (II) The increase or decrease in students' lost instruction time due to disciplinary action or visits to the school nurse or school counselor; (III) The increase or decrease in excused and unexcused absences and truancy; (IV) The increase or decrease in overall student performance on statewide assessments, by grade; (V) The increase or decrease in the student cohorts' grade point average, by grade; (VI) The increase in access to supportive services for students and their families, as evidenced by: (A) An increase in the number or percentage of students identified as eligible for free or reduced-price meals, by grade; (B) An increase in employment outcomes for students' families; (C) An increase or decrease in students' food security as demonstrated by an increase or decrease in the number or percentage of students participating in the federal supplemental nutrition assistance program; (D) An increase or decrease in the number or percentage of eligible students accessing public benefits; (E) An increase or decrease in the pilot schools' awareness of or involvement with domestic violence or child abuse issues affecting students; (F) Impact on the school's learning environment and changes to the school climate during the operation of the pilot program and evaluation of school climate; (G) The reduction in adverse childhood experiences or the positive resolution of adverse childhood experiences, if available; (H) The reduction in youth suicide and attempted suicide; and (VII) Any other relevant data and information relating to pilot program outcomes and impacts as determined by the pilot program evaluator.
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