March, 2023
District Newsletter
March 8 - DARtool Survey from TxSSC
TxSSC has sent an email to all Superintendents about the upcoming District Audit Reports (the Safety Audit report. To ensure all Superintendents receive the DARtool information, the TxSSC is updating the contact database for all Texas ISDs. Please use the link and access code in the email to complete a brief survey to verify the accuracy of your district contact information.
March 17 - Title IV, Part A Special Data Collection
March 17 Deadline. See TIVA section below in the newsletter.
TAA dated 2.2.23 - Title IV, Part A - LEA Special Data Collection
April 14 - DARtool Access email will be sent to Superintendents
TxSSC will email Superintendents a link and unique access code to the online District Audit Reporting Tool (DARtool). Districts may begin reporting audit results at any time after receiving the DARtool link and access code. If you have any questions, please contact the TxSSC at txssc_audit_info@txstate.edu. Information due on September 15, 2023.
June 2 - Health Survey
Information in TEA correspondence. Districts and open-enrollment charters must complete the 2022-2023 survey on or before 5:00 pm (CDT) on Friday, June 2, 2023. For questions related to the school health survey, please email healthandsafety@tea.texas.gov.
June 9 - Fitness Assessment Deadline
End of June, 2023 - SSSP Data Collection to TEA
Summer PEIMS Submission
PEIMS Discipline Code- If a student discipline results in a change of placement, it will ask if a Behavioral Threat Assessment was conducted.
August 1 - School Safety Standards Grant Application | ERRATA
Errata #1 Notice: 2022-2025 School Safety and Security Formula Grant Program.
- Preaward date changed to June 1, 2022
- Clarified what is meant by expend "all" of your 2019-2021 School Safety and Security Grant funds
- Added vestibules as an allowable activity under Other Allowable Items (after minimal compliance with School Safety Standards Rule has been met)
August 31 - Deadline - District Audit Cycle Ends
All Independent School Districts (ISDs) that own, lease, or directly operate/manage facilities are required by Texas Education Code 37.108 to complete safety and security audits of all district facilities.
September 15 - DAR Report Due
Districts are required to report specified audit results to the Texas School Safety Center (TxSSC)
WARNING: State grants could create Title IVA supplant issues.
To Locate a District/Charter FY 2022 School Safety Allotment Funding Amount
Go to Summary of Finances Report. Under Report, choose "Summary of Finances."
Choose the 2021-2022 school year, enter your County District Number or District Name, and then click the submit button.
Choose the most recent report and view it as either HTML, PDF, or Excel
Find your district's amount on Line 33 - School Safety Allotment 42.168
The District/Charter should report only the total amount received in the School Safety Allotment funds for FY 2022 on the survey. Contact safeschools@tea.texas.gov for questions.
SPAT Grant
Retroactive until June 28, 2022
2022-2025 School Safety Standards Grant
School Safety Standards Overview PPT - AKA Facilities Rules
Errata #1 Notice: 2022-2025 School Safety and Security Formula Grant Program
- The grant allows for pre-award for items purchased on or after June 1, 2022.
- Cannot use 2022-2025 funds until 2019-2021 School Safety Grant funts are spent down below 15%.
- The grant allows for pre-award for items purchased on or after June 1, 2022.
- Must meet all state requirements before considering other allowable activities (ex. safety vestibule)
TiVA School Safety State Initiative School Safety Standards Checklist
Intruder Detection Audit Findings Report - Fall 2022
Texas School Safety center has released its Intruder Detection Audit Findings Report for Fall 2022.
Human Trafficking
TEA Human Trafficking Webinar Series | March 3 | 10:30 am | Technology and Trafficking | Zoom Link
NEW - Child Exploitation Webpage
New Tool - "Take It Down"
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is officially launching an exciting new tool for survivors of online child sexual abuse. The groundbreaking platform, aptly named, Take It Down, allows users from around the world to submit a case to help remove nude, partially nude, or sexually explicit photos and videos depicting a child under 18 years old from the surfaces of participating electronic service providers.
Please share this with the parents and trusted adults in your life and encourage them to do the same, to help us expand on programs like Take it Down and reach even more at-risk teens.
Dating Violence
This is an issue that impacts everyone – not just teens – but their parents, teachers, friends and communities as well. Together, we can raise the nation’s awareness about teen dating violence and promote safe, healthy relationships. Check out these resources!
Psychological First Aid Training at ESCs
Contact your ESC for Psychological First Aid training. This workshop is designed to teach participants about their role as a provider after a disaster. PFA is also a required training of the members of the Safety and Security Team at each district, district school counselors and mental health professionals, educators and other district personnel as determined by the district. Some ESCs may not offer this course face-to-face.
Texas School Safety Center
- In each episode our hosts and expert guests analyze and highlight the challenges and successes of improving Texas youth safety and security. Topics covered to date include bullying, emergency operations planning, child trafficking, the opioid crisis, and more.
2023 Youth Preparedness Camp Team Application Now Available
- Engaging, fun, and effective experience in empowering youth to not only educate and inform their peers and community members about the importance of being prepared, but to serve as a key leader during an emergency!
- Free. July 0-13. | Texas State University, San Marcus
School and community-based youth groups who want to attend camp MUST be in grades 9-12 and submit an application and video that showcases how coming to camp will create a culture of preparedness in their school and/or community. To learn more about Youth Preparedness Camp and application instructions, click here.
The deadline to apply and submit the video is April 19, 2023 by 12 p.m. CT. Applicants will be notified of their status by April 26, 2023 with next steps for registering, if selected.
SBOE School Safety Training for Newly Elected Board Members
SBOE School Safety Training is available on TEA Learn. Trustees who complete the training receive a certificate of completion from TEA Learn. School districts must maintain verification of completion of the school safety training for each of their trustees. Newly elected trustees who did not complete the training prior to their election have 120 days from the date of their election or appointment to complete the training. For TEA Learn technical support, please use this link: TEA Learn Technical Support. If you have questions about the training, please contact a member of the TEA governance team at (512) 936-1533 or via email at schoolgovernance@tea.texas.gov.
Peace Officer Interaction Course - Graduation Requirement
Flashing Lights: Creating Safe Interactions Between Citizens and Law Enforcement is a product of the Texas Community Safety Education Act (Senate Bill 30), passed by the 85th Texas Legislature. The goal of the act is to define the behavior and expectations of citizens and law enforcement during traffic interactions. Click here for the FAQ from Senate Bill 30, Community Safety Education Act. Click here to learn more about the course.
PAX Good Behavior Game
PAX Good Behavior Game is an evidence-based strategy for teaching self-regulation skills.
- Their goal was to train 1200 educators and they are exceeding that goal by 20%.
- They have two programs, one for educators and another for leadership. The program is fully funded for Texans, and includes an app for the game, posters, and other materials. More information can be found at www.texasgoodbehaviorgame.org
2022-2023 School Health Survey is now available.
Additional information regarding the survey and the link to participate are provided in TEA correspondence. Districts and open-enrollment charters must complete the 2022-2023 survey on or before 5:00 pm (CDT) on Friday, June 2, 2023. For questions related to the school health survey, please email healthandsafety@tea.texas.gov.
Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Website Redesign
The DSHS launched a new website on December 9, 2022. Please note the School Health Programs webpages were redesigned and have a new look. If you have bookmarked the School Health Program or the School Immunizations webpages, please update them with the new links. If you have trouble locating information, please contact school health programs by emailing schoolhealth@dshs.texas.gov.
TEA and HHSC Fentanyl Awareness Toolkits
Toolkits to assist school systems with educating their schools and communities on the growing dangers of this lethal opioid. For more information, please visit the TEA Fentanyl Response Communications Toolkit webpage and the HHSC Fighting Fentanyl webpage.Say What! Escape the Vape-This digital kit has everything you need to host your own escape room! Participants must escape the clutches of tobacco industry executives in under 30 minutes to avoid being the next guinea pig for new tobacco products!
Vaping and E-Cigarettes: A Toolkit for Working with Youth
Substance Use Prevention Communications Toolkit for Youth 12-18
YOUR VOICE COUNTS when it comes to preventing substance use in youth. This toolkit teaches effective ways to communicate and make your voice heard. As educators, caregivers, public safety professionals, healthcare professionals, and prevention professionals, we all have a role in preventing onset and escalation of substance use in youth aged 12-18. See Toolkit here.
Dead on Arrival - Opioid Fentanyl Awareness
The intent of this lesson is to bring awareness of the synthetic opioid fentanyl and its devastating impact on individuals, families, and the community. This lesson also provides an important opportunity to educate students about the potency of fentanyl and the dangers of using naloxone (Narcan) as a safety net in the event of an overdose; allowing them to make informed decisions when faced with a fentanyl or substance misuse scenario. Lesson provided by the Texas National Guard Joint Counterdrug Task Force.
2023 TEA Mental and Behavioral Health Webinar Series
The Texas Education Agency Mental and Behavioral Health Team and Project AWARE Texas will be hosting a series of monthly webinars on timely and relevant school mental health topics including substance use/abuse prevention, school and community partnerships, parent engagement, and school safety.
2nd Wednesday of each month from 11:00 am – 12:00 pm (CST) via Zoom. Select the date below to register for each webinar:
March 8, 2023 Topic: Accessing Resources Using the School Mental Health Database
March 8, 2023 | April 12, 2023 | May 10, 2023 | June 14, 2023
Restorative Practices for Educators
The Texas School Safety Center (TxSSC) is hosting Restorative Practices for Educators training in various locations around Texas. In this four-hour session, participants will discuss why restorative practices are a proactive and reactive tool that campuses should have in their intervention toolbox. To register for a training, please visit the Restorative Practices for Educators training webpage.
ACEs Training for Educators
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention is now offering ACEs training for educators. To take the training, please visit the ACEs Training Module webpage. For additional information and tools about ACEs, please visit the CDC's ACEs webpage.
Suicide Prevention Training for District Leaders
Trauma-Informed Care Training - Road to Recovery
Road to Recovery is a Trauma-Informed Care master training that is free and accessible online to all Texans via NCTSN.org. The training curriculum is available in English/Spanish.
- Sign up for the learning center on the website to access
- Reach out to Holly if you have further questions Holly.Fullmer@hhs.texas.gov
Texas Child Health Access Through Telemedicine (TCHATT)
For more information about TCHATT see this PowerPoint.
YAM - Youth Aware of Mental Health
Youth Aware of Mental health, also known as YAM, is a school-based program for young people ages 13 to 17, in which they learn about and explore the topic of mental health. YAM is an evidence-based program taking place in classrooms around the world. Students actively engage with the topic of mental health through role-play and student-led discussions.
- Education and Outreach Services | Edu-Services@ttuhsc.edu | (806) 743-3026
Calming Spaces in Schools and Classrooms
“Giving children the tools to understand how to recognize what’s going on with them, then how to respond—especially to be able to calm their bodies down— truly is healing. . . . It could be as simple as 15 minutes in a quiet area to get back to self-regulation. That’s a way to work with a child’s biology instead of working against the child’s biology.” – Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, Former California Surgeon General, in a 2020 Edutopia Interview.
School Mental Health Resource Database
Are you looking for resources in your school community to promote mental health and wellness? Explore this tool that includes resources recently identified by ESCs, TEA and partners across the state to support your school, students and their families. Bookmark the site below as resources will be updated on an ongoing basis. https://schoolmentalhealthtxdatabase.org/
Coming Soon! - ACET Conference in San Marcos
- Register now for April 26-28 in San Marcos
- Register on Website
Deadline for TIVA Special Data Collection for Public Reporting – Program Objectives and Intended Outcomes
Deadline for LEA data submission March 17, 2023. - TEA is required to collect and publicly report how all LEA Title IV, Part A, Subpart 1 funds are being expended per content areas by Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) and the degree to which progress has been made toward meeting program objectives and intended outcomes. All LEAs that applied for Title IV, Part A, Subpart 1 program funds in 2022-2023 are required to report the information requested. TEA will take a phased-in approach to launch the Title IV, Part A Special Data Collection. During the first phase of the collection, LEAs will provide Title IV, Part A Program Objectives and Intended Outcomes for the 2022-2023 school year. The Federal Program Compliance Division will collect the requested information using the Smartsheet WorkApp system.
- TIVA SSSI Checklist for Writing Program Objectives and Intended Outcomes
LEA Special Data Collection for Public Reporting · Handbook (1/5/2023)
Legal Disclaimer: This information in this newsletter is intended solely to provide general information and guidance and reflects the Title IVA School Safety State Initiative current understanding of the topics and applicable state and federal guidance. The content is subject to change as a result of additional information and guidance provided by state and federal agencies with regulatory oversight. ESCs and LEAs may choose to seek legal counsel regarding the information and guidance.