March 2024 Safety Newsletter
KEEPING YOU IN THE KNOW
Legal Disclaimer
Vendor Fair 8:00 - 9:00 a.m. Before the Conference Starts!
This Vendor Fair will allow you to visit with our Region 10 Safety 1st Conference sponsors that support school safety. Please join us!
Breakfast and Lunch will be Served
The Safety 1st Conference is committed to providing training and workshops to assist our schools with providing a safe and secure school environment for our children and staff. Superintendents, school police chiefs, directors, staff and leadership face unprecedented social changes, potential targeted acts of violence and catastrophic events in our nation’s schools. In this one-day school safety conference, Region 10 will be bringing together some of the country’s most experienced school safety experts in their field to discuss multiple topics on this subject.
* This session is free to all Districts/Private Schools and Charter Schools who have purchased the Region 10 Administrative Services Package. All non-Region 10 participants will pay $150.00 per person for this event.
National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week March 18-24, 2024
The National Institute on Drug Abuse will recognize March 18-24, 2024 as National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week. The week encourages dialogue about the science of drug use and addiction among youth. The goal is to improve prevention and awareness of substance misuse in local communities and nationwide. Subscribe to find free resources and start planning activities.
School Safety Compliance
ISD Police Report Requirement Due March 1
- Texas Occupations Code 1701.164 specifies that TCOLE collect incident-based data in accordance with the Code of Criminal Procedure Article 2.131 – 2.138 . Chief administrators of law enforcement agencies that meet the criteria must submit racial profiling reports to their governing body, as well as TCOLE.
- Prepare the Racial Profiling Report
- Report must be included as a board meeting agenda item before being submitted to TCOLE.
The Reporting options are:
- Exempt - Agencies that do not routinely make motor vehicle stops should fill out the 1 page online exempt status form. The exempt status report contains agency general public contact information for questions about its racial profiling filing status. Some agencies are not required to file annual reports. A statistical analysis is not required on EXEMPT STATUS.
- Full Reporting - Agencies that routinely perform traffic stops or motor vehicle stops must file by online report. The online report requires the completion of agency general public contact information and requires completion of both:
- An online form about the numbers of motor vehicles stops made and
- uploading a separate PDF comparative analysis document containing a statistical analysis of its motor vehicle stops compared to the gender and ethnic population of the agency's reporting area. The second document must also contain a statement as to if racial profiling complaints were made against the agency and if so, a listing of all racial profiling complaints and the corresponding resolutions. Click here for more information
Please be advised that failure to submit the required report within the designated reporting period may result in license action against the chief administrator and/or civil penalties against the agency under CCP 2.134(g) and 2.1385(a), respectively.
For questions, please contact your agency's Field Service Agent. Click here to find your FSA
- https://www.tcole.texas.gov/content/racial-profiling-reports
Fall, 2024 EOP Annex Submission
- TxSSC released the Cybersecurity Toolkit and Cybersecurity Workshop (under development). This will be the only area audited in the EOP Fall 2024 as it is a large lift for school districts. It is recommended that ESC coordinate with their safety/security and technology departments to provide comprehensive support to their districts.
Cybersecurity Resources for K-12 Schools
REMS - Cybersecurity Considerations for K-12 Schools and School Districts Online Training
REMS - Cybersecurity Considerations for K-12 Schools and School Districts Fact Sheet
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Cyber Threats to K-12 Remote Learning Fact Sheet
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Stop Ransomware
Staff and Student Presentations by Safe School Institute
Safe School Institute/Crime Stoppers is offering TEA approved, TEKS aligned, free year-round one-stop center for all aspects of school safety that works to keep schools safe across Texas. Presentations are available for faculty, parents, and students. There are face-to-face and virtual training/presentation options. Safe School Institute - one-pager | Menu of Services
DOJ: Law Enforcement’s Response to Uvalde School Massacre a ‘Significant Failure
Report cites poor campus security and lack of pre-incident preparation as contributing to the poor response to the Uvalde shooting. Campus Safety Magazine, 1.18.24.
In this two-part Learning Lab episode, host Brian Clason explores how AI is playing in Waco ISD’s ongoing journey to improve school safety in the wake of a 2022 active shooter hoax and the discovery of weapons at Waco High School in early 2023.
In part two, host Brian Closson sits down with Liberty Hill ISD's Chief of Schools to discuss the role AI is playing in Liberty Hill ISD's ongoing journey to improve safety.
Substance Use Prevention
Texas Say What! Action Summit Registration
The Texas School Safety Center is hosting several Say What! Action summits during the spring. Summits utilize service learning to train 6th-grade through 12th-grade students in effective tobacco prevention activities aimed at reducing the harmful effects of tobacco, nicotine, and e-cigarette use in Texas. Each summit also includes a local community action event which each participant receives community service hours for. View summit dates and register.
Health and Human Services
Access resources that you can include in your emails to staff, parents, and even push out to high school students about the ongoing opioid epidemic. The resource page is full of videos, handouts you can download, and powerful stories. Working together, we can help educate our students to make safe, healthy choices! Access resources.
Mental Health + Well-Being
A Comprehensive Approach to Suicide Prevention + Behavioral Threat Assessment
Suicide Safer Schools Roadmap
Safety Planning Intervention Training
New Dates! - April 24, July 25 and October 24!
Texas HHSC is offering free safety planning intervention training! Contact suicide.prevention@hhs.texas.gov for more information.
Trauma-Informed Care Workshop for Educators
The Texas School Safety Center is hosting virtual training for Trauma Informed Care throughout Spring of 2024. Attendees will learn about the role of mental health in daily functioning, how trauma impacts the brain, the importance of unrecognized executive function deficits, and the role neuro-diverse difficulties play in student behavior. Throughout the workshop, participants will be provided with strategies that can be implemented in a school and/or classroom setting to support all learners through a trauma-informed perspective. Register for the Elementary (K-5) or Secondary (6-12) training.
Events + Resources
- TEA Supportive Schools Division and Project AWARE monthly webinars
Discipline
Behavior Threat Assessment
- Records Transfers - Click Here | Guidance Video |TXSSC Guidance Checklist
- See TASB Board Policy - FD (Legal) and FDA (Legal)
TREx Users
The TREx version 5.5 of the Data Standards were updated on the TEA website Tuesday, January 9, 2024. Section 2.15 includes the new subsection 2.15.1 Safe and Supportive Schools that provides guidance when sending documentation on a student’s disciplinary record and Behavioral Threat Assessment to the receiving LEA. No other changes were made to the Data Standards. As a result, the XSD schema for version 5.5. remains the same as version 5.4.1.
The 2023-2024 TREx version 5.5 Data Standards, TREx Training - User Guides, and Video Tutorials are available on the TEA Texas Records Exchange (TREx) website. If you have any questions, send an email to trex@tea.texas.gov.
Student Discipline Virtual Professional Development Training
Restorative Discipline Practices
Dr. Gaye Lang has launched a brand-new series, Restorative Practices Made Simple: Families as Partners, a video series dedicated to empowering parents with the tools needed for effective communication and Restorative Practices at home. This series is designed to align home environments with the restorative approaches taught in schools, ensuring a consistent and supportive experience for children. It focuses on providing parents with resources and strategies to foster better understanding and relationships with their children, emphasizing the importance of collaboration between families and educational institutions. Watch episode 1: After-School Professional Development, Restorative Practices Made Simple: Families as Partners (youtube.com) featuring Jake Shirley's experience with implementing restorative practices in Athens ISD. The video outlines how these practices have led to a reduction in discipline issues and increased parental involvement in behavioral management. It explains the concept of "code-switching," where students adapt their behavior between school and home. Additionally, it highlights the importance of bilingual training and "I-Messaging" in fostering a cohesive learning environment. The video serves as a practical guide for educators, parents, and administrators interested in adopting these practices. Bring Restorative Discipline Practices to your schools. Register for upcoming RDP trainings at RDP Training Information. If the training you plan to attend is FULL, please check back. New training dates are updated monthly.
School Safety Funding
Grants
TEA Released two TAAs concerning school safety and security today.
- February 15, 2024, FY23 School Safety Allotment Data Collection
- February 15, 2024, Safety and Facilities Enhancement (SAFE) Grant Cycle 2 Information
If you have any questions, please reach out to safeschools@tea.texas.gov.
- February 15, 2024, FY23 School Safety Allotment Data Collection
The 88th Texas Legislative Session appropriated $1.1B to support school systems in meeting the adopted School Safety Standards. SAFE Grant Cycle 2 will award over $280M from the overall legislative appropriation to local educational agencies (LEAs) through a formula grant process. LEAs will receive funding on a per pupil basis with a minimum grant allocation.
The SAFE Cycle 2 funding is designed to help LEAs meet the required safety standards. If an LEA has already met the required safety standards, the funding may be used for other statutory school safety requirements and allowable expenses. The grant application will open on March 28, 2024.
Eligibility
LEAs meeting the enrollment criteria below are eligible to apply for this grant program:
- Public school districts and charter schools with a reported enrollment of at least one student from the October 2023 PEIMS fall snapshot submission will be eligible for funding.
- Charter schools that opened prior to January 1, 2024 (the date of grant availability).
- Private schools are not eligible recipients for funding.
SAFE Grant Cycle 2 Webinars
To support LEAs through the Compliance Assessment and Cycle 2 grants process, TEA will be hosting a series of webinars in March. Please click the link below to sign up for a webinar. Note: webinar attendance is optional.
Physical Health
Free Lead Testing in Schools and Child Care Facilities
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)’s Lead Testing in School and Child Care (LTSCC) Program is a voluntary statewide program that offers free lead testing to public schools and regulated childcare facilities. The program’s goal is to help reduce childhood exposure to lead in drinking water. Water sample kits are provided to all enrolled schools, and every water outlet that children use for drinking, teeth brushing, or food preparation at no cost. Support is available if elevated lead levels are detected. For more information, please visit the program webpage, email info@txleadtesting.org, or call the program helpline at (737) 276-1987.
Seizure Management and Treatment Form is Now Available
88th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, 2023, amended TEC §38.032 requiring TEA to post on the agency’s website a form to be used to submit a seizure management and treatment plan that includes specific information and the signatures of the student’s parent or guardian and the physician responsible for the student’s seizure treatment.
This change in law only applies to a seizure management and treatment plan submitted to a school district or open-enrollment charter school on or after January 1, 2024. The final version of the required form to be used for submitting this information can be found under the Announcements section of the Healthy and Safe School Environment of the Coordinated School Health Model webpage. For questions related to the form, please contact healthandsafety@tea.texas.gov.
Vision, Hearing, and Spinal Screening Reporting Period Open
The Vision, Hearing and Spinal Screening (VHSS) Reporting period began on January 15, 2024. Report results are required to be submitted to the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) online through the Child Health Reporting System (CHRS) by June 30th of each year. The last day to submit your report for this school year is June 30, 2024. After June 30th, the reporting system will shut down and late reporting cannot be submitted. Visit the Vision and Hearing Screening webpage for more details.
TAAIS Memorial Foundation Asthma Scholarship Award
The Texas Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Society (TAAIS) Memorial Foundation is pleased to announce the 2024 TAAIS Memorial Foundation Asthma Scholarship Award. This $3,000 one-time award will be granted to up to five qualified high school seniors in Texas who suffer from Asthma. Applications are due on March 1, 2024.
School Safety Resources
Just Released! TEA Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness & Human Trafficking Webinar Series
March 1 | After the Report: Screening and Investigation | Registration Zoom Link
Educators are in a unique position to recognize, report and help to prevent child abuse and human trafficking. Educators are vital in recognizing the warning signs of abused or neglected students and guiding potential victims to available resources and support. This webinar series is a collaboration of state and regional agencies to assist and support school leaders with fulfilling their mandated duties and requirements concerning child abuse and neglect and promoting the well-being and safety of all Texas school students. All Zoom meetings will be held from 10:30-11:30 am. They are open to all ESCs, Districts, and Community Partners. Click Here for Registration and/or Print for Distribution.
School Safety Trainings
Safety & Security Roundtable Series (VIRTUAL)
The Safety & Security Roundtable Series are developed to bring District Leadership, School Safety & Security Professionals, School Based Law Enforcement and school district stakeholders together to keep our LEAs informed of training requirements, legislative updates and trends affecting school safety. The goals of the roundtables are to:
- Explore critical safety issues facing schools
- Identify potential threats, risks or trends
- Examine potential solutions
- Information Sharing
- Collaborate with local, county & state partnerships
- Improve the climate of school safety
Graduation Safety Planning & Legal Considerations for Open Carry and School Events
THIS WILL BE A VIRTUAL SESSION
March 5, 2024
9am-11am
This roundtable will consider working on safety planning and violence prevention for graduation events and the legal considerations for open carry and school events.
UPCOMING SCHOOL SAFETY CONFERENCES
The conference registration, hotel reservation link, call for presenters, call for exhibitors, and detailed conference information will be posted in mid-January 2024. For more information contact Cynthia J. Arredondo at cj19@txstate.edu.