April 2024 Safety Newsletter
KEEPING YOU IN THE KNOW
Legal Disclaimer
April 17, 2024
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 Child Abuse Prevention Month 2024
2024 Theme "Building A Hopeful Future, Together"
National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April 2024 continues its critical mission to raise awareness and foster a safer environment for children across the nation. This annual observance emphasizes the importance of communities working together to support families and reduce the risk of child abuse and neglect. Throughout the month, various organizations, government agencies, and individuals engage in educational campaigns, workshops, and events designed to highlight the importance of preventing child abuse, promoting the well-being of children, and providing the necessary resources and support systems to help families thrive. By wearing blue ribbons, participating in awareness activities, and sharing educational materials, people across the country unite in a collective effort to protect our most vulnerable population and build a foundation of nurturing relationships and safe environments where all children can grow and succeed.
SAFE Grant Cycle 2
SAFE Grant Cycle 2 Launches on March 28th
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.
In case you were unable to attend the optional webinars provided by TEA, they also shared a recording and slide deck for your review. Please view below:
SAFE Grant Cycle 2 Upcoming Office Hours
Safe and Supportive School Program Data Reporting
The overarching goal of the Safe and Supportive School Program (SSSP) is to provide students with safe and supportive learning environments by improving school climate, supporting the behavioral, emotional, and mental health needs of students through a multitiered system of supports, and through the behavioral threat assessment process. School systems should develop strategies to ensure that staff are trained in these elements of the SSSP. SSSP teams are required to report their activities annually for each of the campuses they serve. The data reporting window for the 2023-2024 school year is June 1, 2024, to June 30, 2024. SSSP teams can prepare for data reporting by reviewing the data reporting questions for the 2023-2024 school year. The TEA has also provided a data collection instrument that will assist SSSP team in collecting the required data. Questions regarding the Safe and Supportive School Program and SSSP data reporting can be addressed to safeandsupportiveschoolprogram
School Safety Funding
District Vulnerability Assessment
The Office of School Safety and Security will offer two webinars that will provide a high-level overview of the What, Where, When, Why, Who, and How of District Vulnerability Assessments.
- Participants Must:
- Be Superintendents and/or their school safety designee.
- Have a registered Zoom account for verification and authentication purposes.
- Register using their district email address.
Need an MOU with your local Law Enforcement?
These templates are provided as samples only. Districts should contact their legal counsel to determine if this meets their district needs.
Attorney General Releases School Safety Guidance and Makes OAG Training Available to SROs read the advisory, click here.
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.
Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies | REMS
REMS are designed to reinforce behaviors and actions that support safe schools.
- Visit the REMS TA Center Calendar to find trainings, web chats, conferences, and other stakeholder activities and events on comprehensive school safety topics for K-12 and higher ed practitioners. All events featured are FREE to participate in and range fro
- The Role of Superintendents in School Safety Efforts Webinar
Thursday, March 14 at 12:30 p.m. ET - Parent-School Partnerships: Encourage effective communication between parents and guardians, teachers, and school administrators to contribute to school safety programs.
- Timeless School Safety Strategies Fact Sheet
- Adult Sexual Misconduct in Schools
- More Safety Resources
Substance Use Prevention
Opioid and Substance Use - Updated TSHAC Resources
The TSHAC has updated both the Health Education for All Texas Students K-12 Grade and the Opioid and Substance Use Prevention Resource for Texas Schools documents, which are now posted online. Visit the Research and Recommendations developed by TSHAC and Resources created by TSHAC webpages to view these documents, alongside all other resources developed and updated by TSHAC.
"Talk. They Hear You."®
Use materials from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) national youth substance use prevention campaign. Help parents and caregivers, educators, and community members get informed, be prepared, and take action to prevent underage drinking and other substance use.
Know the Risks: E-Cigarettes and Young People
The U.S. Surgeon General released an Advisory on E-cigarette Use Among Youth. Know the Risks: E-Cigarettes & Young People website helps address how harmful e-cigarettes can be to the health of youth and young adults. Web information includes e-cigarette trends among youth, the risks of e-cigarette use, and other resources.
Community Kit and Resources
The Texas School Safety Center Community Prevention Program released a new spring community kit. The kit includes links to online training and resources, which can be used to assist schools and community-based organizations in their efforts to educate youth and young adults about the dangers of all commercialized tobacco products. Access these free materials and share them with community members.
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.
Checklist for Suicide Prevention, Intervention, + Postvention Planning
Texas Advancing Suicide SAFER Schools Roadmap
(Clickable Link Below)
Re-Entry Plans and the Law for school districts that have students returning to campus after hospitalizations or suicide attempts. More information TEC 38.351(i)(5)(A-B) and FFEB legal and local policy.
Suicide Care Texas Toolkit
Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) and the Texas Institute for Excellence in Mental Health have updated their mental health toolkit. The updates include increased guidance on best practices, practical guidance on implementing the elements of Zero Suicide, and examples from organizations on their implementation plans utilizing this framework. To view the full update, visit the Suicide Care in Texas Toolkit. To view additional resources, visit the resources webpage and scroll to the bottom for downloadable documents.
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)
2023 Discipline Data Validation Compliance Reviews
On Thursday, February 29, 2024, the notification To the Administrator Addressed (TAA) announced the 2023 Discipline Data Validation Compliance Reviews. The 2023 Discipline Data Validation Manual outlined seven indicators. LEAs may retrieve a copy of their PBM 2023 Discipline Data Validation (DDV) report to determine if any 2023 indicators were triggered by logging into the Texas Education Agency Login (TEAL) portal to access the Accountability application.
The Data Reporting Compliance Unit (DRCU) made DDV compliance review forms available to LEAs for download from the Intervention, Stage, and Activity Manager (ISAM) application accessible through TEAL on March 5, 2024. LEAs will have a 2023 Discipline Data Reporting Compliance Review form to complete for each indicator triggered. For questions about the reports, indicators, or their calculations, contact the PBM Unit at (512) 463-9704 or PBM@tea.texas.gov.
Student Discipline Virtual Professional Development Training: The TEA Student Discipline Training registration is now offered through TEA. The training is intended for administrators and PEIMS personnel covering discipline policy, procedures, and data requirements. This is the original training in which registration was held through the ESCs. You can register by clicking the following link: Student Discipline Professional Development Training for Administrators and PEIMS Personnel.
Physical Health
Eating Disorders in Teenagers
Many teenagers report feeling negative about their bodies and for some, anxieties about appearance morph into eating disorders. It may start with impulsive efforts to diet, which can lead to extreme restriction, or out-of-control eating, or both. For parents it can be tough to tell what’s going on because kids often hide their behavior from their families, and even their friends.
National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, and we’re rounding up resources from childmind.org about eating disorders — how to tell when a teenager may be developing a problem, and how the most effective form of treatment works. Some disorders are hard to spot because kids who have them don’t look exceptionally thin, even if they’re seriously damaging their health. That includes kids with bulimia, binge eating disorder, and atypical anorexia. While the majority of eating disorders still occur in girls, boys are increasingly developing them as they restrict eating to minimize body fat and obsessively work out to increase muscle mass. Read more here.
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.
2023-2024 Physical Fitness Assessment—Deadline June 14, 2024
The Texas Education Code, Sections 38.101 and 38.103, requires that each school district and charter school annually assess the fitness level of all public school students in grades 3–12 enrolled in physical education course or any physical education substitute course or activity. School districts and open-enrollment charter schools are required to submit the results of the physical fitness assessment to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) each school year. For the 2023-2024 school year, districts and charter schools may submit their data through one of three options, FitnessGram®, the Physical Fitness Assessment Initiative (PFAI) application, or other vendor collection tool.
School Safety Resources
Just Released! TEA Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness & Human Trafficking Webinar Series
May 3 | Internet & Social Media Safety Awareness | 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
Summer Safety Readiness and Guidelines
THIS WILL BE A VIRTUAL SESSION
May 15, 2024
9am-11am
This roundtable will focus on summer safety readiness for Fall campus return, School Safety & Security Committee planning guidelines, and required staff safety trainings.
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.