June 2024 Safety Newsletter

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

THIS WILL BE A VIRTUAL SESSION

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

August 20, 2024

9am-11am

This roundtable will focus on intruder detection process and how to address findings from the audits and other safety and security topics.

The goal of the Active Shooter Exercise Development Workshop is to provide individuals with knowledge, skills, and abilities to lead an Active Shooter Tabletop Exercise. Past active shooter events have proven the need for realistic exercises delivered in the community. This course answers that need by providing a train the trainer (TtT) course on how to design and deliver a tabletop exercise (TTX). This course will also provide template materials needed to deliver five (5) different TTXs, with one (1) of the five TTXs delivered in the afternoon of the training day.

Targeted Audience: First responders, emergency managers, security directors, school-based law enforcement, superintendents, school administrators, school counselors, and elected or appointed officials.

Date: June 3, 2024

Location: 400 E. Spring Valley Rd. Richardson, TX, 75081

Time: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Register for the free training through the Texas A & M Extension Services website - Sign up here.

Wednesday, June 5, 2024 10:00 a.m. Central Time (11:00 a.m. EDT)

THIS IS NOT A TACTICAL TRAINING COURSE

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Region 6 (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas) invites you to join a two-hour security webinar to enhance your organization’s resilience in case of an active shooter incident.

Preparing employees for a potential active shooter event is an integral component of an organization’s incident response planning. Because active shooter incidents are unpredictable and evolve quickly, preparing for and knowing what to do in an active shooter situation can be the difference between life and death. Every second counts.

Objectives

 Provide information about best practices, communications protocols, and resources that will assist stakeholders to develop or enhance their emergency planning, preparedness, and response to active shooter incidents.

 Discuss the elements of active shooter incident response planning with guidance from expert instructors.

 Describe common behaviors, conditions, and situations associated with active shooter events.

 Discuss how to recognize potential workplace violence indicators.

Agenda Overview

 Recognition: Defining the threat

 Prevention: Strategies to help prevent an incident

 Protection: Security measure considerations

 Mitigation: Actions to minimize consequences

 Response: Options/Expectations during an incident

 Recovery: Transitioning to a “new normal”

 Introduction to Emergency Action Plan Development

For information and resources visit: cisa.gov/topics/physical-security/active-shooter-preparedness. Products and information can be requested by email at ASworkshop@cisa.dhs.gov. Note: The information (link) to connect the day of the webinar will be sent by email seven days prior to the webinar.

Register Here!

My name is Jennifer Atencio and I am the Support Counselor at Allen HS. I am also a member of the Coalition for Behavioral Healthcare in Collin County (CBHCC). The subcommittee I am a part of focuses on mental health support and resources within our school districts. Our most recent trainings offered by the CBHCC have centered around educating school counselors and other school-based mental health professionals on crisis, trauma response, and connecting them with local providers. The training that will be provided in June will be geared toward professionals in your district who manage school safety and work toward violence prevention.

Our current agenda will include the following topics and speakers:

Averting Targeted School Violence – US Secret Service Report

Lessons Learned From Uvalde – Breakdown of the US Department of Justice’s Report on Uvalde

Addressing The Logistical Needs After A Disaster – Texas Division of Emergency Management

When: June 6, 2024

Time: 8:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Registration will begin at 7:30 am.

Where: Allen ISD Professional Learning & Auxiliary Services Building

The attached flier provides more specific details along with a link to register for the event.

I did my best to search your district websites and determine who may be the best person(s) to invite. If you feel that someone has been left off, please feel free to forward this email. This event will be limited to the first 100 registered with a waiting list should more be interested.

Please let me know if you have any questions!

Jennifer

Jennifer Atencio, M.Ed., LPC-S

Allen HS Support Counselor

972.727.0400 ext. 301136

Registration is now open. Additional information will be released soon.

Monthly 1-1:45 pm | 4th Thursday (CDT)

Join the meeting

Meeting ID: 283 320 778 806 | Passcode: 3dYqbX

TEA has decided to extend the SAFE Cycle 2 grant application deadline to June 7th at 11:59pm. Applications should be submitted through eGrants (via TEAL). If you received a message this morning and have already submitted your application, thank you. If you are still working on it and need assistance. Please reach out to your ESC, safeschools@tea.texas.gov, or grants@tea.texas.gov.

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 Overview March 2024 Webinar
  
• SAFE Grant Cycle 2 FAQs

• More information on SAFE Cycle 2

• T4PA State Initiative Crosswalk - Updated to include SAFE Grant Cycle 2
  
• SAFE Cycle 2 - Grant Allocations by District Number (CDN) (updated 4/3/24)
• **SNS Note: Schools using state funds in the current year to meet a state requirement may not use federal funds in the current or next school year to meet that same need.

The School Safety Standards Compliance Assessment is Open and accessible through the Intruder Detection Audit Dashboard

• The Compliance Assessment has now reopened to allow districts to update their compliance status as they become compliant with the required components.
• For districts that are not at least provisionally compliant with the safety standards, updating your status can have implications for your allowable costs for SAFE Grant - Cycle 2.
• The form will remain open and districts can continue to update as often as they like until they are fully compliant with all of the safety requirements.

The GFS Report for 2023-2024 is now available under the Compliance Reports tab on eGrants.

Submission of the Gun-Free Schools Report - District (PR6000) is required of all LEAs that request any federal funds in 2024-2025 for any of the programs authorized by ESSA. This includes any program in the ESSA Consolidated, School Improvement, and Rural and Low-Income Schools grant applications. If an LEA does not submit its Gun-Free Schools Report, TEA cannot issue NOGAs for the LEA’s federal grants.

A campus level report (PR6100) is required only for campus(es) that had a gun related incident.

The due date for the district and campus report(s), if applicable, is June 29, 2024.

If reports are not submitted by the due date, LEAs will be contacted to come into compliance before NOGAs can be released.

The following links will provide you with the instructions for completing the district and campus reports, if applicable: Gun-free Schools (GFS)Report

Talking Points

Questions? ESSAsupport@TEA.Texas.gov, or (512) 463-9499.

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

Superintendents will receive an email with the link on Saturday, June 1, 2024, sent from safeandsupportiveschoolprogram@tea.texas.gov. Superintendents will then forward the link to the designated SSSP team member responsible for reporting the data for each campus. The report is due June 30, 2024.

TEA uses the information from ASKTed to email the superintendents. Make sure your superintendents have received this email. Ensure the superintendent knows that the data reporting questions are contained in a sample copy of the 2023-2024 SSSP Survey, which can be accessed on the TEA Safe and Supportive Schools webpage.

The Texas School Safety Center conference registration, hotel reservation link, call for presenters, call for exhibitors, and detailed conference information has been posted online. For more information contact Cynthia J. Arredondo at cj19@txstate.edu.

• Technical assistance sessions
• An action plan will be created by Texas School Safety Center, which will be based on the outcomes of the technical assistance session.
• The Texas School Safety Center will issue an action plans to districts one to two weeks after their session. The action plan will support school districts with improving their threat assessment programming.

• Records Transfers - Click Here for TEA TAA| Guidance Video |TXSSC Guidance Checklist
• See TASB Board Policy - FD (Legal) and FDA (Legal)

Emergency Operations Plan Development Workshop Register Here

August 22, 2024 - 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Region 10 ESC - 400 East Spring Valley Rd.

EOP Training and Exercise Annex Toolkit

• Released March 2024

TAA Guidelines for Multihazard Emergency Operations for Individuals with Disabilities or Impairments

TEC 37.1086 required TEA to create guidelines that LEAs must follow when adopting/implementing their Emergency Operation Plans.

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.

FYI: Drug Trends

Resource: Tall Cop and the Penjamin Cart Pen by Smyle Labs.

Great Marketing! Think of it as a "writing pen built with a high-performance cartridge battery designed to provide a seamless aromatherapy experience."

In the link's Q&A section, there is a question, "Is this a tobacco or vapor product?" The answer is, "No, the Cart Pen is a writing pen that includes a 510-threaded adapter. This product is intended for aromatherapy purposes only. There is no tobacco, liquid, extract, or any other consumable material in the product."

However... the full description, specifically says, "The Penjamin™ is a discreet 510 threaded battery made for your cartridges! This design allows you to write with the pen but also take rips (vapes) wherever you choose without anyone knowing or asking for aroma!" The term 510 thread is the name of the battery in vapes and is widely used in vape tanks or cartridges.

Look for them the next time you are in a convenience store.

DEA Resource for Parents, Educators, + Caregivers

• Get Smart About Drugs

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.

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.

Suicide Safer Schools Roadmap

• Overview Document (click image)
• The Roadmap
• One District's Comprehensive Plan Template

TEA's Mental Health Resources

TEA Webinar "Elevating Mental Health + Wellness" | May 9, 2024

TEA Webinar "Supporting the Mental Health of Special Populations" - June 13, 2024

General School Mental Health Resources

Mental Health Resources Database

Mental Health Best Practice Repository

Virtual Safety Planning Intervention Training |Texas Suicide Prevention Collaborative

Workshop teaches individuals how to help someone manage their thoughts and feelings of suicide in order to stay safe. 4-hour workshop on interventions that provides individuals with a specific set of coping strategies and resources to use at any time to decrease the risk of suicide.

• 8:30 - 12:30 p.m. | July 25th, and Oct. 24th.
• CEUs for multiple disciplines provided
• To register email suicide.prevention@hhs.texas.gov

Bullying

• Anti-Bullying Prevention Initiative that Works!
• New TxSSC Video: "A Parent's Guide to Understanding Bullying"

Texas Advancing Suicide SAFER Schools Roadmap

(Clickable Link Below)

• Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) Model | CDC Healthy Schools
  

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.

• TEA Supportive Schools Division and Project AWARE monthly webinars
• Elevating Mental Health & Wellness- May 9th, 2024
• Supporting the Mental Health of Special Populations- June 13th, 2024

• TEA General School Mental Health Resources
• TEA Mental Health Resources Database
• TEA Mental Health Best Practice Registry
• TIVA School Safety State Initiative Mental Health & Safety Resources

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.

These templates are provided as samples only. Districts should contact their legal counsel to determine if this meets their district needs.

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.

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.
• 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

Attorney General Releases School Safety Guidance and Makes OAG Training Available to SROs read the advisory, click here.