LEA: TIVA SSSI MARCH 2024
School District's Monthly Newsletter
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TIVA Federal Program Information
Pre-Con Session: SMART Goals/Objectives and Measurable Outcomes, April 2 (9:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.)
Session: Title IV, Part A, Program Compliance Report and Self-Check
Parent Engagement - Best Practices Virtual Expo
A FREE, online professional development opportunity to enhance your family engagement program. March 26th from 9:00 - 11:00 am. Learn how one district fosters relationships, build capacity, and contribute to student success. Register Here.
Entitlements and Allocations Dashboards
Final amounts for programs in the 2023–2024 ESSA Consolidated Federal and the 2023–2024 Special Education Consolidated (Federal) Grant Applications are now available on TEA’s Entitlements web page. On the entitlements’ web page, there is a PDF version of the entitlements amounts, and they are also integrated into the interactive entitlements’ dashboards. The “master” dashboard allows LEAs to see all their entitlement amounts for all federal and state grants.
2023-2024 Random Validation Results Notification
On March 18, 2024, LEAs will be receiving their results of the 2023-2024 Phases 1 and 2 Federal Program Compliance Division Random Validation Process via an automated email from the Smartsheet WorkApp system. LEAs will receive an email based on their final results and directing them to download their notification letter. We have added a feature where the results will be archived in a PDF document that can be accessed by clicking on the “Attachments” tab where the LEA uploaded their documentation. ESC Contacts included on the Communications List in the WorkApp will receive a list of the LEAs validated for their region, program name and requirement, final results status, and any comments, if applicable. To find more information and resources please visit the Random Validations page.
Safe and Healthy Learning Environments
State School Safety Grants
- Application opens March 28, 2024 on TEA Grant Opportunities page.
TEA Released two TAAs concerning school safety and security
- February 15, 2024, FY23 School Safety Allotment Data Collection
- February 15, 2024, Safety and Facilities Enhancement (SAFE) Grant Cycle 2 Information
Safety Compliance
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
TEA Vulnerability Assessments
TEA School Safety and Security Division is conducting outreach to provide assistance on security and safety for your districts. They are scheduling meetings, attending committee meetings, and participating in district-led exercises or training. TEA School Safety and Security Division's outreach is meant to build rapport and provide technical assistance to the districts and charter schools. They are also asking districts to notify them of any security incidents in real time to be better prepared to offer assistance from the state level. When they begin the District Vulnerability Assessments (DAV), they will notify the superintendents with at least 14 days notice prior. The first DVAs will be conducted this year with the districts that volunteered to participate in the pilot.
Behavior Threat Assessment
- Records Transfers - Click Here | Guidance Video |TXSSC Guidance Checklist
- See TASB Board Policy - FD (Legal) and FDA (Legal)
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.
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.
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
Checklist for Suicide Prevention, Intervention, + Postvention Planning
Texas Advancing Suicide SAFER Schools Roadmap
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- Connection to Hope: A Suicide Prevention Newsletter March, 2024 | Texas Health and Human Services
- 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.
Mental and Behavioral Health Webinar Series
The Texas Education Agency’s Texas School Mental Health Program and Project AWARE Texas partners March 14th webinar will discuss the use of Tier 1 approaches for enhancing school mental health. Register for the March 14th webinar.
TEA's Mental Health Resources
General School Mental Health Resources: https://schoolmentalhealthtx.org/
Mental Health Resources Database: https://schoolmentalhealthtxdatabase.org/
Mental Health Best Practice Repository: https://schoolmentalhealthtx.org/best-practices/
Physical Health
National Poison Prevention Week | March 17 - 23
Raise awareness of child and adolescent poisoning as an important public health issue and support the implementation of effective prevention practices. CSN and partner resources that can guide and inform poisoning prevention efforts include:
Poison Help Videos | Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
National Poison Prevention Week Partner Toolkit | America's Poison Centers
Poison Help | America's Poison Centers
2022 Annual Report of the National Poison Data System® (NPDS) from America’s Poison Centers®: 40th Annual Report | America's Poison Centers
Behind the Headlines: Safety Tips for Kids and Cannabis | Children's Safety Network (CSN)
Unintentional Poisoning Deaths in U.S. Infants, Children, and Adolescents | CSN
Safe Use and Administration of Medication to Young Children | CSN
Poisoning Prevention: New Challenges and a Novel Tool | CSN
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.
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.
Well-Rounded Education + Technology
STEM Student Opportunity
Texas A&M University 2nd Annual Computer Science (CS) Day on April 13, 2024 will introduce high school students to opportunities in Computer Science. Attendance is free of charge. Students will engage in hands-on activities and listen to experts in fields such as robotics, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity. Lunch and snacks will be provided. Registration for the event is open at http://csday.org/. Please contact Sarah Morgan (s-morgan@tamu.edu) with questions.
TIVA FAQs: #13 - Are educational field trips an allowable activity with Title IV, Part A funds?
Yes, such an activity is allowable if it meets the following conditions: • is identified in the Comprehensive Needs Assessment (CNA); • is included in the Campus Improvement Plan (CIP); • is allocable, reasonable, and necessary to carry out the intent and purpose of the grant program; • includes an instructional activity or activities that cannot be conducted through interactive activities in the classroom or on campus; • will result in a positive impact on student achievement; • includes instruction that addresses the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS); and • includes an evaluation of the field trip that measures the impact on student achievement. If an LEA plans on using grant funds for field trips, it will be required to complete the appropriate TEA justification form(s) and retain the documentation at the local level. LEA must keep and maintain this form so that it may be provided to an independent auditor or to TEA monitors if selected for a review. Additional information regarding field trips is listed in the TEA Budgeting Costs Guidance Handbook.
Texas STEM Toolkit
TEA has developed tools to support districts in developing a local STEM program that is aligned to the high-quality indicators identified by the state. The STEM tools are designed to support a district in planning and implementing a PK-12 STEM program aligned to the Texas STEM Framework. The STEM Toolkit has resources to support planning, implementation, and communicating STEM programming with stakeholders from all areas.
SAVE THE DATES
- Texas School Safety Conference | June 23-27 | San Antonio. The Texas School Safety Center is hosting their annual in-person conference in June with sessions focusing on current trends, best practices, and innovative, evidence-based approaches in school safety and security. Nationally recognized keynote speakers and relevant breakout sessions, based on best practices in the field of school safety, will equip participants to improve the school safety posture in their districts and communities. Register by May 24, 2023 to receive a discount.
- Texas Suicide Prevention Symposium 2024 | September 18-19 | Mesquite, TX.
- Parent & Family Engagement Statewide Conference | October 16-18, 2024 | Houston, TX | Registration information will be available in April 2024.
To be unsubscribed from this newsletter, please email t4si@esc14.net.
Rod Pruitt, Coordinator
Nancy Galle, Consultant
Dr. John Phillips, Consultant