School-based Tools to Increase Safety thru the use of Threat/Risk Assessments and Safety Plans
Schools today are tasked with an increasing number of responsibilities for student and staff safety as well as the prevention of violence. Colorado in particular has taken several steps towards legislating the responsibility of schools to provide evidence-based models to address student safety, threat/risk assessment, and follow-up regarding unsafe situations. In order for schools to increase their ability to respond to threats/risks they must provide professional learning opportunities to their staff to identify threatening or risky situations, respond in a timely and appropriate manner, and coordinate with their school's threat assessment team. Hargreaves and Fullan (2012) discuss the importance of developing the 'Professional Capital' of teachers so that they can leverage their experience and training during stressful situations. The more capable our teachers grow to become during their careers the better able they will be to observe and respond to threatening or otherwise challenging situations.The tools found below were designed to be used as part of Professional Development at a K-12 Facility School (serving Special Ed students diagnosed with severe emotional and behavioral disorder) in Colorado. Vivek Singh provides, in the free ebook 'Principles of Good Presentation Design', an excellent summary of CARP (Contrast, Alignment, Repetition, and Proximity) principles for efficient and effective design that were included in the creation of the tools below. You will notice that the GoogleSlide presentation includes limited written content (so that the presenter can fill in additional information verbally and by providing opportunities for small group discussion), graphic representations, and repeated opportunities for participants to reflect on what they have learned.
The first link is to a GoogleSlide presentation that was adapted from an online course provided by the Colorado School Safety Resource Center (CSSRC). This presentation is designed to help teachers better understand behaviors that constitute a threat and should be reported to their school Threat Assessment Team.
The second link is to a GoogleDoc that combines several key documents. This document contains an overview of threats/risks and the need for a school-based intervention, threat/risk assessment, and safety plan to be used by the professional completing the threat assessment. This document was created with respect to Bill Stetar's (2005) philosophy that training is not always the answer and sometimes people need to be provided with tools to use rather than just things to think about.
The attached documents are not an all encompassing profile of how a school should respond to any and all threats but merely a few helpful tools to get started. A school that is working to better address threatening and risky situations would also need to address the physical security/layout of their building, coordinate lockdown/lockout procedures, connect with local mental health and law enforcement, provide an anonymous way for students to report threats, train students to observe and report threats, etc.
Link to GoogleSlide Threat Assessment Referral presentation:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1U1rxQQkcbgDmtUhywKMSAroB1BXHhenKLUL2BDMCn64/edit?usp=sharing
Link to GoogleDoc Threat/Risk Assessment and Safety Plan document:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/13tFkdZ0hsxw0QguooeW2mzaNRGoz0UHcWDlHSu6FtWU/edit?usp=sharing
References:
Colorado School Safety Resource Center (CSSRC). (2015, 2011). Essentials of school threat assessment: Preventing targeted school violence. Lakewood, CO: Author. Retrieved from http://cdpsdocs.state.co.us/safeschools/CSSRC%20Documents/CSSRC%20Essentials%20of %20TA%202014.pdf
Colorado School Safety Resource Center (CSSRC) (2014a). Comprehensive school safety planning: Suggested elements for districts and schools . Retrieved from http://cdpsdocs.state.co.us/safeschools/CSSRC%20Documents/CSSRC%20Comprehensive %20School%20Safety%20Plan%20Elements%202014.pdf
Colorado School Safety Resource Center (CSSRC) (2014b). Comprehensive school safety plan checklist. Retrieved from http://cdpsdocs.state.co.us/safeschools/CSSRC%20Documents/CSSRC%20Comprehensive %20School%20Safety%20Plan%20Checklist%202014.pdf
Fein, R., Vossekuil, B., Pollack, W., Borum, R., Modzeleski, W., & Reddy, M. (2002). Threat assessment in schools: A guide to managing threatening situations and to creating safe school climates. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Secret Service: U.S. Department of Education.
Hargreaves, A. & Fullan, M. (2012). Professional capital: Transforming teaching in every school. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
Stetar, B. (2005). Training: It’s not always the answer. Quality Progress, March 2005, 44-49. 