Safety and Security Community Task Force

October 4, 2018

Task Force Context

Jeffco Public Schools has learned from its tragic past and become a national leader in school safety practices. The purpose of the task force was to prioritize what is important for Jeffco and recommend next steps for Jeffco Public Schools for the safety of the community’s children and schools.

• Following the Parkland, Florida tragedy, Dr. Glass, Jeffco staff, and law enforcement partners facilitated a Community School Safety Forum at Lakewood HS on 3/20/18.

• 50 community members selected to participate and represent each articulation area on the task force

• The task force was organized into subcommittees based on the national school safety framework of Prevention, Preparedness, Response and Recovery

• Each subcommittee used a consensus facilitation model

Climate and Culture Threat Assessment and Management

Target Hardening/Physical

SecurityTactics and Response

Sarah DavidonShawna FritzlerTina GurdikianTheresa HowellGregg KildowMeredith LagerJeff PiersonKelly PriceMary StahlNick TaylorKaren TonsoLori Young

Jacquie BakerHeilit BiehlLisa CookDave JearyKristen KruegerShelly MorrisJohn NicolettiLaura OliverSari Weichbrodt

David BenkeKristen DobrowskiRick FreemanWill HallLaura HartleyCheryl MosierGreg NidyMishan PilsJamie RobinsonBrandon RoodMya Sapien

Riley BowmanSara BrunkenAJ DeAndreaKatie HerreraGregory HillJennifer KendallJonna LevineCaryn McCormickTim ReadLang SiasAl SimmonsDoug StephensJason Thompson

Task Force Spokespeople

1. Karen Tonso & Shawna Fritzler - Climate and Culture

2. Lisa Cook & Heilit Biehl - Threat Assessment

3. Kristy Dobrowski - Target Hardening

4. Jason Thompson - Tactics & Response

Conversation Structure

1) Taskforce context ( 5 min)

2) Climate and Culture Subcommittee (12 min)

3) Threat Assessment & Management Subcommittee (12 min)

4) Tactics and Response Subcommittee (12 min)

5) Target Hardening/ Physical Safety Subcommittee (12 min)

6) Next Steps (5 min)

Climate and Culture Subcommittee

Focus of Climate & Culture Subcommittee

Goal: Moving from REACTIVE to PROACTIVE

• Recommendations to the School Board related to norms, behaviors, social and emotional supports, programs and best practices that focus on student and school safety at all grade levels across the District.

• Considering the implications of climate and culture as applied to school safety and responding accordingly

Recommendation #1: Behavioral Health Staffing

Increase the number of well-qualified behavioral-health specialists to meet or exceed the national standard in every school

• Funded through General Fund (rather than through SBB)

• School Psychologists and/or Social Worker, NOT Counselor

• Staff to student ratio (minimum): 1:500 students in middle and high school AND one FTE in EVERY SCHOOL (including elementary) (Rossen, 2013).

• First level of threat assessment / mental health first aid and early intervention

Recommendation #2: Counselor Staffing

● Increase the number of school counselors to meet or exceed national standards in every school. (Current ASCA recommendation is 1:250.) (ASCA, 2018).

● Enhance the degree to which counselors follow students throughout their school careers to maintain continuity.

Recommendation #3: Training for Staff, Students, and Families

Provide quarterly training (for students, families, and staff) on topics relevant to student safety and well-being, including but not limited to:

• Sexual harassment and assault (Title IX), social media safety, home safety including gun safety, drugs, juuling / vaping, suicide risk / self harm signs

• Video presentation for families who cannot attend

• Consider inclusion of SRO’s to discuss implications for law enforcement

Recommendation #4: Safe2Tell and Screening

• Provide quarterly system-wide Safe2Tell training at all school levels for staff, students, and families.

• Change district policy for participation to opt-out (instead of opt-in) in the

– Healthy Kids Colorado Survey – Universal mental health or social-emotional screening, from

resources such as the SHAPE screening and assessment library

Other Recommendations

6. Provide training related to effects of childhood trauma7. Provide Youth Mental Health First-Aid training8. Develop standardized district-wide protocol for communication practices

related to adverse events9. Create intentional community building 10. Develop systemic district-wide peer mentoring program11. Provide sufficient Jeffco security officers so that each officer is assigned

to a school(s) versus a region12. Mitigate exclusionary practices (suspension / expulsion)13. Fund lock-down kits for every instructional space14. Improve relationship with Law enforcement15. Involve SROs in training

Links

Climate & Culture Subcommittee Draft Report here.

• American School Counselor Association: https://www.schoolcounselor.org/

• BeSMART weapon safety: www.beSMARTforkids.org• National Association of School Psychologists:

www.nasponline.org• National School Climate Center: https://www.schoolclimate.org/• Safe2Tell: https://safe2tell.org/

Citations

Center for School Mental Health. “School Mental Health Screening Playbook: Best Practices and Tips from the Field.” Center for School Mental Health, 2018, http://csmh.umaryland.edu/media/SOM/Microsites/CSMH/docs/Reports/School-Mental-Health-Screening-Playbook.pdf.

“Our Approach.” About Us - National School Climate Center, National School Climate Center (NSCC), nd, www.schoolclimate.org/about/our-approach.

Rossen, Eric. “NASP Recommendations for Comprehensive School Safety Policies January 2013.” National Association of School Psychologists, 2013.

“State School Mandates and Legislation.” American School Counselor Association (ASCA), American School Counselor Association (ASCA), nd, www.schoolcounselor.org/school-counselors-members/careers-roles/state-school-counseling-mandates-and-legislation.

Threat Assessment & Management Subcommittee

Threat Assessment & Management Subcommittee Recommendations:

● More mental health support in schools

● Create district threat assessment Q & A page

● Communication from schools to families about how to report concerns

● Additional communication between SROs, the district, & local law enforcement

● Ensure consistency in school-level threat assessment reporting

Recommendation # 1: More mental health support

● More mental health support at ALL levels

● Emphasis on additional support in elementary schools

○ Fund full-time school psychologist or social worker in each elementary school

○ A growing number of elementary schools are using SBB dollars to fund a full-time mental health professional

More mental health support

● Jeffco continues to see a growing number of threat assessments and Safe2Tell reports

○ 2018-19 threat assessments (as of 9/19)

■ Building Level Threat - 119 ■ District Threat Management – 6■ Threat Management Meeting – 4

Threat Assessment Trends

● 2018-19 threat assessments (as of 9/19)

■ Building Level Threat - 119 ■ District Threat Management – 6■ Threat Management Meeting – 4

● 2017-18 threat assessments (total year)

■ Building Level Threat – 767■ District Threat Management - 76■ Threat Management Meeting - 52

More mental health support

● More mental health support also needed at middle and high school levels

○ Recommend increased partnerships with the Jefferson Center for Mental Health and other community mental health organizations

Recommendation # 2: Create district threat assessment Q & A page

● Families need more education about how to report concerns and how to follow up

● Recommend easy-to-find link on district website for parents to report concerns and to access Q & A page

Create district threat assessment Q & A page

● What is the process of threat assessment at each level?

● If I email the principal with a concern, what happens?

● What behaviors should I watch for and be concerned about?

● What behaviors should I report?

● Once I report, what happens with the information?

Create district threat assessment Q & A page

● Who should I report to?

● How does Safe2Tell work?

● When would I call Safe2Tell?

● What happens to the child I report on?

● How will I know my child is safe?

● Will I get follow up and find out what happens?

Recommendation # 3: Communication from schools about

how to report concerns● We would like to see schools communicate to families about how to

report concerns

○ At meetings during back-to-school nights

○ Refrigerator magnet with contact information, including Safe2Tell info

○ Information packet

Recommendation # 4: Additional communication between SROs, district

& police● Goal is to ensure continuity of reporting and tracking concerning

behavior

● Develop protocol for SROs to communicate information at shift change regarding students of concern

■ Eliminate gaps where the district or responding law enforcement lacks complete information

■ Ensure students receive intervention

Recommendation # 5: Ensure consistency in school-level threat

reporting● Eliminate potential consistency gaps in school-level identification and

reporting

○ District threat assessment team will address expectations in annual training

○ District team will follow up with schools to ensure consistent application of the threat assessment process

Important Considerations

● There is no such thing as “observation only”

● All behaviors of concern should be followed by some sort of

intervention or behavior mitigation

Tactics & Response Subcommittee

Tactics and Response Subcommittee Recommendations● Additional Staffing

● Additional Training for All Staff

● Improved Access for Law Enforcement

Recommendation #1: Additional Staff

● Campus Supervisor program added to middle schools by the 2019-20 school year, and one Campus Supervisor (armed) added to all high schools.

● Fund municipalities to implement SROs at all middle and high schools. This is common practice at neighboring districts.

Recommendation #2: Additional Training for All Staff

● Mandatory training three times per year on Standard Response Protocols (SRPs)

● Required Lock Down drills twice per year

● Create a video that will be distributed to parents / caregivers explaining what a student will experience during a lockdown

● TASER training for all JeffCo R-1 armed security

● Train all staff to call for a lockdown anywhere in the building

Recommendation #3: Improved Access for Law Enforcement

● Classroom numbers visible from hallways and exterior of the building

● Secure entryway for every building

● Improved access for first responders to all facilities (multiple locations to gain access)

● Door alarms for middle and high school doors

● Up to date maps and keys that are easily accessible in multiple locations for law enforcement

● Monitored by JeffCo Security signs at all buildings

Important Considerations

● Outdoor Lab School - These are distinct entities that may require

additional security and/or armed staff beyond what is already in place.

● Study programs where school staff (non-security) is armed in order to

determine if such programs would work for JeffCo (Utah schools, rural

areas in Colorado Etc.)

● We request the Board evaluate and allocate resources to these

recommendations in the current and future years’ budget cycles until

all recommendations are implemented.

Target Hardening & Physical Security Subcommittee

Increase Security & Safety Personnel

Recommendation 1:1. Add Campus Security @ All

Middle Schools2. Adjust Coverages at the High

School Levela) No Less than 3 campus supervisors at any high

schoolb) All entry points at the high school must be

staffed by D.SS trained employees

Recommendation 2: Construction Improvements

It is important to mention at this time that we recommend that all budgetary items related to safety and security be moved under and managed by the Department of School Safety(Recommendation #6)

Improved Entry Vestibules

Safety FilmPlaced On or Near:

A. School Entry PointsB. Windows that give easy access to the school

buildingC. Classrooms that do not offer adequate

concealment during a lockdownD. Exterior Windows that do not provide adequate

coverage in the event of a natural disaster (hail, tornado, etc.)

To Prevent This...

Sandy Hook 2012

Camera UpgradesDigital Conversion & Best Practice Minimums

Jeffco School Safety Task Force

Target Hardening & Physical Security

Improve Lockdown Locations

✓ Adequate Hiding Space✓ Free From Furniture ✓ Free From Clutter

Exterior Door Numbers1. All District Schools2. Improve Emergency

Response3. Follow Federal

Recommendation

Exterior Door Alarms• Keeping Localized Alarms• Update Policy on Best Practices• Install Push Bar Alarms on Staff

Entries (FOB)• Magnetic Strip Alarms on all other

entries, cannot be disabled (and key removed) without being re-alarmed

Bollards

A. Eliminate Direct Vehicle Access to Building Entry Points

B. Minimize Vehicle Access to High Foot Traffic Areas Near the Building

Modular/Temporary Buildings

A. Push for District Wide RemovalB. Until Removed, Improve the

Physical Security of the Buildings➢ Panic Buttons, Ballistic Shielding

Providing Safe Lockdown Areas, Increased Target Hardening, Camera Coverage

Improved Emergency Power Backup

A. Maintain Power to ServerB. Maintain Power to Phone

System

C.P.T.E.D Consultation

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design❖ Natural Surveillance, Natural Access

Control, Territorial Reinforcement, Maintenance “Broken Windows” Concepts

Recommendation 3: Safety Reviews & Audits

Recommendation 4:Interior Door Locks

A. All Classrooms and Rooms should have the ability to lock from inside the room

B. All Doors inside a school shall have the same locking mechanism

C. Any room with more than an occupancy of 5, should have an internal door lock

Recommendation 5:Mass Trauma Kits

A. Placed in Relation to AED & EPI Pen Stations in our Schools

B. Odds of Survival Improves if Bleeding is stopped within 5 min.

C. Using Tourniquets and Hemostatic Dressings as Soon as Possible after Injury is Absolutely Lifesaving

Recommendation 6:Move Major Budgetary Items under the Department of School Safety

Camera Upgrades, CPTED Recommendations, Entry Vestibule Improvements, Secure Lockdown Locations, Safety Reviews & Audits

Already In ProgressMass Notification System

Fully Supported by the Task Force Sub-Committee

Additional Resources3M Bullet Resistant Film Video

Stop the Bleeding Coalition

CPTED Article

Safety Audit Checklist

Benefits of Mass Notification Systems in Schools

California School Door Locks Bill

Final Written Committee Recommendations

Next Steps

● Safe Schools Environment Stocktake on 10/10

● Written Report, including a forward by Dr. Glass and district follow-up to recommendations on 10/19.

Thank you!