Region 12, Safe and Healthy Schools Training Dates
July 29, 9-4, Session #248762 (F2F) or #253917 (virtual)
Health Services Overview for School Nurses & School Health Personnel
*This is a great session for anyone who is a brand new school nurse or has been in the field for 30 years. It includes time for sharing and mentoring.
August 2, 9-4 Session #255135 Vision Screener Certification
August 3, 9-4 Session #255136 Hearing Screener Certification
August 4, 9-4 Session #255137 Vision Screener Certification
August 5, 9-4 Session #255138 Hearing Screener Certification
Recertification (needed every 5 years) is still available online through DSHS. Contact Paul.Gonzalez@dshs.texas.gov for more information.
August 2, 8-3, session #245776
Drug Impairment Training for Educational Professionals (DITEP)
August 5, 2-3, session #243147
Stop the Bleed
August 5, 3-4, session #243149
Stop the Bleed Train the Trainer
September 9, 9-12, session #245601
Elementary Counselor Best Practice Institute: Childhood 2.0, SEL, Culture & Diversity
September 9, 1-4, session #245606
True Colors Training for Educators and Counselors
Online, On-Demand Courses
- Human Trafficking for Superintendents, session #252332
- Human Trafficking for School Boards, session #252323
- SB 11: The Omnibus School Safety Bill Canvas Course, session # 252334
- School Crisis Response & Communication During the Pandemic: Canvas Series, session #251154
*Watch our live calendar at https://tinyurl.com/23d8cp2r
Training available to schedule on-site:
- Behavior Threat Assessment (to train your Threat Assessment/Safe and Supportive Schools Team)
- Digital Responsibility & Social Media Safety (to train your students)
- True Colors (offered for students and staff as a team-building/self-awareness opportunity)
- AS+K Suicide Prevention (to train staff)
- Youth Mental Health First Aid (to train staff)
- Trauma-Sensitive Schools (to train staff)
*Contact us for pricing and to schedule.
WORTHY ANNOUNCEMENTS AND WORK
1. The Child Sex Trafficking Team with the Office of the Governor Greg Abbott recently held a Human Trafficking Updates from the 87th Legislative Session Webinar. Check out these resources.
- Recording - https://youtu.be/HXyOk1RSehc
- PPT - https://drive.google.com/file/d/16JISCDi6owflzvd4D3XXqTWsV3ROYdoX/view?usp=sharing
- Legislative Highlights Handout - https://drive.google.com/file/d/16KvZ-PNcHkbtPSXzUDzV_meGkQdu-kQi/view?usp=sharing
2. BJS Releases Report on Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2020
The Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics and the Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics recently released the Report on Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2020—Executive Summary and Indicator 2: Incidence of Victimization at School and Away From School. This report is the 23rd in a series of annual publications produced jointly by BJS and NCES. It provides official estimates of school crime and safety from a variety of data sources, including national surveys of students, teachers, principals and post-secondary institutions. Indicator 2: Incidence of Victimization at School and Away From School includes data from BJS’s National Crime Victimization Survey. Learn more here.3. FY 2021 Preventing School Violence Funding Opportunity: BJA’s STOP School Violence Program
Applications are now open for funding under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance’s Student, Teachers, and Officers Preventing (STOP) School Violence Grant Program. The STOP School Violence Grant Program is designed to improve K-12 school security by providing students and teachers with the tools they need to recognize, respond quickly to, and help prevent acts of violence and ensure a positive school climate.
Eligible applicants may submit one application that includes proposals for one or both of the following areas:
- Train school personnel and educate students on preventing student violence against others and themselves to include anti-bullying training. This can also include specialized training for school officials to respond to mental health crises.
- Develop and implement multidisciplinary threat assessment and/or intervention teams and/or operate technology solutions such as anonymous reporting systems for threats of school violence, including mobile telephone applications, hotlines, websites, or other school safety technology solutions for accurate identification of danger (without resort to discriminatory stereotypes or violating privacy). Threat assessment and/or intervention teams must coordinate with law enforcement agencies, behavioral health specialists, community stakeholders, and school personnel, and must include a memorandum of understanding.
The application deadline for Grants.gov is August 2 and the deadline for JustGrants is August 16. Learn more here.
4. Ransomware Resources
The United States has experienced a significant increase in activity with ransomware attacks against K-12 educational institutions, especially throughout the transition to remote and virtual learning as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to this ongoing threat, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has developed the following reference materials, best practices, tips, and considerations to help school communities stay safe and secure online.
- StopRansomware.gov – Collaborative effort across the federal government and the first joint website created to help private and public organizations mitigate their ransomware risk, including specific resources to help K-12 institutions remain secure
- Cyber Threats to K-12 Remote Learning Education – Fact sheet for non-technical educational professionals with information on general cybersecurity best practices, video-conferencing best practices, and available resources
- Ransomware Reference Materials for K-12 – Online repository of ransomware reference materials, resources, and guidance for K-12 school communities
- Ransomware Reference Materials for Parents, Teachers, and School Administrators - Best practices for school administrators, as well as parents and teachers, to enhance a school's security poster during distance and hybrid learning conditions
- Ransomware Reference Materials K-12 School and School District IT Staff - Best practices for school and school district cybersecurity managers, system administrators, and other technical staff
- Ransomware Reference Materials for Students - Tips and considerations, as well as cybersecurity best practices, to help students stay safe and do their part to keep school networks secure while learning remotely
- Cyber Actors Target K-12 Distance Learning Education to Cause Disruptions and Steal Data - Joint Cybersecurity Advisory issued by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, CISA, and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center that assesses how malicious cyber actors are targeting K-12 educational institutions, leading to ransomware attacks, the theft of data, and the disruption of distance learning services
- Ransomware Readiness Assessment Tool – Desktop software tool to help organizations better assess how well they are equipped to defend against and recover from a ransomware incident
5. NetSmartz has launched a new Peer Mentoring & Leadership Kit- and you’re getting it before everyone else! It’s their way of saying thanks for all of your hard work! This kit is perfect for mature upper elementary, middle, and high school students working with younger students as part of service hours, mentorship, or other peer-lead initiatives. Utilizing the topics covered in seasons 1 and 2 of Into the Cloud, this kit includes lessons on:
- Online privacy
- Cyberbullying
- Digital distractions
- Red flag behaviors online
- Inappropriate images online
- Online manipulation
- Cyberbullying & sharing content
- Removing explicit content
- Using the internet for good
6. National School Mental Health Best Practices: Implementation Guidance Modules for States, Districts, and Schools
Click Here to Access the Best Practices Modules
This site shares a plethora of resources that are designed to help teachers and administrators support student's mental health. Resources include modules related to mental health screening, as well as information on how to develop a business plan to make mental health services sustainable.
7. NCSSLE Suite of Resources to Promote Student Mental Health
This suite of resources provides data on the prevalence of common behavioral health issues and information and customizable tools to promote student mental health. It was developed to help state and local education agencies develop and sustain school mental health programs.
Click Here to Access the Suite of Resources
8. The National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (NCSACW) recently developed Working with Adolescents: Practice Tips and Resource Guide. This technical assistance (TA) resource provides information to child welfare, substance use treatment providers, healthcare, and other community agencies serving adolescents at risk of misusing or abusing substances. This resource highlights the unique stages of adolescent development including adolescents who may be at risk for substance use or substance use disorders. It also provides a comprehensive array of adolescent services including specialized services in prevention, intervention, treatment and recovery support, terminology, policy considerations, and practice strategies to support those working with adolescents through a family-centered lens.
Nurse's Corner
1. In-person vision and hearing screening training sessions are on the website now for sign-ups. See training sessions at the top of the newsletter or search by keyword in escWorks.
2. Summer is the time to relax and refresh, but it is also a great time to get CNEs out of the way! If you need help finding them you can email me and I will send you a long list.
From the TxSSC...
- Advanced School Behavioral Threat Assessment Training – December 14, 2021
https://txssc.txstate.edu/events/adv-sbta-trainings/ - Advanced Digital Threat Assessment Training – December 15, 2021
https://txssc.txstate.edu/events/adv-dta-trainings/
2. From TxSSC and Say What:
We’re only a few days away from 2021 Say What! Virtual Conference, and you don’t want to miss out on this amazing, fun-filled opportunity! If you are…
- A Say What! Group Member
- An adult who works with youth
- A youth who is interested in helping create a vape-free Texas…
Then the 2021 Say What! Virtual Conference is for YOU!
And, if you know other youth and adults you think would be interested in attending the conference, you can pass this along so they can register too!
So, register now and follow @TxSayWhat on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and Snapchat so you don’t miss out on any important information. If you’ve already registered and you already follow us, you’re one step closer to all the fun we’ve prepared for you!
You can download the agenda and the keynote flyer. Then, take a look at what you can expect during this year’s Texas Tobacco-Free Virtual Conference on Monday, July 26th – Wednesday, July 28th.
PAX Good Behavior Game for Educators, and Community Members
Region 12 and Region 13 are excited to offer training on the PAX Good Behavior Game. The Good Behavior Game is an approach to the management of classroom behaviors that rewards children for displaying appropriate on-task behaviors during instructional times.
Program Details:
- PAX is a set of strategies to help students learn important self-management skills to make their classroom a peaceful and productive learning environment
- PAX is not a classroom management program
- PAX is for students in early childhood programs through 8th grade
- PAX can be used in after school programs and with early childhood classes
Research-Based Programming Positive Outcomes:
- 50-90% reduction in disruptive/disorderly behaviors in the classroom, hallway, and other school settings
- Up to 25% more time for teaching and learning, amounting to the equivalent of another month or more of school
- 20-50% increase in number of children being fully engage in learning10-30% reduction in need for special education services
- 30-60% reduction in referrals, suspensions, or expulsions
- Major reduction in teacher stress levels
Training Details:
- All training, tools, and resources are free of cost to all participants
- Training is 7 hours and conducted virtually
Training Options:
- PAX Tools for Community Educators scheduled 8 to 4 on August 3 (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Z8LVHS5). Provides training to become a Certified PAX Tools Community Educator authorized to present PAX Tools Community Workshops in their own community. PAX Tools is a collection of trauma-informed, research-based behavioral strategies for families and communities to promote the development of self-regulation to children.
SAVE THE DATE for State and Nat'l Conferences
1. 2021 Texas Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program Summit - August 3rd & 5th
TNOYS and TEA believe we can best support students experiencing homelessness by elevating their voices and experiences. Guided by this principle, the TEHCY Program Summit engages young adults as speakers, consultants, and facilitators throughout the conference. Attendees will have the unique opportunity to learn directly from youth and young adults with lived expertise, putting the power of youth-adult partnership into action.
Register at https://www.tfaforms.com/4893156
Upcoming State Safe and Healthy School Deadlines
Public Schools should conduct a safety audit of facilities from September 2020 through August 2023.
Charter Schools should conduct a safety audit from September 2019 through August 2022.
2. District Audit Reports
At the culmination of the Safety Audit process, schools will be required to submit a District Audit Report to the Texas School Safety Center.
The Public School expected deadline is August 2023.
The Charter School expected deadline is August 2022.
3. Threat Assessment/SSSP
Collection period September 1, 2020 through August 31, 2021 is due in November 2021 by Qualtrics survey (https://tinyurl.com/27fp2437).
Take a look at the proposed data to be collected (https://tea.texas.gov/sites/default/files/november-2021-proposed-survey-questions.pdf).
Last cycle was due in November 2020 and covered September 1, 2019 to August 31, 2020.
4. Emergency Operation Plans and Annexes
Can be requested at any time by TxSSC.
5. Vision, Hearing, Spinal Screening State Reports
Due to the state by June 30, 2021
7/19/21 The More You Know
6/30/21 The More You Know
6/24/21 The More You Know
ESC Region 12 MTSS Newsletter 1.5
State Initiative Website
District Resources
Title IV, Part A FAQs
Contact us!
Michelle Butler, Education Specialist/Nurse
Jeni Janek, Education Specialist III/Coordinator
Heather Wheeler, Education Specialist
Email: hwheeler@esc12.net
Website: esc12.net
Location: ESC Region 12, West Loop 340, Waco, TX, USA
Phone: 254-297-1166
Twitter: @R12SafeHealthy