T4PA School Safety State Initiative

This newsletter is meant for ESCs only. Much of the information shared here is specific to ESCs and/or does not pertain to LEAs.

We have created a separate, LEA-friendly version of this newsletter, which is comprised of information that is intended for ESCs to share directly with their school districts. Only information in the shareable link can be shared with districts.

Here is a shareable link to the LEA-friendly newsletter that we encourage you to send to your districts: https://www.smore.com/cgtxn. You are also welcome to cut and paste the information into your own newsletter.

T4P4 will build capacity for the 20 ESCs under the Title IV, Part A program to help districts foster safe, healthy, supportive, and drug-free environments that support student academic achievement including but not limited to, school safety, bullying, mental health awareness, crisis management including safe de-escalation of situations including prevention of suicide, drug use, and violence and other allowable uses of Title IV, Part A, Section 4108 funds.

The FAQ webpage is live on the T4PA School Safety State Initiative Website!!!

We would love to hear any feedback regarding the site! We plan to update frequently, so we encourage ESCs and LEAs to check back often for updated content. Click the image below to preview.

Education Service Centers Region 15 and Region 12 are partnering with STOPit Solutions to offer its nation-leading Anonymous Reporting System (ARS) and Training and SEL Center at NO COST to Texas school districts via awarded grant dollars from the STOP School Violence Act. The programs will be paid for through June 2023.

ARS empowers students and staff to report inappropriate behavior, mental health, and safety issues to administrators at their school to ensure the safety and well-being of fellow students and staff. The Training and SEL Center provides social and emotional learning resources and curriculum to students to help improve attitudes and behavior, gain a deeper commitment to learning, and improve classroom behavior.

Coming Soon - Information on how to learn more, view a demonstration, and sign up.

Christoval ISD in Region 15 was recognized by “I love u guys” for the SRP presentation by one of its students. The presentation also won the 2019 DECA state contest. The video explains how rural schools can train and prepare a district and community in the Standard Response Protocol. (If the video link directs you to play on YouTube, click again.)

If you have an event you would like to feature, please fill out the form at the bottom of the newsletter.

At this time, please continue to assist your districts in submitting their EOPs.

There are still districts that have either not submitted their EOP or are working on resubmissions. Schools can ask for extensions by collaborating with their TxSSC contact.

• Districts' DAR report due to TxSSC on December 31, 2020
• Current audit cycle: September 1, 2017 - October 31, 2020
• Next audit cycle: November 1, 2020 - August 31, 2023

• Mandatory Safety Audits TAA: October 15, 2020
• Google Drive Folder for ESCs to access. In the drive are the districts' TXSSC contacts, EOP templates, and other resources.

• Districts' SSSP Team Qualtrics Survey Report due to TEA on November 30.
• If districts need assistance with accessing or using the survey, please email Craig Goralski at TEA.

The deadline for school boards to receive their one-hour Human Trafficking training is January 31, 2021. This training is required by school board members every two years. A newly elected or appointed member who has not completed this training in the year preceding the election/appointment must complete the training within 120 calendar days after election/appointment.

TASB and Protect Texas are currently offering approved School Board training. The requirements for school board training can be found in 19 TAC 61.1051.

The Title IV, Part A School Safety State Initiative is providing an AS+K? Suicide Gatekeeper Training of Trainers to 30 ESC participants (15 participants per cohort). Please note that training days must be done consecutively).

• Dec. 8-9 (8 available spots), or
• Dec. 14-15 (FULL)

Use the following google form to register for this training: https://forms.gle/nfY8q6BXainXNvfY9

Please review the following important information that will be considered in choosing ESC participants for AS+K? Gatekeeper training:

• Please check to see if you have an ESC staff member that received AS+K? training for free due to a federal or state grant because of a natural or another disaster that occurred in your Region. This would be considered supplanting Title IV funds.
• Please note that this training will talk about suicide and mental health in depth. If you have been impacted personally by suicide, please let us know in the registration form. We want to follow up to ensure that this is the best time to participate in this training.
• Please submit your registration before Nov. 24th

If you have any questions, please email Rod Pruitt rpruitt@esc14.net or Nancy Galle at ngalle@esc14.net

Join our next meeting on Tuesday, December 1 from 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Click here to join: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85685211242.

Scenario-based training exercises, often referred to as tabletop exercises, are an effective way to improve campus safety and security. Stakeholders can test a campus’ emergency plans. It forces people to think without having to be in a real situation where it might be too late.

Campus Safety Magazine currently has three scenarios that set the scene for the day and describes the event in detail, along with the actual outcome of the scenario and findings from an after-action review. They are designed to be completed in 10-15 minutes. School districts could use this type of training with SSSP teams, and/or Safety and Security committee, and/or other staff. See tabletop exercises Here.

A brand new 3-minute animate from Texas Christian University that accurately, succinctly, and artfully describes the realities of child sexual exploitation and how we can help survivors heal. Please help us distribute it far and wide to help us educate and empower the public to engage effectively in the fight!

Talking to Children about Child Sexual Abuse

November 19, 2020 | 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm EST

Gain an understanding of child sexual abuse (CSA) prevention and review/evaluate different programs available to protect children. Identify what works and what doesn’t in prevention programs and discuss how to talk to children about CSA. Gather new resources for working with children with significant disabilities as well as research on CSA programs.

Click this registration link to get signed up.
National Criminal Justice Training Center

This training is not specific to schools and trafficking but appears to provide an overview of what's effective in sexual abuse prevention education for students.

Register today for virtual School Behavioral Threat Assessment, Sandy Hook Promise - Say Something, Standard Response Protocol/Standard Reunification Train-the-Trainer (SRP/SRM), and Digital Threat Assessment trainings.

All virtual trainings will be provided through the Zoom online meeting/webinar platform.

Save the Date for Campus Safety Conference Texas 2021!

July 21-23, 2021 | Marriott Rivercenter, San Antonio, TX

Participants who watch these videos can receive certificates. These videos will count toward trauma/grief informed training requirements for school staff. Click here to go to the website: Texas Project Restore

SHARS expanded telehealth services are available until November 30, 2020.

For more information see the TEA School Health and Related Services SHARS Program site.

Eligible telehealth services include:

• Audiology services
• Counseling/ Psychological services *
• Occupational therapy*
• Physician services
• Physical therapy
• Speech therapy*

Contact:

TEA - Angela Foote | Financial Compliance Division

(512) 463-6639

angela.foote@tea.texas.gov

COVID-19 Support District Waivers Finance and Grants

Below are the dates for the next coffee chat and Title IV, Part A Program.

Coffee chats and program meetings are offered monthly by TEA.

Next coffee chat: November 19, 2020 @ 2-3 pm | Zoom link

Next program meeting: December 10, 2020 @ 1:30 pm | Zoom link

• Engaging Highly Mobile and At-Risk Students
• Educator Wellness

• Child Abuse Prevention Toolkit

• Human Trafficking Prevention and Awareness Statewide Webinar Series

• Human Trafficking Requirements Checklist

Save the Date — 2021 ESSA Institute

The 2021 ESSA Institute is scheduled for March 29-30, 2021, from 8:30 am - 4:30 pm at the Courtyard by Marriott in Pflugerville, Texas. Program meetings will be held on March 31, 2021, from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Registration for the event will be done online through Region 16 ESC.

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Guidance on Documentation for Stakeholder Meetings

In recognition of the need for increased flexibility in how LEAs are to document participation in virtual meetings, the division is including the following statement in its guidance to ESCs and LEAs:

“Given the increased use of virtual meeting environments during the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years, participant rosters that include the meeting title, meeting date, and stakeholder names and roles would be acceptable substitutes for the more traditional sign-in sheets. This eliminates the need of a participant signature.”

The Documentation Matrices that are posted on the Random Validation website will be updated accordingly.

U.S. Department of Education Releases Parent and Family Digital Learning Guide

The U.S. Department of Education released a new Parent and Family Digital Learning Guide, a resource to help parents and guardians understand how digital tools can provide tailored learning opportunities, engage students with course materials, encourage creative expression, and enrich the educational experience. This is only a resource to share with your LEAs at your discretion.

CARES PNP FAQ Document Posted

TEA’s COVID-19 Support: District Waivers, Finance & Grants page has the most up-to-date CARES ACT Equitable Services FAQ document.

CARES Act Funding and COVID Expense Reimbursement FAQ Document Update Posted

TEA’s COVID-19 Support: District Waivers, Finance & Grants page has the most up-to-date CARES Act Funding and COVID Expense Reimbursement FAQ document.

COVID-19 FAQ Document Posted

TEA’s COVID-19 Support: District Waivers, Finance & Grants page has the most up-to-date Federal Funding and Grants FAQ document.

The spreadsheet is to be updated and submitted for each quarter, according to the following schedule:

• Quarter 1: December 31, 2020 (Reporting for Sept 1, 2020, through Nov 30, 2020)
• Quarter 2: March 31, 2021 (Reporting for Dec 1, 2020, through Feb 28, 2021)
• Quarter 3: June 30, 2021 (Reporting for March 1, 2021, through May 31, 2021)

The spreadsheet updated for Quarter 4, as well as supporting documentation described in the instructions, is due September 30, 2021 (Reporting for June 1, 2021, through August 31, 2021).

Submission for all quarters will be through the ESSA Reports application on TEAL.

You can find the Compliance Report Instructions here.

NEW

• YMHFA - Assisting Someone Distressed by the COVID-19 Pandemic
• Supporting Children and Teens during this Holiday Season
• Helping Children with Traumatic Separation or Traumatic-Grief Related to COVID-19
• Holidays, Celebration and Traumatically Bereaved Children

School Safety and Mental Health

• Suicide Prevention
• Early Mental Health Intervention
• Mental Health Promotion
• Substance Abuse Prevention
• Substance Abuse Intervention
• Trauma-Informed & Grief Informed Practices
• Social/Emotional Skills
• Positive Behavior Interventions
• Child Abuse Prevention
• Human Trafficking
• School Safety
• Mental Health and Behavioral Health
• Safe and Supportive School Climate
• Counseling and Mental Health Services of the Coordinated School Health Model
  

• School Guidance and Counseling

• Health, Safety, & Discipline

Training

• Approved Trauma-Informed Training List

COVID-19

• COVID-19 Support & Guidance
• COVID-19 FAQ Remote Counseling and Student Support Services
  
• COVID-19 Mental and Behavioral Health Statewide Resource List

We all constantly update our websites with the most recent resources in order to serve ESCs & LEAs! Click the icons or links below to visit our sites.

Don't forget to go to the password-protected ESC resources page on the School Safety State Initiative website for constantly-updated documents and guidance.

Rod Pruitt, Title IV Part A School Safety Coordinator

Nancy Galle, Title IV Part A School Safety Consultant

Taylor Marshall, Intern

Email: rpruitt@esc14.net
Website: https://www.esc14.net/page/t4si
Location: 1850 State Highway 351, Abilene, TX, USA
Phone: 325-675-8600

Copyright © 2020. Texas Education Agency. All Rights Reserved.