EVVRS Training

1. EVVRS Training February 2008

2. Agenda • EVVRS Background • Summary of Changes • USCO • Accessing the EVVRS • Data Entry and Modification • Scenario Exercises • Annual District Report • Public Access

3. Why the EVVRS? Implementing the Law Public School Safety Law 18A:17-46 “Any school employee observing or having direct knowledge from a participant or victim of an act of violence shall, in accordance with standards established by the commissioner, file a report describing the incident to the school principal in a manner prescribed by the commissioner.”

4. Why the EVVRS? Reporting Other Suspensions In order to report to the federal government on the removal from the normal instructional setting of students with disabilities, the EVVRS is also used when a student with a disability is suspended for reasons other than violence, vandalism, weapons and substance abuse. (Examples in Appendix B, User Manual)

5. EVVRS Data – What happens to it? • Every year, the N.J. Commissioner of Education uses EVVRS data to report to the N.J. Legislature on violence, vandalism, and substance abuse in N.J. public schools. • The NJDOE uses the data to report to the U.S. Department of Education on public school safety and the suspension of students with disabilities.

6. EVVRS Data – What happens to it? • Districts are legally bound to hold an annual public hearing at which information about district incidents of violence and vandalism is presented. • Recommended documents for the hearing are: • Annual District Report (required) • Incident Listing • Incident Category Summary

7. Summary of Changes to the EVVRS2007-08 • Incident Header Changes • School Entrance was added to Location. • The definition of Bias was broadened. • Gang Related was added to the header and can apply to any incident. Check Yes if gang related.

9. Bias means that an incident is reasonably perceived as motivated by any actual or perceived characteristic, such as race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, a mental, physical, or sensory disability, or any other distinguishing characteristic. Bias

10. Bias • Bias can play a role in any EVVRS-defined incident. • The EVVRS does not distinguish who exhibits bias, only that bias is associated with the incident as a whole.

11. To determine whether bias played a role, consider if there was: Admission by the perpetrator of bias motivation. Obvious signs of bias – such as utterance of racial epithets or use of hate graffiti. A victim expressing that bias motives were involved. A history of bias incidents among the involved students. Bias

12. Gang Related Select “Yes” if there is confirmation from a law enforcement official, the victim, or the offender that the incident is gang related.

13. Off-Site Program • When you select Off-Site Program from the location menu you must enter a name in the Incident Description field. • It must be entered the same way each time.

14. Enter the name of the off-site program here.

15. Summary of Changes to the EVVRS • Incident Detail Changes • Gang/Group Fight has been removed. You can select Fight and Gang Related. • Threat is no longer a separate category. It has been added to Harassment, Intimidation, Bullying. • Terroristic Threat has been changed to Criminal Threat and the definition has been revised. • Unauthorized Over the Counter Drugs has been added to Substance Type.

17. Summary of Changes to the EVVRS • Incident Detail Changes Continued • Air Gun, Pellet Gun, and BB Gun category has been moved to Other Weapon Type. (Don’t count under policy of automatic one-year removal for firearm offense.) • Toy Gun has been removed from Other Weapon Type and is no longer reported on the EVVRS.

19. Summary of Changes to the EVVRS • Additions to Offender Information • Medical Treatment provided for bodily injury. • Grade (Select Un-Graded for a student with a disability who does not have a grade-level assignment).

22. NEW 2007-2008 User Manual • The latest version of the EVVRS User Manual reflects significant changes and will help you use the EVVRS. • It is available through the Homeroom in Word and HTML formats. • The User Manual contains bookmarks (similar to hyperlinks) that will move you directly to a specific section of the manual.

23. Unsafe School Choice Option • Students have the option to transfer to another school in their district if: • Their school is Persistently Dangerous*, or • They are the Victim of a Violent Criminal Offense. • A referral is made to law enforcement. • The offense is among those listed in Appendix C of the User Manual. * Fights are not included in calculation.

24. EVVRS Demo The EVVRS Welcome Page Entering Data Modifying Data Printing Reports Verifying Data of the Annual District Report

25. Accessing the EVVRS Do not use ‘www.’ Use the following address: http://homeroom.state.nj.us

27. If you became an EVVRS user midway through the year, please check Notices for important updates and information that you may have missed.

31. Data Entry

32. EVVRS Data Entry Overview • The DOE recommends entering incident data monthly or at a minimum, 3 times a year: • July-December, in January • January-March, in April • April-June, end of June.

33. What Districts Must Report • An incident that takes place on school grounds, at a school-sponsored event or on a school bus. • Student behavior that meets one of the incident definitions. • The offender must be cognitively and developmentally mature enough to understand the consequences of his/her actions.

34. In-District Reporting v. EVVRS Reporting A district board of education’s Code of Student Conduct may specify consequences for behaviors other than EVVRS-defined offenses and the school may wish to collect data on these. However, these incidents should not be reported using the EVVRS unless the consequence is the suspension of a student with disabilities.

35. Some Examples of What Not to Report on the EVVRS as a VV-SA Incident: • A minor push or scuffle. • A threat lacking true intent or verbal attacks that are not threats. • A suicide threat. • The lighting of a match. • Possession of a toy gun. • A shouting match between students. • A fight between students at a bus stop.

36. Two Categories of Incidents • VV-SA – An incident of violence, vandalism, weapons, or substance abuse involving any student. • Other-Spec. Ed. – The suspension or removal of a student with a disability (of at least one full day) for any reason other than violence, vandalism, weapons, or substance abuse.

37. Other Incidents Involving Students with Disabilities • Districts must report, as specified by IDEA, all in-school suspensions of at least one full day in duration as well as all out-of-school short- and long-term suspensions for which a student with a disability is removed from his or her regular classroom. • If the suspension resulted from an incident involving violence, vandalism, weapons or substance abuse, report the incident using the VV-SA button not the Other-Special Ed data entry button.

38. Program Provided Upon Disciplinary Action If you select short-term suspension to indicate an in-school suspension, select in-school suspension from the Program Provided drop-down list below.

39. Who Enters Data? • All staff members are responsible for reporting incidents to the principal or their designee. • Assigning responsibility for entering EVVRS data is the district’s decision. • To ensure integrity of EVVRS data, as few people as possible should be assigned this role. • There can be one or more central users who report for all schools. Or there can be one or more users at each school. School users only see their school’s data.

40. Ensuring Accurate Reporting Requires: • In-depth knowledge of incident definitions. • In-service training (pg xv of User Manual). • Reliance on staff who are experienced with EVVRS. • Developing a “team” approach. • Staying current by visiting the Welcome page regularly and checking e-mail for EVVRS notices.

41. Reporting Tips • There can be multiple offense categories in one incident report. • Kidnapping, Bomb and Firearm Offense incidents require an entry in the Incident Description Field. The DOE recommends you enter a description for all incidents. • The EVVRS reporting year ends June 30th. Incidents in the summer months should be reported in the fall of the following year.

42. One Incident Can Have Many Offenders and/or Many Victims . Remember to write the incident # on your paper forms!

43. To add, change or view data:

44. Always identify the school first. Searching for Records Your Search Results Page will display data entered through yesterday. Data entered today may be viewed tomorrow. Duplicate Incident Numbers? These are most likely not duplicates, as there is one listing of an incident for each offender/victim.

45. Click on Incident Number to: • Add an offender record. • Add a victim record. • Change incident information.

46. Click on Offender Type to: • Change an action. • Change number of days. • Change program provided. • Delete an offender.

47. Click on Victim Type to: • Delete a victim. • Change Victim of Violent Criminal Offense information.

48. Click on Student ID to: • Change student information such as: • Name • Gender • Grade • Race • Student Disability Category

49. Can I change Student ID?Can I change Offender Type? Delete the offender record and re-enter the information. NO!

50. Can I delete an incident? Re-enter the information as a new incident, then e-mail the EVVRS to delete the original incident. NO!