School Safety Policies & Procedures

1. July 18, 2013 vWI School Safety Summit School Safety Policies & Procedures Nancy Dorman and Rick J. Kaufman, APR

2. Changing Safety Issues & Concerns Issues may be different from community to community. Need to deal with a “hot” safety issue does not diminish relevance of other safety issues.

3. Applicable Laws/Regulations May not be able to adopt any policy position the district would like even if it seems right for the district. Host of laws/regulations that require, affect or limit local policymaking

4. Issues Off Campus Affect Schools School authority to take disciplinary action against students for off-campus conduct is limited. Challenge: Must determine whether action falls within district’s authority. Cooperation of local officials is needed.

5. Are You Ready? In a crisis situation, you will react as you are organized and trained. Knowing what to do can be the difference between chaos and calm, or even life and death. The best school safety policies are only as effective as the people who implement them.

6. Policies & Procedures Challenges State and Federal agencies have made substantial investments in studying and evaluating initiatives to improve school climate. The complexity of school environments & communities, and frequent use of inferior research designs or “cookie cutter approaches” have limited the return on those investments by schools

7. Policies & Procedures Challenges Important factors in improving school climate have emerged as the body of research continues to grow. Skills training for staff and students, AND the use of common language to define and identify inappropriate behaviors, response protocols, etc. are core aspects of school climate improvement.

8. Policies & Procedures Challenges There should be a limited number of clear, concise policies or administrative rules (e.g. guidelines, protocols, etc.) that meet the school, district, families and community specific cultures and environment. No one policy model meets the needs, resources and culture of every Wisconsin community and school.

9. Policies & Procedures Challenges There are, however, common components of successful models and implementation that include, but are not limited to, teaching, modeling and enhancing: social-emotional skills; conflict resolution; communication skills; clear expectations for staff, students; family and community engagement; training for educators, families; and sustainable and cost effective

10. Internal/External Communication Collaboration among schools and staff, communities, families, students and life safety partners builds a broad base of commitment and support in: Prevention, Protection, Mitigation, Response and Recovery; and the goal of a coordinated response in the event of a school emergency.

11. Internal/External Communication National Incident Management System (NIMS) training with Incident Command System protocols provides essential principles for a common response among different jurisdictions and organizations, including communication and information management.

12. Incident Command System (ICS) • Establishes common organizational structure, operating procedures • One person in charge of decision-making; creates chain of command • Provides for quick, effective performance • Establishes a reasonable span of control • Provides for effective coordination, transition of responsibility/authority with crisis responders

13. School and District ICS Incident Commander and Incident Command Team Liaison Officer Public Information Officer Safety Officer Finance & Administration Operations Planning Logistics Documentation/Recorder Transportation Insurance Claims Health Services/First Aid Search and Rescue Facility and Materials Food Services Personnel Student Supervision Student/Parent Reunification

14. Staff Training and Support Competition for professional development is at a premium. Training remains a critical component to school crisis management and response. Training establishes and creates cultural conditions that practice is important, demonstrates teamwork needed during the crisis

15. Staff Training and Support Staff cannot provide for school safety alone; they need to know expectations for their role in an emergency; and what resources are available to support their efforts before, during and after an incident.

16. About the presenter • School Public/Community Relations • 24 years: WI, CO & MN districts and state department of education • Crisis Response Team Leader • Columbine High School Tragedy, April 20, 1999 • FEMA, National Response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita • Crisis Management Consultant • U.S. Bureau of Prisons (Timothy McVeigh Execution) • New York City Schools/NY Education Commission (9/11) • FBI (National Conference on School Violent Offenders) • Wisconsin Health and Hospital Association • American Association of State Colleges & Universities

17. Nancy Dorman Director of Policy Services Wisconsin Association of School Boards Office: 608-257-2622 ndorman@wasb.org Rick J. Kaufman, APR Executive Director of Community Relations, Family Engagement and Emergency Management Cell: 612-518-5498 rkaufman@bloomington.k12.mn.us