Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities
September 13, 2007
David Gordon, Education Spec. david.gordon@esc9.net
State Initiative: SAS-A701-07
Mission: We believe that all students can learn if they are provided with a healthy environment. Our goals are to improve student achievement among all student populations and to provide technical assistance to administrators and educators in member districts. We believe that if students are healthy and safe, they will be better equipped to meet the expectations of all learning requirements. In order to accomplish our mission the SDFSC/School Health program will be designed to prevent all unhealthy behaviors and to equip the educators with the information and prevention strategies they will need to maintain a healthy learning environment.
Program Period: July 1, 2007 through September 30, 2008
Program Goal: The purpose of the State Initiative is to provide assistance to all districts in the region 9 area on drug and violence prevention. The goal is to improve local programs of drug use prevention and violence prevention with technical assistance, professional development, and up to date resource prevention.
Program Evaluation: Summary of program accomplishments will be provided to TEA. The evaluation must describe:
· The number of districts served
· The number of individuals served
· Types of services provided
· Effectiveness of services provided
· Assessment of the performance measures
· Goals, performance measures, and targets for measuring program success will be developed in collaboration between the ESC Staff during the TEA/ESC coordinated NCLB meetings
Region 9 contact person/coordinator duties:
All services must be in compliance with the Principles of
Effectiveness as stated in P.L. 107-110.
Receive correspondence from the agency and monitor project
implementation.
Attend the required SDFSC/ESC/TEA Meetings sponsored by the agency
for training and staff development on current trends in drug and
violence prevention.
Obtain updates on the guidelines, rules, and regulations of the
SDFSC Program
Share information from ESC/TEA Meetings with all the region 9
districts.
Provide a regional training on the Texas Prevention Resource Guide
annually.
Provide assistance to all region 9 districts on the annual SDFSC
evaluation
Supporting documentation for monitoring and compliance purposes
such as schedule of events, list of participants, announcements,
copies of newsletters, and agendas, etc.
Maintain a list of services and activities to districts, and have
available to TEA upon request.
Region 9 SDFSC /School Health Conference: This annual conference is designed to target three audiences: Administrators, Educators/Counselors, and Health Care Professionals. The Regional Advisory Council will make recommendations on what is offered. This conference will equip participants with strategies to design and implement a functioning School Health Advisory Council as mandated by law. It will feature staff development in areas that promote the six Principles of Effectiveness as required by law in the Department of Education.
· Principe One Assessments
· Principle Two Performance Measures
· Principle Three Scientifically Based Research
· Principle Four Analysis of Factors
· Principle Five Consultation
· Principle Six Evaluation
Presenters will provide information in areas of need as identified in regional data, advisory recommendations and feedback from evaluations of prior conferences. Sponsors to this conference will be permitted to purchase booth space, underwrite speakers, donate door prizes and send attendees.
Region 9 districts will be permitted to attend free of charge but participants outside of Region will pay the conference fee which will be determined by the Regional Advisory Council and approved by ESC administration. Permission to exhibit will be approved by the ESC administration to assure that the mission of the Education Service Center is maintained. The charge for exhibits will be determined by the Regional Advisory Council, and the business office at Region 9 Education Service Center.
Regional Advisory Council: The Regional Advisory Council’s function is to review programs and discuss how federal funds are spent to meet the requirements of law for Title IV SDFSC. It is recommended that the council meet twice a year, in the fall and spring to review and make recommendations. The council can communicate via the internet, telephone, or print mail as needed. This council should be a diverse group from several sectors within the community and region. The minutes from each meeting will be typed and mailed to each superintendent, and drug coordinator in region 9. The council should have representation from:
· Parents
· Business
· Education
· Law enforcement agencies
· Substance abuse prevention agencies
· Medical agencies
· Government agencies
· Clergy
· Students and
· Adolescent Coalition
Services and Activities to Districts
Regional report to the media regarding the status of violence
and drug usage in the Region 9 area
Purchase and maintain a media check-out library that reflects the
trends of drug usage and violence in the region and nation
Technical assistance in preparing the SDFSC Application.
Technical assistance in the Gun Free Safety Report
Technical assistance in the SDFSC Evaluation
Provide staff development to all districts in the Region
Technical assistance in D.A.V.E. or other prevention resource
material
Provide staff development in D.A.V.E.
Help districts in region to be in compliance with state and federal
mandates
Promote the annual State SDFSC Conference
Provide a regional SDFSC/ School Health Conference
Distribute information from TEA meetings to all districts in the
region
Develop and distribute a regional newsletter via the internet twice
a year
Gun Free Safety Act
As part of the Improving America Schools Act of 1994, the GFSA required each state receiving ESEA funds to have in effect a state law requiring local education agencies (LEAs) to expel from school for a period of not less than one year a student who was determined to have brought a weapon to school. In the event of this action local education agencies are to provide an annual report verifying that a weapon was brought to school; the kind of firearm, and what campus it occurred. A new requirement as of this past 05-06 school year required local education agencies to stipulate if they have a local adopted policy for the Unsafe School Choice Option. The GFSA report must be submitted or the local education agency risks losing all federal funds.
The Unsafe School Choice Option requires that students attending a persistently dangerous public elementary or secondary school, or students who become victims of a violent criminal offense while in or on the grounds of a public school they attend, be allowed to attend a safe public school. The Texas Education Agency is responsible for developing a definition of persistently dangerous schools in the state.
The USCO Policy should contain the following information:
The provision for students to transfer to a safe school.
Notification to parents that the campus has been identified by TEA
to be a persistently dangerous campus within ten (10) days after
notification.
If student becomes a victim, the ISD must give the student an
opportunity to transfer to a safe school within fourteen days.
The ISD must allow the student to remain in the new school as long
as the original school is identified as persistently dangerous.
Unsafe School Choice Option Policy
USCO Sample letter to Superintendents
PAL Program: This student- centered program is designed to prepare students to be good mentors for their peers and younger students, as well as modeling good citizenship. PAL students assist elementary students in tutoring and mentoring which helps them make good decisions. The selection process is unique because it gives at-risk students the opportunity to determine what good choices are and the chance to pass the information on and encourage others to do the right thing. Students will receive training that equips them to actively listen to other students and develop team bonding skills via the R.O.P.E.S. challenge courses. New PAL teachers will receive training by organizations such as Workers Assistance and others. The following dates are just suggestions. The program works best when district PAL sponsors are asked for feedback concerning dates.
· Student training is conducted in 2 -3 days depending on the number of PAL students. (1st two weeks in September are best)
· Low R.O.P.E.S October /November
Make it fit the convenience of schools and trainers
Important Links
Safe and Drug Free Schools Shared Service Arrangement
McKinney Vento Information
Texas School Health Network Regional Plan
