School Safety

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School Safety

• A New York State of Mind

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New York State Violence and Disruptive Incident
Reporting (VADIR)

• State and Federal Legal Requirements

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Legal Requirements

• Safe Schools Against Violence in Education
  (SAVE)-SED should establish a uniform system for
  reporting of Violent and Disruptive Incidents
• Title IV SDFSCA-Uniform Management Information
  Reporting System (UMIRS)
• Title IX-NCLB Unsafe Schools Option-SEA needs to
  establish criteria to designate schools as
  persistently dangerous

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Critical Question

• What have we learned?

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VADIR Data Analysis

• 10 percent of the incidents reported were in the
  more serious categories.
• 38 percent of the incidents reported are in the
  Minor Altercations and Intimidation, Harassment
  and Bullying categories.
• High schools report the highest total number of
  violent and disruptive incidents.
• Middle schools report the highest rate of
  weighted and unweighted incidents per 1000
  students.
• The Statewide composite School Violence Index has
  remained the same for the last two years .23

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Data Analysis-page 2

• The total number of reported incidents, weighted
  incidents and unweighted incidents declined by
  4.4- 4.9 percent from 2005-06 to 2006-07.
• Weighted incidents decreased for all Needs
  Resource Capacity Groups except Hi-Need Rural and
  Charter Schools.
• The total, weighted and unweighted incidents
  declined for all school levels except for
  Elementary level weighted incidents which
  increased by 1.4 percent.
• The large City N/RC total incidents decreased by
  26 percent.

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Data Charts

• 2005-06 and 2006-07 VADIR Data

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Using the Data

• What works?

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Benefits of Collecting Data
Promote Learning
Improve School Safety
Focus Efforts
Managing Resources
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Lessons Learned

• Actions that Work

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General Observations

• How safe a school is depends on the metric that
  is used.
• Too much denial and tolerance for certain types
  of behaviors exists.
• School staff is beginning to make better use of
  violence data.
• We need to focus on the little things

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Lessons Learned -Violence/Shootings

• If you See Something Say Something!!!!
• Incidents of targeted violence at schools are
  rarely sudden, impulsive acts.
• Prior to most incidents other people knew about
  the attackers idea and/or plan to attack.
• Most attackers engaged in some behavior prior to
  the incident that caused concern or indicated a
  need for help.
• Many attackers felt bullied, persecuted, or
  injured by others before the attack.

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Use of SDFSCA Funding

• 32 percent use resources to establish programs
  that involve prevention curriculum, instruction
  or training programs.
• 14 percent support programs that offer
  counseling, social work, psychological, or
  therapeutic programs.
• 7 percent offer programs to change the culture or
  the climate of the school or alter or maintain
  expectations for student behavior.

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Steps for Schools to Take

• Develop and equitably enforce a Code of Conduct
  for the district and building.
• Develop district safety plans and building
  emergency response plans to deal with serious
  situations and conduct drills, tabletops and
  functional exercises to increase the level of
  preparedness.
• Personalize the school environment.
• Analyze VADIR and other student conduct data to
  provide information regarding pockets of concern
  that require attention and program strengths that
  could be replicated.
• Implement programs and activities that have a
  proven record of achieving positive results.
• Actively involve and engage parents and other
  community members in addressing issues and
  concerns.
• Make sure students, teachers, parents,
  administrators, and other school staff are aware
  of warning signs of violence and the need to
  communicate to others.

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Next Steps-Staff Development

• Code of Conduct-VADIR alignment
• Safety Plans Development, Practice and Drills
• Use of VADIR data
• Customized follow-up sessions
• Social-Emotional Development and Learning

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Regional Student Support Service Centers

• Western-Jane Ogilvie [phone]
• Mid West-Joan Vitkus [phone]
• Mid-State-Lee Beals [phone]
• Eastern-Pat Gogol, Erin Brewer
  [phone]
• Long Island-Susan Kessler [phone]
• Hudson Valley-Tammy Rhein [phone]

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SED Contacts

• Greg Bayduss
• Kojo Attah
• Keturah (Keti) Colbert
• Darryl Daily
• Ruth Clements
• Linda Seaman
• Phone Number [phone]
• Web Address Http//www.emsc.nysed.gov/sss/