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Since June 2007, the Texas Education Agency has worked with the Harris County Department of Education, the Texas School Safety Center, and the Safe & Drug-Free Schools and Communities Statewide Initiative to develop Unified School Safety Standards for the State of Texas. Representatives of each of these groups, regional education service centers (ESCs), school districts and others from throughout the state have met in Austin and through TETN facilities to draft the proposed standards (see below) that are now posted for public comment and review.

A 92-day public comment and review period began November 1, 2007, and will run through January 31, 2008, to give the public the opportunity to respond to the proposed Texas Unified School Safety Standards. You may comment at the Texas School Safety Center website. Just select “Texas Unified School Safety Standards,” in the “Hot Links” menu; and follow the onscreen prompts to make comments.

Please fill out a separate form for each Standard for which you have a suggestion or comment, as this will allow for the best tracking of the data submitted during the review/comment period. Then, submit each form via the "Submit" button at the bottom of the form. Only use the "Reset" button to erase all the data you have entered.

After the 92-day review and comment period, teams comprised of local and state school safety representatives, who have expertise in each of the phases of emergency management, will review and address the comments. They will conduct a final state-level meeting from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, February 12, 2008, at Educational Service Center Region XIII in Austin, Texas.

Texas Unified School Safety Standards

 

Mitigation/Prevention Standards

1.1 The school district should demonstrate a commitment to safety through coordination of efforts and clear communication with local, regional, and state-level stakeholders in all efforts for mitigation and prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery.

1.2 The school district should assess the school climate and implement relevant scientifically research-based curricula and programs at each campus to create a positive, safe, and disciplined environment conducive to learning.

1.3 The school district should have a process in place to identify and appropriately address individuals who exhibit early warning signs of violence, risky behaviors, or a potential threat of criminal activity.

1.4 The school district should complete a multi-hazard assessment of the community and school district properties – identifying hazards from natural, accidental, and intentional incidents, including violence and property crime.

1.5 The school district multi-hazard assessment should include frequency, magnitude, warning time, and severity of potential incidents.

1.6 The school district should utilize the results of the multi-hazard assessment to develop specific prevention and mitigation activities and plans as part of their multi-hazard emergency operations plan.

1.7 The school district should conduct a systematic safety and security audit, using trained individuals, and report the results according to current Texas statute.

1.8 The district should have policies and procedures that govern access to its facilities.

Preparedness Standards

2.1 The school district should demonstrate a commitment to safety through multi-hazard preparedness activities, plans, and programs.

2.2 The school district multi-hazard emergency operations plan should include procedures for assisting individuals with special needs.

2.3 The school district multi-hazard emergency operations plan should include policies and procedures to address pandemic and health control issues.

2.4 The school district should provide training to educate employees, students, parents, and the community about school safety and emergency management programs.

2.5 The school district should develop and implement a comprehensive multi-hazard exercise/drill program and schedule.

2.6 The school district should engage in interagency collaboration and adopt mutual-aid agreements, memoranda of understanding, and interjurisdictional/interlocal agreements.

2.7 The school district should incorporate maps and floor plans into the multi-hazard emergency operations plan to include evacuation options, utility shut-offs, and other critical locations and information.

2.8 The school district multi-hazard emergency operations plan should include procedures for communicating with all stakeholders.

2.9 The school district multi-hazard emergency operations plan should establish accountability, reunification, and student release procedures.

2.10 The school district should maintain and replenish emergency supplies.

2.11 The school district should have a primary point of contact who is responsible for the emergency management program development and oversight.

2.12 The school district should ensure that each facility has a designated emergency management program liaison.

Response Standards

3.1 The school district should assess each incident/event and determine the appropriate response.

3.2 The school district should identify the person(s) to initiate response.

3.3 The school district should initiate established communications protocols for both internal and external notification.

3.4 The school district should activate the appropriate emergency response.

3.5 The school district should utilize the National Incident Management System and Incident Command System protocols.

3.6 The school district should ensure preservation of evidence following a criminal incident.

3.7 The school district should monitor, document, reassess, and adjust the response, as necessary.

Recovery Standards

4.1 The school district should have policies, plans, and procedures for Continuity of Operations to resume school functions after an incident.

4.2 The school district should have policies, plans, and procedures for resource management after an incident.

4.3 The school district should have policies, plans, and procedures for emotional and physical health recovery needs for students and staff after an incident.

4.4 The school district should have policies, plans, and procedures for generating after-action reviews and corrective action plans following an incident or exercise/drill.

Web posted: 11/13/07