Safe & Supportive Schools Training Information
Managing Student Threats of Violence
- (April 28, 2011, Nashville)
- (April 29, 2011, Knoxville)
- (May 6, 2011, Jackson)
Studies conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Secret Service and United States Department of Education recommend that school personnel be trained to screen student threats of violence. The University of Virginia Youth Violence Project field tested the federal recommendations and published Guidelines for Administrators in Responding to Student Threats of Violence. Additionally, the Schools Against Violence in Education (SAVE) Act, TCA 49-6-805, requires schools to develop policies and procedures relative to threats of violence.
The Tennessee School Safety Center invites you to attend a seminar in your region presented by Dr. Ken Strong, a licensed counseling psychologist and nationally certified school psychologist having extensive clinical and administrative experience in the assessment and management of student threats of violence.
Dr. Strong will describe how the guidelines can be used by school personnel to screen threats and present a model for schools or districts to use in developing their own threat assessment policies and procedures.
The seminar is appropriate for district and building administrators, school psychologists, school counselors and school resource officers.
The Methamphetamine Awareness Project
Upcoming Traning Dates:
- (March 28, 2011, Jackson)
- (April 4, 2011, Nashville)
- (April 25, 2011, Cleveland)
The Department of Education is pleased to announce a new training opportunity for Tennessee educators and others working in a school setting. The Methamphetamine Awareness Project will focus on the drug methamphetamine and its impact on children.
Participants receive a basic overview of the drug as well as learn how to recognize the signs and symptoms of children living in a home where methamphetamine is being produced or used. Appropriate intervention strategies will also be identified. These trainings are made possible through a collaboration between the Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration, Office of Criminal Justice Programs and is supported by the Governor’s Methamphetamine Initiative Grant.
Any questions about the trainings may be directed to Lori Ungurait at (615) 253-6382 or via email to lori.ungurait@tennessee.edu.
Olweus Bullying Prevention Program
The Tennessee Department of Education, in collaboration with STARS Nashville and Clemson University, is pleased to announce the availability of certification training for the Olweus Bullying Prevention (OBP) Program. The Olweus Program is heavily researched and recognized around the world as the premier bullying prevention program.
Detailed information about the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program be found at www.starsnashville.org.
The Tennessee Department of Education has partnered with Vanderbilt Community Mental Health Center to provide a professional development training called PREPARE. PREPARE is designed to develop and disseminate information to school districts that will assist in advancing an “after the crisis” response plan. This is an excellent, hands-on, interactive training designed to assist school counselors, school social workers, school psychologists and crisis team members in what to do after a crisis. The training is free.
Registration materials can be obtained by emailing Rose Cope at Rosemary.Cope@vanderbilt.edu.
Safe Dates is the only research-based adolescent dating abuse prevention program available today. Highly engaging and interactive, Safe Dates helps teens recognize the difference between caring, supportive relationships and controlling, manipulative, or abusive dating relationships.
Safe Dates:
- works as a prevention and as an intervention tool
- has strong outcomes even after four years
- is proven effective with boys as well as girls
- addresses both perpetrators and victims of abuse
- acknowledges that either gender could play either role
A follow-up study of students from 14 public schools in North Carolina found that, four years after implementation of Safe Dates, students who participated in the program reported 56% to 92% less physical and sexual dating violence than teens who did not participate in Safe Dates.
The nine-session curriculum, which can be delivered in as few as four sessions, includes
- reproducible handouts
- step-by-step instructions for each session
- a scope and sequence document
- a 45-minute play on dating abuse written by high-school drama students
- pre- and post-program evaluation tools
- parent resources
- a training outline for facilitators
Registration Materials Coming Soon!
Safe Schools Institute 2011 (May 12-13)
The 2011 Safe Schools Institute will provide a forum for educators to address best practices in the broad area of school safety. Utilizing a multi-hazards approach, the Institute will address prevention/mitigation and response strategies for a wide range of safety challenges including natural disasters, as well as violent or potentially-violent incidents. Experts in the fields of emergency preparedness, law enforcement, mental health and violence prevention will present on a variety of topics focused specifically on a school setting.
The Institute is specifically developed for those persons responsible for providing direction to district-level school safety programs, particularly those individuals who are responsible for insuring district compliance with the Schools Against Violence in Education (SAVE) Act. Other persons who would benefit from participation include directors of schools, building administrators, school resource officers, and school counselors.
The 2011 Safe Schools Institute will be held in Franklin, TN on May 12-13. The conference registration fee is $99.00 and will include two breakfasts and one lunch. Location and hotel details will be emailed to you once we receive your registration.
For more information regarding the Institute contact Lori Ungurait at (615) 253-6382 or (615) 253-6379 or lori.ungurait@tennessee.edu.
Student Discipline and Alternative Education Institute 2012
In collaboration with the Department of Education's Office of General Counsel, the Office of School Safety and Learning Support and the UT Law Enforcement Innovation Center presents the Student Discipline and Alternative Education (SDAE) Institute.The conference will promote proactive approaches to dealing with student discipline, as well as legal and procedural issues/practices related to the field. This will include an in-depth training on how to conduct a disciplinary hearing and provide due process prior to making a disciplinary decision regarding suspension or expulsion. Exemplary practices in alternative education will also be explored with information on Tennessee’s Nontraditional High School Initiative also being provided. Experts in the field of educational law, student discipline, social and emotional learning, and alternative and nontraditional education will provide a wide variety of breakout sessions for participants. SDAE is appropriate for educators who are interested in and committed to best practices in student discipline, alternative and nontraditional education, as well as social and emotional learning. For more information regarding the Institute contact Lori Ungurait at (615) 253-6382 or via email to lori.ungurait@tennessee.edu.
Registration Materials Coming Soon!!!
When Bullying Comes to School: Addressing Bullying, Harassment, and Hazing Through Effective Policy and Practice
Upcoming Training Dates:
- (May 2, 2011, Knoxville)
- (May 3, 2011, Nashville)
- (May 6, 2011, Jackson)
A civil and respectful learning environment is an essential foundation for teaching and learning. Public Chapter 153 as enacted by the 2009 General Assembly mandates specific actions on the part of schools relative to bullying, harassment and intimidation. This seminar will provide an overview of these and other related requirements with a particular focus upon insuring that policy is reflected in effective practice.
Questions regarding the seminar may be directed to Mike Herrmann by phone at (615) 741-3248 or via email at mike.herrmann@tn.gov.
Governor Bill Haslam
