Mississippi Department of Education

2002 Annual Report, School Year 2000-2001

School Safety Report
 
 

2000-01 School Safety Statistics

School Safety Assessments  116 facilities
Crisis Disaster Team Activations  13 incidents
Personnel Trained  2102
"Connections" Toll Free Hotline: Calls received                                   337
Weapons Seized                                    2
Narcotics Arrests                                  6
Gang Fights Avoided                             2
Bomb threat resolved                            1
Average Response Time                     15 Minutes
Technical Assistance Calls  10,800

 
Accomplishments
School safety assessments *Continued to perform comprehensive school safety assessments at no cost to school districts.
*Partnered with the department's Management Information Systems Office to deploy the state's first computerized incident reporting system for schools.
*Developed a statewide comprehensive threat assessment protocol to assist districts in responding to student threats.
Training Training was afforded to teachers, administrators, and staff in "School Safety Law and Policy Development," "Crisis Response Training," Student Sexual Harassment Training," and "Violent Confrontation Avoidance" workshops as well as other critical area safety training.
Crisis Disaster Team Responded to thirteen activations in incidents ranging from bomb threats to fires, to suicides to tornado damage. The team's interventions allowed districts to increase federal funding authorizations for disaster funding.
Best/promising practices Established a list of "best practices" and "promising practices" for character education programs for school districts and conducted extensive research comparing Mississippi school safety laws with those of other states.
Collaboration Accomplishments were made in collaboration with the MDE-sponsored "Mississippi Institute of School Safety," which includes representatives from the Mississippi Attorney General's Office, Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, Mississippi Department of Human Services, Mississippi Department of Public Safety and Mississippi Department of Mental Health.
Publications
* "Mississippi School Safety Manual," in collaboration with the Mississippi Institute for School Safety. Available on CD-ROM and web page.
* "School Occupational Safety and Crisis Response Plan Manual," available on CD-ROM and web page.
* "What is Sexual Harassment," published in the Safe and Orderly Schools Newsletter, August 2000.
Next Steps
Contingent on funding the division intends to
* continue the collaboration with other state agencies via the Mississippi Institute of School Safety.
* furnish training to all school districts in "Threat Assessment Protocol."
* endeavor to furnish basic training to school resource officers and schools safety officers in accordance with Mississippi law.

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