SECTION 1006.07(2), FLORIDA STATUTES,
SAFETY AND SECURITY BEST PRACTICES
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PAPER
November 08, 2002
How to Comply with Section 1006.07(2), Florida Statutes,
Safety and Security Best Practices
Recent violent events in schools around the country have brought increased focus on school
safety. The Safe Passage Act was a product of the 2001 Legislature to ensure every child a
safe passage through Florida’s education system.
The goal of this legislation is for every district to have a clearly directed safety and security
program that is effective and cost efficient in meeting its intended purpose. This program
would include comprehensive plans and procedures that promote the safety and security of
students and staff, ensure that school facilities and equipment are safe and in good condition,
and address the safe transportation of students.
PURPOSE
The purpose of this Technical Assistance Paper is to provide guidance to Florida school
districts on compliance with the Section 1006.07(6), Florida Statutes (F.S.), Safety and
Security Best Practices. The first Best Practices for Safety and Security Self-assessment was
developed by the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability
(OPPAGA) and the Partnership for School Safety and Security and approved by the
Commissioner of Education in 2001, for the 2001-2002 school year. Pursuant to statute, the
practices have been revised for 2002-2003.
SCOPE
The self-assessment should consider safety in the broadest sense. The Best Practices for
Safety and Security include violence prevention, physical security and facilities, fire and
casualty safety, regulations associated with safety or risk management departments, and other
activities usually linked to law enforcement and security departments and the all-hazards
approach to critical incidents that is the basis of emergency management.
DISTRICT RESPONSIBILITIES
Compliance with the requirements of Section 1006.07(6), F.S., can be accomplished through
the following steps:
1)
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Identifying the members of the self-assessment team.
Each of the seven general areas
of the best practices for safety and security focuses on a different aspect of the district’s
program. By choosing district staff and representatives from other agencies, organizations,
and jurisdictions with expertise in these areas, the district can be assured of informed input
during the self-assessment process.
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Office of Safe Schools
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Florida Department of Education
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(850) 410-1667/Suncom 210-1667
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SECTION 1006.07(2), FLORIDA STATUTES,
SAFETY AND SECURITY BEST PRACTICES
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PAPER
November 08, 2002
The seven general areas are:
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Efficiency and Effectiveness Area (Practices 1-3),
which addresses the need for an
efficient and effective safety and security program. A district or county auditor, either
from your own county or from another county would best appraise this function.
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Safety Planning Area (Practices 4-11),
which deals with comprehensive plans and
procedures for school safety and security. Those best able to evaluate this function
might include the district’s safety/security director, county emergency management
staff, local emergency responders such as fire service or law enforcement
representation, a district school board member, a staff development director, or similar
representatives from other Florida counties.
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Discipline Policies and Code of Student Conduct Area (Practices 12-13)
, which
covers the district’s code of student conduct and should be assessed by student
services staff, local law enforcement, local teachers, School District Safe and Drug-Free
Schools Coordinators, and/or Department of Juvenile Justice and/or Department of
Children and Families representatives.
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School Climate and Community Outreach Area (Practices 14-16)
, which focuses on
school climate and community outreach. Those identified for General Area III above
would be best equipped to assess this. Additional representation might include local
emergency management.
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Safety Programs and Curricula Area (Practices 17-20)
, which speaks to school
climate as well as safety programs and curricula to address the fostering of a positive
learning environment.
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Facilities and Equipment Area (Practices 21-26)
, which speaks to the safety of
educational facilities and equipment. A district or nearby county’s facilities
representative would be best able to address these requirements. Also consider law
enforcement, fire safety inspectors, and local health officials.
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Transportation Area (Practices 27-29)
, which deals with transportation safety and
might include transportation staff such as administrators and bus drivers as well as local
law enforcement.
Those possible representatives identified above might be accompanied by the following in
the self-assessment process: public information specialists, parents, students, faculty, non-
instructional staff (maintenance, transportation, food service, school resource officers,
administration, etc.), risk management personnel, school board attorney, a local member of
the Partnership for School Safety and Security, district administration, health worker/nurse,
and Department of Education staff. Ideally, some representatives would be from outside
your school district so that policies and procedures are not being reviewed by those that
created them. Also, there is great value to using the “peer review” process; districts benefit
from the expertise and fresh perspective of those with similar functions working in other
districts or counties.
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Office of Safe Schools
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Florida Department of Education
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(850) 410-1667/Suncom 210-1667
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SECTION 1006.07(2), FLORIDA STATUTES,
SAFETY AND SECURITY BEST PRACTICES
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PAPER
November 08, 2002
2)
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Self-Assessment Coordinator.
The district should designate a self-assessment
coordinator.
This person may contact the Office of Safe Schools and/or OPPAGA
regarding the best practices and what constitutes meeting those practices. The coordinator
will then train the self-assessment team (see below) on how to conduct the assessment.
Finally, the coordinator will reconcile any conflicting responses to the self-assessment prior
to presenting the report to the school board.
3)
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Training of the self-assessment team.
Prior to the self-assessment, team members
should be briefed by the coordinator on the best practices and what constitutes meeting
those practices. Where applicable, documentation for each of the best practices/indicators
should be made available to team members. Each team member should receive a copy of
the latest version of the Best Practices and should be assigned goals or best practices to
evaluate consistent with their expertise.
4)
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Involving schools in the self-assessment.
The district should determine the level of
school-based involvement desired in the assessment. For some practices and indicators
school involvement will be critical. For others, district level responses are appropriate. In
collecting school based feedback and evidence the district could: (1) have all of its schools
conduct a self-assessment using the applicable “Best Practices” or the Emergency
Planning Standards identified below and compile the results, (2) randomly survey the
schools using a scientifically-based random selection methodology, (3) have peer review of
schools by other schools within the district, or (4) conduct on-site self-assessments as
some counties currently do.
Although the Florida Statutes delineate only district-level responsibilities, each school within
the district should have policies and procedures in place to adequately respond to a critical
incident. Best Practice 4, in General Area II, reads "The district has implemented a school
safety plan that includes district-wide emergency and safety procedures and identifies
those responsible for them.” The development of school-level plans and procedures is
critical to the district's success in meeting the intent of this area and its supporting Best
Practices and Indicators. School-level procedures should include reasonable lines of
authority and spans of control. The school must have in place written procedures, faculty
and staff must know the procedures, and the school must be in compliance with all
applicable procedures and standards.
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Office of Safe Schools
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Florida Department of Education
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(850) 410-1667/Suncom 210-1667
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SECTION 1006.07(2), FLORIDA STATUTES,
SAFETY AND SECURITY BEST PRACTICES
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PAPER
November 08, 2002
5)
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Conducting the self-assessment.
Completing the self-assessment document will
generally require addressing the following questions:
1.
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What policy or procedure does the district have in place to meet a particular best
practice?
2.
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Is this policy followed and is it followed in a way that is consistent with the intent of
the policy or procedure throughout the district?
3.
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Are the results of adherence to the policy or procedure consistent with the intended
goal or outcome of the best practice?
The self-assessment instrument is organized in an outline format with the General Area in
the header (e.g., “Efficiency and Effectiveness”), Best Practices (which are numerical, “1,”
“2,” “3,” etc.), and Indicators (which are lettered, “a,” “b,” “c,” etc.) as shown below. Also
shown below are related statutes and rules, a place for the district to state the status of the
best practices (e.g., “Yes,” “No,” “In Progress,” or “N/A”), and the strategies and actions the
district will take to meet the best practice, the fiscal impact, and timeline.
Efficiency and Effectiveness (Goal Area)
1.
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The district ensures the accuracy of its safety and security related data and reports accurate data to the Department of
Education (Best Practice).
Indicators of Meeting the Best Practice
Yes
No
In
Progress
N/A
a.
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The district and its schools have a process in place to collect, revise, and update the appropriate
data for the School Environmental Safety Incident Report.
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b.
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The district and its schools have a process in place to collect, revise, update and ensure the
accuracy of the discipline data.
c.
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The district has established and implemented strategies to ensure the reliability of SESIR,
discipline, and other safety and security program data.
Related Statutes and Rules
ss. 1006.09(8), 1006.13(3)
F.S.
In
Does the District Meet the Best Practice? (Please provide explanation)
Yes
No
Progress
N/A
Strategies and Actions to Be Taken
Fiscal Impact and Timeline
17
The district uses the state approved reporting form if available. If the state form is not available, the district develops its own form based on some
standardized criteria such as the Uniform Crime Reports.
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Office of Safe Schools
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Florida Department of Education
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(850) 410-1667/Suncom 210-1667
€
SECTION 1006.07(2), FLORIDA STATUTES,
SAFETY AND SECURITY BEST PRACTICES
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PAPER
November 08, 2002
5)
Conducting the self-assessment, continued
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Issues to consider when conducting the self-assessment: Who will serve as the
coordinator and reconcile the responses? Will the district use an external reviewer such as
the internal auditor? What level of documentation will be required? When will the district
start the self-assessment and how much time will be allotted? Who will oversee the
implementation of recommendations?
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General Guidelines: Different district staff will have a part of the answer and a variety of
experiences and knowledge of district practices as they relate to each best practice and
indicator. Usually the answer is not a clear “Yes” or “No,” but somewhere in between; the
district may be meeting some of the indicators. Give a complete answer and describe what
the district is doing if it does not appear to meet the definition of “best practice.”
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How do districts know if they meet a best practice? The indicators are
not
a checklist; so
do not simply count the number met. The Best Practices are the outcomes the district
should achieve, but indicators are not the only means to those outcomes. Some judgment
is necessary to determine if the district is accomplishing the outcome intended by the Best
Practice. If you’re not sure, ask yourself the following: “Is this a model practice that I would
recommend without hesitation to other school districts?” and “Is there anything I could
recommend that would significantly improve our current practice?”
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If the district does not meet a best practice, determine if the district is doing something else
that still meets the intended outcome. If not, what would it take to meet the indicator?
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An example of how the self-assessment instrument can be used while conducting the self-
assessment is provided on the next page.
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Office of Safe Schools
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Florida Department of Education
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(850) 410-1667/Suncom 210-1667
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SECTION 1006.07(2), FLORIDA STATUTES,
SAFETY AND SECURITY BEST PRACTICES
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PAPER
November 08, 2002
5)
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Conducting the self-assessment, continued
Safety Planning
11.
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The district’s Master Plan for In-Service Training identifies district and school personnel training needs and provides
for appropriate level of safety training for all personnel.
Indicators of Meeting the Best Practice
Yes
No
In
Progress
N/A
a.
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The district has a process in place and has identified the training required for all types of school
staff as well as the staff that require specialized safety training and incorporates those needs in its
Master Plan for In-Service Training.
18, 19
x
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b.
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The district’s required training in school-wide discipline, classroom management, conflict
x
resolution, and other safety training components are included in the district’s Master Plan for In-
service Training.
c.
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The district reviews and uses the relevant training opportunities provided by the Department of
x
Education and other appropriate organizations.
d.
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School principals can demonstrate that staff has received training based on the needs identified in
x
the Master Plan for In-Service Training, the school’s safety assessment, and the staff members’
roles and responsibilities.
20
e.
The district supplies trained personnel with the appropriate safety equipment.
21
x
f.
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Teachers at each grade level are provided in-service training to teach students positive social
x
skills and violence prevention, conflict resolution, and communication/decision making skills.
Related Statutes and Rules
ss. 1012.98 (4)(b)4, 1012.98(4)(b)5,
F.S.
Does the District Meet the Best Practice? (Please provide explanation)
Yes
No
In
Progress
N/A
Due to budget limitations, the district has been unable to provide all schools with needed safety
equipment.
X
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Strategies and Actions to Be Taken
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We have made arrangements with businesses and civic organizations to defray some or all of the cost of the needed items.
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Fiscal Impact and Timeline
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Fiscal Impact
€
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CPR kits (masks and gloves)-To be donated by a local medical supply company for all 85 schools. Cost: $0
€
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Metal detectors (hand held)-10 used metal detectors will be purchased from the county courthouse. Cost: $2,500 (Funding:
€
Safe Schools Appropriations)
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NOAA Weather Radios-American Red Cross will allow a purchase of additional radios through their existing agreement with
Radio Shack at a 40% discount. Cost: $5,100 (Funding: Safe Schools Appropriations)
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Timeline
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All items are due to be received and distributed to schools by October 1, 2001.
18
Training should include both instructional and non-instructional staff as well as substitute teachers and bus drivers. Districts may want to establish the
minimum number working days a substitute must have before being provided with training.
19
Specialized training may include suicide prevention and responses for specific emergency situations as outlined in the emergency checklist in best practice
8.
20 Depending on their duties, staff training can include emergency planning and intervention, class management, conflict resolution, CPR and first aid, the
use of life-saving equipment, sexual harassment and abuse, and the early warning signs of violence to the personnel identified in 11a.
21 This includes equipment such as first aid kits, fire extinguishers, or portable defibrillators.
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Office of Safe Schools
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Florida Department of Education
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(850) 410-1667/Suncom 210-1667
€
SECTION 1006.07(2), FLORIDA STATUTES,
SAFETY AND SECURITY BEST PRACTICES
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PAPER
November 08, 2002
5)
Conducting the self-assessment, continued
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The self-assessment instrument is available to districts in an electronic format to streamline
the submission of the required report. It can be downloaded from:
http://www.oppaga.state.fl.us/school_districts/safety/schoolsafety.html
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Below are several resources available to help districts conduct the self-assessment.
1.
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Volusia County has a school safety process with details available at
www.volusia.k12.fl.us/security. Included at this site are their security standards and a
sample procedures manual for schools to follow.
2.
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The DOE Office of Safe Schools, and the Interagency Advisory Committee for the
School Emergency Plans Project have developed Emergency Planning Standards for
Florida’s Schools, which address school-level safety activities and programs. These
standards were modeled after Volusia County’s program and would be a useful tool for
school self-assessments conducted by peers or by a district team. The Emergency
Planning Standards are available on the Department's web site at:
www.firn.edu/doe/bin00013/em_plan/emerg_plan.htm under "Best Practices.”
3.
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OPPAGA has an overview of the self-assessment process available at
www.oppaga.state.fl.us
4.
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The DOE Office of Safe Schools also sent to each school in Florida, in January of 2001,
the
Planning Guide for Achieving Safe, Equitable, Healthy and Drug-Free Schools
and
its companion document,
Planning Guide: Supplemental Resources,
as part of DOE’s
ongoing efforts to improve the quality of school safety and the learning environment in
Florida schools. The
Planning Guide
is designed to help schools and School Advisory
Councils address the process and content issues that must be considered to make this
happen. It offers tools for assessing a school’s needs, developing priorities, identifying
alternatives for addressing those priorities, and identifying sources for further help. This
guide works best if used with the companion document titled
Planning Guide:
Supplemental Resources
, which contains problem-solving tools such as checklists,
survey instruments, and bibliographies. The Planning Guide is available on-line at:
http://www.firn.edu/doe/bin00014/plangide.pdf. Hard copies of both documents are
available upon request by contacting the Office of Safe Schools at 850-410-1667 or
Suncom 210-1667.
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Office of Safe Schools
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Florida Department of Education
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(850) 410-1667/Suncom 210-1667
€
SECTION 1006.07(2), FLORIDA STATUTES,
SAFETY AND SECURITY BEST PRACTICES
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PAPER
November 08, 2002
6)
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Developing the final report.
Self-assessment reports should identify each of the best
practices or indicators where improvement is needed and outline relevant strategies and
activities that the school district should implement in order to address those best
practices/indicators. However, the final report should include only General Areas and Best
Practices as shown in the example on the next page. Indicators are designed to be used in
the self-assessment process, but should not be included in the final report:
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What goes into a district's report? Each district makes its own conclusions and decides
how to report them. General elements of a report are:
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Finding: Did you meet the best practice? If not, explain why you did not meet it.
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Recommendation: What needs to be done to meet the practice?
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Strategies and Activities: What specific steps should be taken to implement the
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recommendation?
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What goes into a recommendation?
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Findings: Did the district meet the best practices?
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Recommendation: Describes the general goal or outcome to be accomplished.
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Strategies and Activities: Describes the specific steps necessary to achieve the
recommendation.
Once completed, these steps should add up to the recommendation. State who is
responsible for implementing the strategies and actions. Estimate the costs of the
actions and determine whether they are one-time costs or recurring.
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Where can examples of last year’s districts’ reports be found? Examples of last year’s
district reports that were sent to the Commissioner of Education can be found on-line
at:
http://www.firn.edu/doe/besss/safe_passage/safe_passage2002.htm
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Has OPPAGA summarized the reports? OPPAGA conducted a summary of the
districts’ reports, which can be found on-line at:
http://www.oppaga.state.fl.us/reports/pdf/0249rpt.pdf
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Office of Safe Schools
€
Florida Department of Education
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(850) 410-1667/Suncom 210-1667
€
SECTION 1006.07(2), FLORIDA STATUTES,
SAFETY AND SECURITY BEST PRACTICES
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PAPER
November 08, 2002
Example Finding from a Florida School District
€
Safety Planning
11.
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The district’s Master Plan for In-Service Training identifies district and school personnel training needs and
provides for appropriate level of safety training for all personnel.
Related Statutes and Rules
ss. 1012.98 (4)(b)4, 1012.98(4)(b)5,
F.S.
Finding: Does the District Meet the Best Practice? (Please provide explanation)
Yes
No
In
Progress
N/A
Due to budget limitations, the district has been unable to provide all trained personnel with the
appropriate safety equipment.
X
Recommendation: What needs to be done to meet the practice?
Recommendation #1. Provide all trained personnel with the appropriate safety equipment.
Strategies and Actions to Be Taken
We have made arrangements with businesses and civic organizations to defray some or all of the cost of the needed items.
Action Step
Action
Responsible Person
Action Step 1
Identify needed safety equipment for appropriate personnel.
Safe Schools Coordinator
Action Step 2
Identify vendors/providers of safety equipment.
Safe Schools Coordinator
Action Step 3
Purchase/receive needed equipment.
Purchasing Director
Action Step 4
Provide safety equipment to appropriate school personnel.
Safe Schools Coordinator
Action Step 5
Provide training on use of equipment.
Staff Development Coordinator
Fiscal Impact and Timeline
FISCAL IMPACT
Item
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CPR kits (masks and gloves)-To be donated by a local
medical supply company for all 85 schools.
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Metal detectors (hand held)-10 used metal detectors will be
purchased from the county courthouse.
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NOAA Weather Radios-American Red Cross will allow a
purchase of additional radios through their existing
agreement with Radio Shack at a 40% discount.
TIMELINE
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Date all items are due to be received and distributed to
schools
Cost
Funding Source
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$0
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$2,500
Safe Schools Appropriations
(Non-recurring)
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$5,100
Safe
Schools
Appropriations
(Non-recurring)
Due Date
�
June 30, 2003
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Office of Safe Schools
€
Florida Department of Education
€
(850) 410-1667/Suncom 210-1667
€
SECTION 1006.07(2), FLORIDA STATUTES,
SAFETY AND SECURITY BEST PRACTICES
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PAPER
November 08, 2002
7)
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Timeline for Safety and Security Best Practices Self-assessment Activities.
Last
year’s self-assessment report was due to the district school board on or by July 1, 2002.
The statute states that the self-assessment report is due annually thereafter. Therefore,
for Fiscal Year 2002-2003, the reports are due to the school board on or by July 1, 2003.
The report must be presented at a publicly-noticed meeting where school board members
can discuss and take action on the report findings. The report and school board action
shall be forwarded to the Commissioner of Education within 30 days of the school board
meeting. Some districts have discussed completing the self-assessments earlier in the
fiscal year, so they have time to present the report to the superintendent and school
board in order to meet the deadline for including recommended improvements in the
budget for the next fiscal year.
8)
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Process for Submitting Report to the Commissioner of Education.
Reports should
be received in the Department of Education no later than
July 31, 2003.
Please note that
there will be no deadline extensions as waivers cannot be given for safety activities. As
you prepare to submit your report, please send the original report and an electronic copy
(Microsoft Word or PDF file), either on a floppy disk or compact disk, to:
Commissioner Jim Horne
Attention: Office of Safe Schools
Florida Department of Education
325 West Gaines Street, Room 301
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0400
Or, send the electronic copy via e-mail to Lorraine Allen at Lorraine.Allen@fldoe.org.
Should you have any questions regarding this process, please contact Lorraine Allen or
Julie Collins, Julie.Collins@fldoe.org, Office of Safe Schools, at 850-410-1667 or
SunCom 210-1667.
9)
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Are there penalties for non-compliance?
All districts must conduct the self-
assessment in accordance with Section 1006.07(6), F.S. Those districts that do not meet
the requirements could face penalties as provided in Section 1001.42(11)(b), Florida
Statutes. Reports required by law must be promptly transmitted to the Department of
Education or the district superintendent's salary can be withheld. The statute describes
further penalties if the report is not received after due notice.
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Office of Safe Schools
€
Florida Department of Education
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(850) 410-1667/Suncom 210-1667
€
SECTION 1006.07(2), FLORIDA STATUTES,
SAFETY AND SECURITY BEST PRACTICES
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PAPER
November 08, 2002
10)
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What is the difference between the Best Practices for Safety and Security and the
Best Financial Management Practices
?
Section 1006.07(6), F.S., requires that each district conduct an annual self-assessment
using the adopted Safety and Security Best Practices.
Section 1008.35, F.S., involves a Best Financial Management Practices Review to be
conducted by a third party on a five-year cycle, as defined in statute. These reviews
cover different program areas, but do not include safety and security.
11)
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Resources for conducting district self-assessments.
Below is a listing of resources
that may be useful to districts preparing to conduct the initial self-assessment:
Materials
�
DOE Planning Guide: Achieving Safe, Equitable, Healthy, and Drug-Free Schools
at:
http://www.firn.edu/doe/bin00014/plangide.pdf
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DOE Planning Guide: Achieving Safe, Equitable, Healthy, and Drug-Free Schools--
Supplemental Resource
(Hard copy available from Office of Safe Schools, DOE)
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DOE Critical Incident Management: Templates for School Planning
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OPPAGA Overview of Self-Assessment Process (PowerPoint Slide Show)
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DOE School Transportation Resource Documents such as Florida School Bus
Specifications; Florida School Bus Safety Inspection Manual; Basic School Bus Driver
Curriculum; School Bus Driver Handbook
Technical Assistance and Free Training
�
Joint DOE and OPPAGA Technical Assistance and Training for District Self-Assessment
Coordinators
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DOE’s Multi-Hazard Planning for Florida's Schools Course
Web Resources
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OPPAGA
site:
http://www.oppaga.state.fl.us/school_districts/safety/schoolsafety.html
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Office of Safe Schools/Emergency Planning for Schools:
www.firn.edu/doe/bin00013/em_plan/emerg_plan.htm
�
Volusia County Schools:
www.volusia.k12.fl.us/security
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Office of Safe Schools
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Florida Department of Education
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(850) 410-1667/Suncom 210-1667
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