TSPR Audit Protocols - Safety and Security

The safety of students, school district personnel, and physical assets are of vital concern to school districts and their patrons. A good safety and security program provides for a balanced approach of prevention, intervention and enforcement. Proper safeguards must be in place, which include hardware and equipment, security personnel, and plans for preventative measures to deter crime. The Texas State Comptroller issued a report entitled "Keeping Texas Children Safe in School" that outlines a common sense approach to safety and security that should be given careful consideration during the review.

I. Security

A secure school environment requires comprehensive planning and appropriate policies and programs that address the needs of both the district as a whole and the unique situation of each school. In a secure district, schools are made aware of potential security hazards and have mechanisms to respond as necessary. Some districts employ police departments to assist in the security of the district and its stakeholders, as well as use security equipment for the monitoring of potential security hazards.
Data Needs

Historical crime and violence incident statistics by campus and type
District Policies and procedures regarding security
Strategic Plan
Organization and staffing charts
Budget for Security Function
District and Campus Improvement Plans
Prevention/Intervention program list
School Safety Audits or Evaluations
Security logs for maintenance of equipment and vehicles
Policies for building security
Security equipment plans
Security surveillance inventory lists
Security equipment Purchase Orders
Staff Development course list
Security and Safety Surveys conducted by the district or other sources
District Annual report to the Board
Program evaluation or other safety or security-related reports
Copies of Crisis or Disaster Plans

Possible People to Interview
Legal counsel
Assistant superintendent with assigned responsibility for security programs
Safety director or Police Chief
Safety Resource Officers (SROs)/Security Guards/Police Officers
Principals/Assistant principals/campus-based personnel
Site-based Decision -making Committees
Area/Regional Service Center staff responsible for Safe and Drug Free School Assistance
Police Trainer/Drug Detection Dog trainer
District Staff Development Coordinator
Hall monitors
Crossing guards
Facilities Director
Maintenance director
Maintenance staff
Purchasing Director
Attendance Director or attendance clerks
I.A. Organization and Staffing
Activities to Perform

I.A.1 Create or examine an organizational chart of all safety and security functions in the district including the police department, security, alternative education programs, JJAEP, truancy, school resource officers, hall monitors, crossing guards, and the like and show how the campus principals and central office administrators with oversight responsibility for these functions fit into the organizational scheme.

I.A.2 Compare the organization and staffing charts with job descriptions and interview staff to determine reporting arrangements, determine whether the organizational structure depicted on the chart reflects the actual organization of the department, and document if it has been changed recently or repeatedly in the recent past or is anticipated to change in the near future and explain the reasons for changes.

I.A.3 Examine the staffing and budgets of safety and security and related functions and determine the ratio of total students to staffing within each function. Compare the budget and staffing levels to industry standards.

I.A.4 Create a table showing police or security full-time equivalent’s (FTE's) assignments by campus, location (if applicable) or patrol area and hours and days worked per week and show how schedules ensure adequate coverage. Include information about extracurricular or other special assignments.

I.A.5 Prepare a chart showing the salary rates and ranges for each position within the safety and security function, the budgeted or actual overtime worked by each position type stated in hours and/or dollars, as appropriate. Compare salary rates to industry standards and note any areas where consistent of excessive overtime is being used.

I.A.6 Prepare a list by safety and security personnel group of all staff development provided and/or required at orientation, annually, and at other intervals. Show whether that training is provided in-house or by contract and the approximate contract cost.

Questions to Ask
Who heads the safety and security function in the district? Are functions that relate to safety and security such as attendance or truancy officers and hall monitors efficiently aligned within the overall district organization? What is the staffing pattern of the safety and security division? What are the functions supported by the safety and security division? How are related functions coordinated within the district?
What training does staff in the safety and security division receive to better understand current and emerging developments in the safety and security function? How does safety and security staff serve as resources to other administrators in safety and security matters? Are employees in the division cross-trained? To what extent do safety and security staff participate in workshops, conferences, seminars, read professional literature and interact with safety and security administrators in both public and private sectors to improve job performance?
If the district uses a drug detection dog, who is responsible for training the handlers? The dogs? Is it a contracted service?
Does the district establish procedures for training staff such as hall monitors, SRO's, police officers, principals, and teachers regarding security issues? Who trains new personnel accessing security equipment such as cell phones, safety locks, police radios?
Who is in charge of building security? What is the role of the principal and assistant principals in the safety and security function? Are there organizational obstacles that prevent the safety and security function from operating smoothly?
How is security provided at extracurricular events? Is security at extracurricular events conducted as part of the regular security operations of the district or is there a separate contract for these services? Does the staffing pattern for extracurricular events typically result in overtime payments to security personnel? How does the district control costs for extracurricular security? Is the cost for extracurricular security charged to the safety and security budget or to the cost of extracurricular activities?
How is overtime controlled? Who must approve overtime before it is worked? What situations would have to exist to prevent the need for overtime?
Who hires security staff? Are there any unique security checks performed for security personnel that are not done for the rest of the district’s employees? How does the district ensure that individuals performing safety and security activities are capable of dealing with the needs of children? What special certifications are required at each level of safety and security staffing? How does the district recruit or train individuals to fill positions requiring special certifications?
I.B. Policies and Procedures
Activities to Perform

I.B.1 Compile copies of and prepare a list of all safety and security related board policies and any procedural manuals that implement or explain board policy including any student discipline or employee handbooks that contain policy or procedural information. Examine the content to determine if they are consistent and comprehensive; note any discrepancies.

Questions to Ask
Does the district have board approved policies for the operations of the safety and security program regarding:

student discipline
truancy and student attendance programs
"open" or "closed" campuses
building access
zero tolerance programs
data reporting/reporting of threats, crime statistics, drugs, gangs, weapons
safety plans/goals and objectives

Does the district have established procedures regarding:

safety during natural or operational disasters or from criminal behavior occurring on school property?
evacuation plans for all types of emergencies including checklists.
deployment and guidelines for crisis teams.
counseling procedures for posttraumatic stress.
debriefing and media guidelines.
dealing with school support community specialists (i. e. Local law enforcement, Hotline centers, Poison centers, Fire departments,).

Are there day-to-day operating procedures in place for the safety and security function? Do procedures define the roles of safety and security personnel, building principals, assistant principals, teachers, and other district staff?
Does the district have procedures for building security?

Is there a key control system?
Who issues keys?
Who has master keys?
How often does the district issue new alarm codes? Who is issued access codes?

Are there established procedures for the annual evaluation of the safety and security programs?
Do security personnel or police officers wear guns? Are there policies and procedures in place to stipulate who can and should carry fire arms? Are there policies regarding staff other than security staff carrying concealed weapons? When and where are concealed weapons inappropriate?
Are there established policies or procedures in dealing with other safety and security related organizations in the community such as local law enforcement; hotline centers for child abuse, rape, run away, suicide prevention, etc.; poison control centers; fire departments, etc.).
How is district policy enforced?
I.C. Safety and Security Planning

I.C.1 Examine the last three years of incident statistics reported as part of the Safe and Drug Free Schools program, collected locally as part of the district’s internal programs, and/or maintained in cooperation with local law enforcement offices. Prepare a table by campus showing the type and frequency of incidents. Note any major or defining incidents, giving a brief description of the event, date, location and show how programs have evolved as a result of the events. For example, the injury of a child exiting a bus may result in all buses being equipped with stopping arms.

I.C.2 Compile copies of all safety and security related planning and budget documents or documents containing security plans such as a long-range security master plan or elements of the district’s strategic planning documents and/or the district and campus improvement plans . Determine the nature and scope of each plan, the time frame of the plan, and the process by which the plan was developed. In addition, evaluate how the goals, objectives and strategies of each plan are linked to each other and the budget, the assignment of responsibility for implementation, and the process by which the plan’s implementation is monitored.

Questions to Ask
Does the district use incident statistics to plan for the allocation of resources to campuses? How are the needs of the safety and security function determined? Are the budgets for the safety and security programs allocated based upon identified need? How has district planning been guided by single events rather than documented need?
How are teachers, administrators, the community or site-based decision-making committees involved in the planning of safety or security programs? How are parents and students involved in planning ?
Does the district provide prevention and intervention programs? Are they addressed in their campus improvement plans (CIPs) per state law requirements?
How does the district evaluate the effectiveness of the safety and security function? What performance measures are attached to the planning documents to ensure that goals and objectives are met? How are decisions reached to dedicate additional budget funds to expanding or enhancing the safety or security programs?

Does the district survey its stakeholders (i.e. teachers, administrators, students community support staff, contracted services) to receive feedback on current programs and practices in place that address safety and security for staff and students?
How are the concepts of prevention, intervention and enforcement reflected in planning? How does the staffing of the district’s safety and security program reflect a balanced approach of prevention, intervention and enforcement?
Crisis Management
Does the district have an established Crisis Management Plan: emergency procedures focusing on safety for students and school personnel that can be implemented on short notice? Does the district have a parent liaison/volunteer to be a connection with the community during crisis situations? What are their duties?
Are plans in effect for the following :Evacuation Procedures, Fire Drills, School Emergency Shelter Disaster Plan, Severe Weather, Crowd Control Policy, Gang Policy, Searches Policy, and Traffic Control?
Does the district include the community in planning for disasters? Does the district have any prevention or intervention programs currently in place regarding crisis management? Describe the programs. When are they used? By who? How are students made aware of these programs or processes?
How does the district ensure that crisis plans are regularly reviewed, updated, and tested? Who is responsible for this? How Often?
Does the regional service center provide training for administration or staff in the area of crisis management? What staff attends these sessions? Who covers their fees?
I.D. Safety and Security Operations
Activities to Perform

I.D.1 Prepare a table showing what district or contract staff are involved in each aspect of the district’s prevention, intervention and enforcement activities as well as any special programs or activities that the district uses to address prevention, intervention and enforcement (i.e., police officers may be used primarily for enforcement, SROs used for prevention, truancy and attendance officers used for intervention, assistant superintendents with responsibility for discipline management may be used for prevention and intervention, etc.).

I.D.2 Identify external services provided by local governments in the community such as fire, police, sheriff, etc., and show how the district interacts with each. Note any areas where there is an overlap or gap.

I.D.3 Prepare a list of all safety and security-related training provided to campus staff, students, parents or community groups.
I.D.4 Prepare a table showing the current fleet inventory by year, make and model; date of purchase; purchase price (if available); and current mileage.

I.D.5 Prepare a table showing all major equipment used in the safety and security function such as communication devices, alarm systems, and the like. Show the date of purchase, condition, and type and source of maintenance required. For example, the district may do routine maintenance or the district could have a maintenance contract.

Questions to Ask
Is the district in compliance with all current state laws regarding reporting of violence incidents in their Annual District report to the board? Does the district report their violence incident statistics to the state to access Safe and Drug Free Communities Act funding for programs such as DARE?
Does the district participate in any national programs such as DARE? How are students involved? Does the district deploy security guards, officers, drug dogs, and drug searches based upon district or campus needs? Does the district do any shared services with the local law enforcement entities (i.e. city police departments, county sheriff departments)?
Does the district regularly conduct searches for drugs, bombs, and weapons? How does it accomplish this? Does the district own its own dog or contract for the services of a drug dog? Does the district obtain any services like drug dogs through other local law enforcement groups?
How does the district secure its buildings? Does the district use hall monitors? Are visitors required to sign in or wear a visitor badge? Are surveillance cameras used in key locations? Who monitors the surveillance cameras? Are exterior doors locked after the beginning of school to control entry? Are doors equipped with panic hardware so that individuals inside the building can leave, in the event of an emergency, but visitors cannot enter?
Does the district establish procedures regarding the control of combinations to locks, distribution and access to keys or alarm codes?
What is the role of the local law enforcement or emergency response groups in responding to alarms? What is the role or district staff when responding to alarms? How does the district handle after hours calls?
What system of communication is used to connect security personnel with other security personnel? With local law enforcement? With teachers and administrators? What communication gaps exist and how is the district addressing these gaps?
Do students and staff wear identification badges so that non-students are easy to identify? Are student uniforms used to improve security? Are there any identification cards issued to staff or students? Is there a sign in policy at all campuses? Who monitors entryways and halls?
What kinds of plans are in place for the provision of safety equipment (i.e. surveillance cameras, radios, monitors, safety locks, and special access cards…)? Who orders this equipment, services it, pays for it? Does the district contract out for the repair and maintenance of security equipment (i.e. surveillance cameras, monitors, safety locks, police vehicles, guns, radios, cell phones?)
Are vehicles replaced on a cycle that takes into account the age, mileage, and condition of the vehicles? Does the district transportation function service these vehicles regularly? Are employees allowed to take vehicles home? What types of insurance coverages are carried on district vehicles?
Who is responsible for purchasing or leasing safety equipment? Does the attorney review contracts for lease equipment? Does the purchasing department ensure that all leases and purchases are made in compliance with purchasing laws and district policies?
Does the district evaluate the effectiveness of alarm system equipment, cameras and monitors?
What training does the district provide regarding safety and security to students and staff? How does this training reinforce the district’s goals and objectives for safety and security? Are there any notable results that have occurred because of these training activities?

II. Student Discipline Management

Every Texas school district is required to create a foundation for student discipline through the adoption of a student code of conduct establishing standards for student behavior. A student code of conduct will often reflect the discipline policies a district has in place to manage student behavior while in class and while on school property.
Data Needs

Code of Conduct
Parent/Student Handbooks
Disciplinary action reports
Program Evaluation Reports
District and Campus Improvement Plans
Alternative Education Plans/Policies
State and Federal Laws (Texas Education Code i.e. Ch.37, Safe Schools Act, Safe and Drug Free Communities Act)
Expulsion policies
Organizational charts and staffing for AEP program
Budget for AEP
Curriculum Plans/Procedures Manuals for AEP programs
Curriculum addressed for violence prevention/intervention programs
Copies of contracts on the outsourcing of AEP or a component of the program
Copies of any MOU with other districts or local contracted services that are shared in the area of safety and security

Possible People to Interview
Director of Safety or Security
Assistant superintendent with assigned responsibility
Director of Alternative Education Program (AEP)/ In School Suspension (ISS)
Director of the Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program (JJAEP)
Shared services providers/City Law Enforcement/County Sheriff Dept.
School district's Chief of Police
Hearings officer
Safety Resource Officers (SROs)
Attendance clerks
Counselors
Staff Development Coordinator
Director of Curriculum and Instruction
Hall monitors
Regional Service Center staff in charge of discipline training programs/Safe and Drug Free Schools
II.A. Student Code of Conduct
Activities to Perform

II.A.1 Compile all district and campus level student codes of conduct including any special provisions for extracurricular activities. Compare the consequences for violations of the student code of conduct per campus to each other and to state law and note any areas where the requirements are in conflict.

II.A.2 Prepare a chart showing disciplinary actions or placements in alternative settings by campus, grade level, gender and ethnicity for the last two or three years (if data is available). Note any changes from year to year and determine which type of actions have increased or decreased and why.

Questions to Ask
What kind of due process is in place for students who have violated the student code of conduct? Does the district provide adequate due process to students placed in alternative programs? Is there a hearings officer designated for these situations? How are parents involved in student discipline ?
What kinds of discipline policies are in place in the district and at each campus to deal specifically with gang issues? Are codes of conducts displayed in the school so that students, administration and parents are aware of the consequences?
Are discipline consequences dealt with uniformly across the district or are they individually dealt with from campus to campus? Are consequences tracked? Who records these consequences?
Does the district provide adequate training on disciplinary options in current state laws regarding student discipline? Does the district survey, teachers, safety personnel, students administrative staff to get in put regarding the discipline of students?
Does the district have a discipline policy in place for student conduct on school buses? How is it enforced?
Does the district have a truancy component that monitors and encourages student attendance? Who is in charge of the program? Does the district use outside assistance with this program i.e. safety officers? Does the district have an open or closed campus? What are the rules in place regarding this arrangement?
Does the district provide training for staff regarding methods of handling discipline problems? Does the district provide training to teachers and staff on current state regulations (i.e. Chapter 37 in the Ed. Code)?
Does the district provide training, support and assistance to students, parents and staff regarding the proper handling of early warning signs of violent behavior such as student threats, reports of planned acts of violence, cruel or unusual student behavior, etc.? Does the district provide staff development training for dealing with crisis situations, disasters?
In School Suspension Program
Does the district provide for an In School Suspension (ISS) program? How does it function? Who is responsible for the program? Who staffs it?
Who directs the ISS program? When do Students go into the program? What is the length of stay? What accommodations are available for students with special needs? How does the district deal with special needs students in the area of discipline and its consequences?
What kind of educational services do children in ISS programs follow? Are students kept abreast of daily assignments in their regular education program?
What kinds of training are available for staff in ISS programs? For Students? Does the district use a standard form to refer students to ISS? Does the district track these students?
II.B. Alternative Education Programs (AEP) & (DAEP)
This component of the safety program can be split in two individual alternative programs: an AEP (Alternative Education Program) or a DAEP (Disciplinary Alternative Education Program). One program (AEP) deals strictly with a population of students that need an alternative education setting i.e. pregnant teens, while the other program (DAEP) deals with disciplinary problems and students that are restricted to an alternative education setting due to violations of the code of conduct.
Activity to Perform

II.B.1 Prepare a list of all AEPs operating in the district or programs participated in cooperatively with other districts or with other local governments. For each program show the placement type such as disciplinary, pregnant teens, etc.; type of students served such as special education; the number of students served; the location of the program; the budget and source of funds for each; whether the cost of providing the service is shared with another entity; and the number and type of staff assigned to each program.
II.B.2 Document the number of children transitioned back to regular education during the past five school years.

Questions to Ask
Does the district provide for alternative education settings for various age and grade level students with discipline problems? What processes are in place to ensure that students with minor offenses are not exposed to students with chronic problems?
How does the current AEP program comply with the Safe Schools Act that was designed to make Texas public schools safe from violent students? How do the alternative education programs (AEPs) ensure that students who engage in serious misconduct and who commit certain offenses are promptly removed from regular education settings?
Is the AEP program delivered in-house or is it contracted out? Are any other components of the program contracted out (i.e. instruction, curriculum planning, and safety officers)?
Where is the AEP program housed? Who directs it? How many FTE's are involved, salaries, budget. How does the program work?
What kind of educational services do children in AEP programs receive? Does the district have any mentoring programs for at-risk students who are in alternative programs? Do students get tested prior to being placed in the program?
Is there follow up on the students that attend AEP programs? Does the district know what recidivism rates are occurring for kids that have gone through the program? Are there any tracking mechanisms in place for students that have attended AEP programs?
How are the AEP programs evaluated? By who? What kinds of training are available for staff in AEP programs? For parents? For siblings of students with chronic disciplinary problems?
How are AEP students transitioned back to their regular education settings? What educational programs ensure that students will be successfully academically in the regular education setting? What programs are in place to remediate the behavioral problems?
Are students in the AEP tested on the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills test? What is the overall academic rating of the AEPs? Has the AEP ever undergone a peer review? What were the results?
How does the district ensure that the AEP staff and teachers are properly trained and motivated to work with troubled youth? How does the district ensure that special education students placed in the AEP are adequately served?
Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program (JJAEP) Program
Does the district participate in a JJAEP for adjudicated students? What other districts are members of the program? How does the district provide alternative educational opportunities for students who are adjudicated? What is the role of the county judges and/or other judiciary?
What kind of budget does the district have for this program? Are any district staff used as part of the program? How does the district account for the student population in average daily attendance? What unique data reporting problems exist within this program?

III. Review and Evaluation of Contracting Process

Safety and security functions as well as some components such as the use of drug dogs could be purchased or contracted for through private companies or interlocal agreements with neighboring districts or other governmental entities. It is important to regularly evaluate whether there are goods or services that can be obtained from the private sector at a lower cost, higher quality or both. It is equally important to continually evaluate existing contracts to determine if the district is getting the best value possible through the contracting arrangement. This evaluation process is discussed in great detail in the Purchasing Module, Section IV. Contract Processes and Section V. Yellow Pages Test.
Sundry:

http://teleschoolwww.k12.hi.us/insrvc/sssw/guidelines.html The Department of Education has a fundamental responsibility to provide a safe and healthy workplace and learning environment for all public school students, employees and persons under its jurisdiction. The Department shall maintain a Safety and Accident Prevention Program that complies with federal and state laws, safety standards and rules.

I.A.1	Create or examine an organizational chart of all safety and security functions in the district including the police department, security, alternative education programs, JJAEP, truancy, school resource officers, hall monitors, crossing guards, and the like and show how the campus principals and central office administrators with oversight responsibility for these functions fit into the organizational scheme.
I.A.2	Compare the organization and staffing charts with job descriptions and interview staff to determine reporting arrangements, determine whether the organizational structure depicted on the chart reflects the actual organization of the department, and document if it has been changed recently or repeatedly in the recent past or is anticipated to change in the near future and explain the reasons for changes.
I.A.3	Examine the staffing and budgets of safety and security and related functions and determine the ratio of total students to staffing within each function. Compare the budget and staffing levels to industry standards.
I.A.4	Create a table showing police or security full-time equivalent’s (FTE's) assignments by campus, location (if applicable) or patrol area and hours and days worked per week and show how schedules ensure adequate coverage. Include information about extracurricular or other special assignments.
I.A.5	Prepare a chart showing the salary rates and ranges for each position within the safety and security function, the budgeted or actual overtime worked by each position type stated in hours and/or dollars, as appropriate. Compare salary rates to industry standards and note any areas where consistent of excessive overtime is being used.
I.A.6	Prepare a list by safety and security personnel group of all staff development provided and/or required at orientation, annually, and at other intervals. Show whether that training is provided in-house or by contract and the approximate contract cost.

I.D.1	Prepare a table showing what district or contract staff are involved in each aspect of the district’s prevention, intervention and enforcement activities as well as any special programs or activities that the district uses to address prevention, intervention and enforcement (i.e., police officers may be used primarily for enforcement, SROs used for prevention, truancy and attendance officers used for intervention, assistant superintendents with responsibility for discipline management may be used for prevention and intervention, etc.).
I.D.2	Identify external services provided by local governments in the community such as fire, police, sheriff, etc., and show how the district interacts with each. Note any areas where there is an overlap or gap.
I.D.3	Prepare a list of all safety and security-related training provided to campus staff, students, parents or community groups.
I.D.4	Prepare a table showing the current fleet inventory by year, make and model; date of purchase; purchase price (if available); and current mileage.
I.D.5	Prepare a table showing all major equipment used in the safety and security function such as communication devices, alarm systems, and the like. Show the date of purchase, condition, and type and source of maintenance required. For example, the district may do routine maintenance or the district could have a maintenance contract.

II.A.1	Compile all district and campus level student codes of conduct including any special provisions for extracurricular activities. Compare the consequences for violations of the student code of conduct per campus to each other and to state law and note any areas where the requirements are in conflict.
II.A.2	Prepare a chart showing disciplinary actions or placements in alternative settings by campus, grade level, gender and ethnicity for the last two or three years (if data is available). Note any changes from year to year and determine which type of actions have increased or decreased and why.