Schools/Campus - Resources

Jump to these sections.

• ITTF School Safety Working Group​​​
• Legislation
  
• Preparedness and Planning
• Cyber Bullying
  
• Mental Health Resources
  
• Illinois School and Campus Safety Resource Center​
• Campus Security Task Force
• Violence Prevention Resources​
• Identifying Safety Hazards, Threats, Vulnerabilities and Risks
• Creating an MOU with Law Enforcement
• Other States’ Task Forces on School Safety/Security
• Ensuring the Safety of Students Traveling Abroad
• Human Trafficking in America’s Schools
• NIMS
• Additional Resources
• Webinars and Presentations​

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ITTF School Safety Working Group

• Communications Tips for School Threats
  
  
• Recommendations of the Illinois Terrorism Task Force School Safety Working Group
  
  
• Response and Investigative Suggestions for School Threats​

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• Safe School Drill Act
  
  
• Campus Security Enhancement Act of 2008

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​Preparedness and Planning

• Tornado Preparedness for Illinois Schools
  
  The following checklist provide emergency planning assistance to schools in re-evaluating, expanding and enhancing their tornado shelter plans and preparing for an event.
  
  
  • Checklist
    
    
• ISBE/OSFM School Emergency and Crisis Response Plan Guide
  

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Cyber Bullying

• Illinois Attorney General - Stop Cyberbullying
  Provides a variety of resources for kids, teenagers, parents, and educators seeking information and advice about cyberbullying. Also provides information on contacting an Internet Safety Specialist via phone or email if you believe you or someone you know is being bullied online.
  
  
• Cyberbullying Research Center
  Contains up-to-date information for teachers, parents and kids about the nature, extent, causes, and consequences of cyberbullying among adolescents.
  
  
• Common Sense Media
  Offers trustworthy information and education about media and technology for educators and parents.
  
  
• NetSmartz411
  Great resource for parents with questions about internet safety, computers, and the web.

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Illinois School and Campus Safety Resource Center

• http://ilschoolsafety.org​
  This website provides extensive resources for K-12 and higher education on topics ranging from interpersonal violence and bullying to preparedness and legislation.
  

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Campus Security Task Force

Following the tragic events at Virginia Tech, the State of Illinois established the Campus Security Task Force. This multi-disciplinary task force, comprised of Illinois' top leaders in education, mental health, public safety and law enforcement, has been charged with crafting better, more effective campus security policies. They have also been charged with providing guidance directly to higher education campuses in order to improve mental health support on campus. Below are links to the Task Force's report to the Governor on April 15, 2008.

• Campus Security Task Force Report
  
  
  • Executive Summary
  • Part I
  • Part II

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Violence Prevention Resources

• Active Shooter Safety Resources
  
  
• School Violence Tip Line (Illinois Attorney General)
  
  
• International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Guide for Preventing and Responding to School Violence, 2nd Edition
  
  
• The Final Report and Findings of the Safe School Initiative: Implications for the Prevention of School Attacks in the United States (U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Department of Education)
  
  
• Bus Driver: Active Shooter Situation Training  
  Indiana State Police has released two training videos for school bus drivers, depicting how an unarmed bus driver can respond to ashooting taking place on a school bus. The videos, produced by the ISP Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division, can be used as a training tool for school bus drivers to reduce injuries and fatalities, but are not intended to provide professional or legal advice.​
  
  
• School Drill Guidance​
  Best practice considerations for schools in active shooter and other armed assailant drills, and guidance from the National Association of School Psychologists and the National Association of School Resource Officers.

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Identifying Safety Hazards, Threats, Vulnerabilities and Risks

Following are resources that can help schools and campuses become proactive in identifying safety hazards, threats, vulnerabilities, risks, strengths and weakness specific to your school or campus. Safety concerns can be identified by using these guides and future strategies modified to improve safety.

• Educational Facilities Vulnerability/Hazard Assessment Checklist
  This checklist is a collaborative effort of the Texas School Safety Center and the American Clearinghouse on Educational Facilities. It includes a compilation of various resources and provides an overview of educational facility vulnerabilities and hazards that should be identified and addressed in the prevention/mitigation phase of a school’s emergency management process.
  
  
• K-12 School Security Practices Guide
  U.S. Department Homeland Security, (April 2013) This guide provides security practices for communities to consider to deter threats, address hazards and risks, and minimize damage from school incidents, including mass casualty events. The K-12 School Security Checklist is a companion to the guide to help schools assess their current security practices and enable improvement.

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​Creating an MOU with Law Enforcement
Public Act 099-0456 SB0100, effective Sept. 15, 2016, includes language encouraging school districts to create memoranda of understanding with local law enforcement agencies to clearly define law enforcement’s role in schools. Below are a few resources to help in the process.

• How to Write a Compelling Memorandum of Understanding for your School Resource Program 
  COPS Office -  U.S. Department of Justice
  
  
  
• SROs, Safe Schools, and the Interagency Agreement
  By Bernard James, Professor of Constitutional Law, Pepperdine University, Reprinted from the Spring 2012 edition of the NASRO Journal of School Safety.

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​Other States’ Task Forces on School Safety/Security

• What Makes Schools Safe? Final Report: New Jersey School Board Association School Security Task Force (October 2014)
  
  
• Massachusetts Task Force Report on School Safety and Security (July 2014)
  
  
• School Safety Task Force: Recommendations and Resources, Ohio Attorney General (June 2013)
  
  
• Oregon Task Force on School Safety Report to the Oregon State Legislature (Fall 2015)
  

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​Ensuring the Safety of Students Traveling Abroad
Following are resources to assist schools and campuses in ensuring the safety of students studying abroad and students and staff who are traveling overseas.

• U.S. Department of State – numerous resources about preparing for a trip abroad:
  
  
  • Travel Tips/Scams
  • Current Travel Warnings
  • Students Abroad
  • Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)
    free service to allow U.S. citizens and nationals traveling abroad to enroll their trip with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Enrollees receive important information from the Embassy about safety conditions in their destination country. STEP also helps the U.S. Embassy contact travelers in an emergency, whether natural disaster, civil unrest, or family emergency, and helps family and friends get in touch in an emergency.
    
    
• Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) – The U.S. Department of State suggests schools register with this Council if they have foreign travelers or students abroad. OSAC was created in 1985 to promote security cooperation between American private sector interests worldwide and the U.S. Department of State.

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​Human Trafficking in America’s Schools

The U.S. Department of Education released a guide for educators in January 2015 on ways to identify and help prevent child trafficking in schools. Or download the guide in PDF.

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​National Incident Management System (NIMS)

• NIMS implementation Activities for Schools and Higher Education Institutions (FEMA)
  
  
• The National Incident Management System (U.S. Department of Education, Emergency Response and Crisis Management (ERCM) Technical Assistance Center)

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Additional Resources

 

• U.S. Department of Education’s Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools Technical Assistance Center
  
  
• Illinois State Board of Education-School Safety and Emergency Response

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