PENNSYLVANIA —A program that has already trained about 7,500 educators and administrators on assessing potential threats will receive an additional $360,000 to continue making Pennsylvania schools safer and more secure, after the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency’s (PCCD) School Safety and Security Committee approved the funding late last week.
“Pennsylvania’s students are our Commonwealth’s greatest resource,” said Lt. Gov. Davis, PCCD Chair. “This committee’s work plays a direct role in helping to build schools and communities that are safer for kids, their families, and the caring professionals who help nurture their success along the way.”
Pennsylvania state law requires that all public school entities establish at least one multidisciplinary Threat Assessment Team. In 2019, PCCD was awarded a federal grant to support the development of a new statewide training and technical assistance initiative to help school entities implement these requirements.
On April 1, 2020, the committee approved Risk and Strategic Management Corporation (RSM) to serve as the provider for a new ‘PA K-12 Threat Assessment Training and Technical Assistance Network’ initiative, which was designed to assist school entities by:
- Developing a comprehensive 8-hour train-the-trainer program providing a foundational understanding of threat assessment practices for Threat Assessment Team members aligned with PCCD’s Model K-12 Threat Assessment Procedures and Guidelines, available in both online and face-to-face.
- Providing technical assistance, including scenario-based technical assistance and training sessions, offering the opportunity for school entities to connect directly with subject matter experts.
- Establishing a robust digital resources library, including materials developed by the Network in collaboration with PCCD and other project partners including the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
Since the Network’s inception in early 2021, approximately 7,500 Pennsylvania educators, administrators, and partners working in and with Pennsylvania K-12 school entities have fully completed coursework through PCCD’s K-12 Threat Assessment Team Training initiative. Nine out of every 10 in-person trainees were part of their school entity’s Threat Assessment Team, suggesting these sessions are reaching their intended audience. Feedback from training participants suggests enhanced knowledge, confidence, and skills from both online and in-person training sessions. A recent survey found that the Network’s training and technical assistance resources have reached a majority of Pennsylvania’s school entities.
These essential resources, funded by a federal FY 2019 STOP School Violence Grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, have been provided free of charge to Pennsylvania school entities. The three-year federal grant was approved for a one-year no cost extension and is scheduled to end on Sept. 30, 2023.
The action taken by the Committee will ensure continued availability of threat assessment training and technical assistance for another three years.
To learn more about the committee, visit the PCCD website.
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