Standard10.12

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Standard:

2(g)2.(ii) - to attend to student learning goals in the daily operation of the school

 

Field Experience:

10.12 Review three school and/or system Crisis Management Plans. *

Safety plans were reviewed for the following schools: Case1 Elementary School, Case2 Intermediate School, and Case4 Elementary School all of ABC County.  The attached document is a write up of the plan from Case2 Intermediate School.

 

Review three school and/or system Crisis Management Plans. *

  

Safety Plan Analysis

AH Student

The University of Montevallo

EDL 595, Spring 20**

March 18, 20**

 

School Plan Analyzed: Case2 Intermediate School (ABC County Schools)

 

There is no date or documented approval from the school board on the document.  However, in talking with the assistant principal, this document is revised every summer and updated with current information and the plan is submitted to Dr. L at the board and uploaded into Virtual Alabama.

  1. 1.    Is there documented school board approval of the plan and do they approve it each and every time there are revisions, additions or deletions.
    1. There is no date or documented approval from the school board on the document.  However, in talking with the assistant principal, this document is revised every summer and updated with current information and the plan is submitted to Dr. L at the board and uploaded into Virtual Alabama.
  2. 2.    What is the rationale or reasons for which the plan was developed?
    1. The reason the plan was developed was to ensure that there is a plan of action in the case of any crisis that may happen at the school.  All faculty and staff must know where to go, what to do, and who is responsible for what in the event of an emergency.  This plan details all of that information and is provided to everyone in the building every year.
  3. 3.    Who was responsible for the plan's development? Be specific, by title, as to exactly who was on the group or committee who did the design work. Is this a standing committee, do they meet periodically to review the plan or was this a once and done committee and revisions are done by the administration only? Does the plan provide a time line for maintaining and updating plan components?
    1. The assistant principal is responsible for developing the plan.  The plan was developed with input from the local police department and fire department as well as the school-based safety team.  It is my understanding the committee meets once and then all revisions are done by administration (the assistant principal).  The plan is maintained and updated every summer prior to the start of the new school year.
  4. 4.    Was there meaningful collaboration with community partners (e.g., local public health, mental health, public safety, local government, law enforcement and emergency services personnel) and establishment of memoranda of understanding among team members and partners? Are there specific roles and responsibilities outlined and a command center established with appropriate protocols for the persons and agencies that are involved or may be involved? Were multi-cultural and ethically divers student and parents needs addressed by having someone representing these groups on the committee?
    1. Yes, there was collaboration between the school, local law enforcement, emergency services, and the fire department.  The plan outlines all roles and responsibilities by stating the role, person responsible; start up actions, duties, closing down, and equipment and supplies needed for the role.  I do not notice ethnically diverse needs being addressed in this plan.
  5. 5.    Does the plan show alignment and integration with federal, state and community emergency management plans?
    1. Yes it does.  The plan lists agencies they are in contact with that support the school including local law enforcement, emergency responders, utilities, mental hearth support, and others.  These agencies all offer guidance to stay within regulation of emergency management plans.
  6. 6.    Does the plan specify accommodations and modifications for people with disabilities, special needs, ESL, and/or the elderly who may be on the site at the time of a crisis?
  7. 8.    Does the plan require emergency supplies and go-kit components tailored to the: classroom, main office, cafeteria, gymnasium or other non- classroom locations?
    1. Yes, in the description of what each person is responsible for doing, there is a list of supplies and materials that person needs to have with them in order to do their job.  All teachers and staff have a to-go bag with supplies, materials, class rolls, and red and green name signs to indicate missing children.
  8. 9.    Does the plan call for the identification of areas where emergency supplies, sanitation supplies, and/or first aid supplies can be accessed?
    1. Yes.  The plan details several local businesses that can afford these materials in the event of an emergency including supplies, materials, and tools.

10. Does the plan provide information about the school’s facilities (i.e. maps, floor plans and location of utility cutoffs)?

  1. Yes, there are several maps indicating these locations throughout the school.

11. Does the plan list school wide and classroom-specific communication devices and how to use them in different emergencies?

  1. Yes.  The plan states that teachers are to have cell phones turned off when on the premises but the building is equipped with an intercom system and the office, administrators, and custodians all have walkie talkies and beepers.  The office also has a weather radio and the principal has a personal phone line as well as two-way communication.

12. Does the plan incorporate plans for communicating emergency management procedures to spouses, parents and guardians? Does it specify how these people will be communicated to as to where their loved one may have been taken and how students and parents whose primary language is not English are engaged?

  1. The plan does not outline anything for when the primary language is not English.  In the second half of the plan, there is a detailed list of every situation and the plan for preparation and response depending on the situation.  The response details who will communicate.  However, it does not say anything about spouses.  However, there is a faculty list with contacts, phone numbers, and addresses for every member of the faculty in the plan.

13. Does the plan provide criteria for responses to differing crisis situations (i.e. evacuation, lock-down or shelter-in-place)? If evacuation is an option is it specified how and where the regrouping points will be?  Is there protocol for teachers to take their grade books or seating charts to account for their students every step of the way? Is there a mechanism in place to gather, quickly, information as to who is and who is not accounted for at particular times during and after the crisis?

  1. Yes.  The second half of the plan discusses criteria for differing situations.  Evacuation routes are listed in the first half of the plan with the school maps.  Teachers are required to take their to-go bags with student rolls, contact information, emergency supplies, and other items with them.  This bag is to be with the teacher at all times and is left at specials with the homeroom class when the children are not in their home room.  The office also has binders with all contact information.  When the school is evacuated, the teachers go to certain points and they are required to send in their roll checking off who is there, who is missing, and who they have extra.

14. In what form is the plan in?  Is it online, in print, a series of fragmented papers or an organized notebook?

  1. It is in print and printed for all teachers and placed in a binder.  The binder is updated with the new plan each year.  It is also uploaded into Virtual Alabama.  However, the plan is not to be published anywhere for public view.

15. How is the plan disseminated? Is it renewed each year and re-disseminated? Is it done by simply e-mailing it, sending out copies with a note reminding people to review and become familiar with it? Is it disseminated at district or building in-service activities? Are there multiple types of dissemination such as bulletin board materials, desk type materials, binders etc? How are revisions disseminated?

  1. The plan is disseminated yearly in binders.  When the plan is updated, the assistant principal updates every faculty member’s binder over the summer.  The plan is reviewed at the first faculty meeting every year.

16. When is the plan disseminated each year or is it a once and done situation?

  1. It is done at the first faculty meeting in August of every year on the first day of work for teachers.

17. In what format is the plan disseminated? Is it the entire plan or is it the parts of the plan that may pertain to particular people or levels.  Is it a cliff note version, checklists, or maybe a series of pamphlets or reminders that are a simple summary that are to be kept in a person's desk or wallet for quick and easy access? Are there translations for non-English speaking students and parents?

  1. The portion of the plan that is given to teachers includes the school maps, contact information, and detailed plan of action for crisis situations in the section labeled “General Emergency Procedures”.  There are no translations for non-English Speaking Students or parents however the county does have a telecommunications system that will, with a third party phone call, allow and interpreter to translate in an emergency.

18. Who gets the crisis plan: Administrators, faculty, staff, parents, students, and community members? Who specifically is included in the mailings and/or in-service activities and for those who are not district employees? How do they get the plan? How are new employees handled? Do they simply get a copy of something or things or are they in-serviced on the plan?

  1. Administrators, staff, and faculty receive the plan.  The plan states, “Do not disseminate the plan to persons outside the school nor should the plan be shared with parents or the general public or media persons due to the confidential nature of the document.”  New employees receive the plan at the beginning of they year or when they begin work at the school.

19. What is included in the plan? Are there procedures that are common to all crises and then procedures for some that do not lend themselves to general procedures? Are there contact telephone numbers or other ways to communicate to those necessary for the implementation of all facets of the plan?

  1. The plan includes detailed responses to a variety of crisis situations, contact information including phone numbers, resources, needs assessments and areas to consider, school maps, and emergency information.  There are specific procedures for each crisis.

20. Are there guidelines for dealing with the media, with members of the internal community, those outsiders to the school, and/or those that may be coming to assist with implementation of the plan who will be coming in route while information is gathered?

  1. Yes.  The PR Office will deal with the media and the assistant principal will act as a liaison to those outside of the school.  The principal is responsible for handling and preventing rumors as well.

21. Are there crisis response teams identified and roles and responsibilities disseminated? Are people assigned to manage the four major functions of logistics, operations, planning, and finance-administration?

  1. Yes, the “School Incident Command System” tree outlines the reporting responsibilities and roles of each person.  Following the tree is a detail description of each role, their responsibilities, plan of action, and what they need.  Yes, they are assigned to manage the four major functions.

22. Does the plan outline training to be provided to crisis response teams, faculty, staff, students and parents?

  1. Yes, the plan outlines training at the system level and school level for faculty and staff.  Students are involved through monthly drills.

23. Does the plan outline a schedule of drills and exercises to be conducted? Is there someone assigned to take detailed notes on practice drills, specific events and actions taken during an emergency drill or exercise? Is there a mechanism that outlines procedures for revising the plan based on lessons learned?

  1. Yes.  At the end of the document there is a list of monthly drills to be documented.  The assistant principal is assigned to take notes.  There is not mechanism that outlines revising.  It is done as needed through what is seen from the drills and suggested from local responding agencies.

24. Does the plan identify a chief spokesperson? Are there specifics as to what will be covered with the media, the general public and/or those on the site of the crisis?

  1. Yes, PR will be the chief spokesperson.  There are also two alternates in the event that she is unable.  Depending on the crisis, there are suggested forms and points to discuss.

25. Does the plan identify who gets contacted and in what order?

  1. Yes.

26. Is there, or are there, steps to establish a crisis counseling team?

  1. Yes.  This begins with the counselor and stems out to others in the school and outside agencies (The Amelia Agency).

27. Who is responsible for gathering facts, when do they gather these facts and is there a difference as to who gathers the initial facts and who sustains the process? Are there guidelines as to what type of information the person in charge on the front line is to gather while waiting for first responders? When does the school official in change at the site relinquish authority of the site to the first responders?

  1. The principal is in charge of the front line while the assistant principal is gathering the facts.  The school official relinquishes authority to the first responders when they arrive but she must remain at the school until everything is cleared.  There are also guidelines for the following day.

28. During and after the crisis who and when are spouses, parents or guardians tactfully told of the status of their loved ones? Is there a plan for where these people will be housed or collected during the crisis? Is there a plan for family reunification? Is there a plan to keep as much order as possible and for accountability as to who may have been removed from the site and why?  This includes parents removing their children or older young adults removing themselves from the environment? Are administrators, faculty and staff trained to note what is going on and to be accountable for each and every person whether it’s their student or not?

  1. I do not see a clear indicator of where everyone is going if they evacuate or when loved ones are notified.

29. Does the plan specify transportation and traffic procedures during and after a crisis?

  1. No.  The only transportation specified is if they must evacuate by bus but it does not tell where the buses go to.

30. After a crisis occurs does the plan provide for an assessment protocol that outlines: an assessment schedule, the persons responsible for conducting the assessments, the corrective actions to take place, or the support programs to be installed? Does the assessment include the assessing of the social and emotional well being of students, the administration, faculty and staff?

  1. Yes, the plan includes what must be done the following day of the incident and then in an extreme case like a death, there are more specific outlines of how to address it with families, who to bring in, and how to respond emotionally to all involved. 

31. Does the plan establish procedures for making decisions about school closures and criteria for reopening schools?

  1. Yes.  The plan as a portion for early dismissal and next day procedures following the incident of what must be done.

32. Does the plan identify types of support (i.e. extracurricular activities and mental health interventions) for students and staff exhibiting symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder?

  1. Yes, the plan shows support from the Amelia Agency for staff and students who exhibit post-traumatic stress disorder or any disturbance by the crisis.

33. Does the plan identify strategies for providing tactful follow up and ongoing mental-emotional recovery interventions?

  1. Yes, same as above.

34. Does the plan incorporate sample templates (i.e. a letter notifying parents or guardians of a student’s death) to notify members of the school community about crisis events.

  1. Yes, the plan has sample templates as well as things to say and not to say when discussing these topics.

35. Does the plan provide guidelines for standing and temporary memorials, and the observance of anniversaries?

  1. No.

36. Does the plan provide guidelines for accepting donations?

  1. No.

37. What are the first five steps in the plan?

  1. The first five steps in the plan are safety planning, establishing the safety committee, introducing the statement of commitment, identifying hazards, and analyzing the identified hazards.

38. What did you learn and how will you use this in the future?

  1. I learned that this document, while long, is a huge responsibility that rests on the shoulders of the assistant principal.  It is one to become extremely familiar with as soon as arriving in a building because anything can happen at any time.  These plans are very detailed because they must account for anything and everything that can happen yet they can almost function as working documents.  Slight revisions are made every year to strengthen the plan and improve it.  This plan must be revised as it is carried out because in the event of an emergency, that is not the time to scramble.  Everyone needs a concrete document they can go to to know exactly what they need to do.  Understanding the safety plan is key for me because I will have to become an assistant principal before I can become a principal and this is something the assistants are in charge of in ABC County.
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