Customized School Safety Protocol in Saint Paul, Minnesota

Project Title: Customized School Safety Protocol in Saint Paul, Minnesota

Focus Area(s): (1) Develop and operate technology solutions; (2) Develop and implement multidisciplinary behavioral threat assessment and/or intervention teams; (3) Train school personnel and educate students on preventing school violence, including strategies to improve a school climate; (5) Hiring of school support personnel directly supporting the prevention of school violence.

Purpose of the Project: Prevent and reduce school violence by understanding and addressing the root causes of violence. 

Primary Activities: Saint Paul Public Schools (SPPS) and The Violence Project will identify trends and root causes of increased prevalence and seriousness of violent incidents in SPPS schools during the 2021-22 school year. The partners will develop a customized school safety tool based off of the R-Model, a violence prevention protocol that reimagines traditional behavioral “threat assessment” as multidisciplinary crisis response teams to respond to and support students in crisis. The partners will also create a reporting system for staff and students to report (anonymously if preferred) concerning behavior that may indicate a student is in crisis. Each school will identify a crisis response team, which will monitor the reporting system and use the customized R-Model protocol to respond to reports. During the grant period, 10 SPPS secondary schools (five middle schools and five high schools) will adopt the new protocol and reporting system with training for all staff and students, and implementation support provided by a Training and Coordination Specialist. The Specialist will also create online training modules for continued expansion of the protocol and reporting system to additional SPPS schools after federal funds are exhausted.

Expected Outcomes:
(1) Increase school safety using evidence-based solutions to prevent violence against schools, staff and students. 
(2) Ensure a positive school climate.
(3) Use a trauma-informed approach when implementing program activities to help mitigate the potential to cause or exacerbate trauma for some students.
(4) Create an expectation that everyone in the school community shares responsibility in creating and maintaining a safe and positive school climate.

Service Area: Saint Paul, Minnesota

Intended Beneficiaries: Approximately 1,750 staff and 7,500 students at 10 SPPS secondary schools (five middle schools and five high schools).