Addressing Bullying Policy in Schools

A civil and respectful learning environment is an essential foundation for teaching and learning. Public Chapter 153 as enacted by the 2009 General Assembly mandates specific actions on the part of schools relative to bullying, harassment and intimidation. This seminar will provide an overview of these and other related requirements with a particular focus upon insuring that policy is reflected in effective practice.

Addressing Bullying, Harassment, and Hazing Through Effective Policy and Practice

Available class dates and locations

April 11, 2012 - Nashville - 8:30am to 12:00pm
April 26, 2012 - Jackson - 8:30am to 12:00pm
May 14, 2012 - Oak Ridge - 8:30am to 12:00pm

Click on the links below for more details and the registration form. Register by emailing the registration form to Anna Nichols at anichols@starsnashville.org.

Overview (PDF)

Registration (PDF)

For questions or more information, please contact Katie Powell.

Dropout Prevention Summit

Training Information:
The Tennessee Department of Education is pleased to announce a series of regional dropout prevention summits specifically designed for schools and communities interested in reducing the number of high school dropouts. The training has been developed for school teams of no more than five individuals to include the following stakeholders: principal, assistant principal, school counselor, teacher, attendance staff, social worker, afterschool staff, and other community representatives. During this two day training event participants will be exposed to Tennessee’s specific early warning indicators of a high school dropout. Additionally, national and state experts in the field of dropout prevention will discuss school prevention, intervention, and recovery strategies. Teams will also develop a localized, school action plan* to address and formalize a dropout prevention strategy for their corresponding school or community. By the end of day two, participants will understand current issues in dropout prevention, have a toolkit of strategies to utilize, and a draft plan of action.

*Please note that teams are expected to bring attendance, behavior, and course credit attainment data from their prospective school to utilize during the facilitated action planning sessions.

TASL Credit:
The Tennessee Department of Education has applied for 9 hours of TASL credit for attendees.

Dates and Locations:
No dates currently scheduled.

Registration:
Registration is currently closed

Questions:
Questions regarding the seminar may be directed to Lori Ungurait by phone at (615) 253-6382 or via email to lori.ungurait@tennessee.edu.

LifeSkills Training

Research-based, highly effective, and named by the U.S. Department of Education as one of only nine exemplary prevention programs, LifeSkills Training is available to educators across Tennessee through a grant provided by the Tennessee Department of Education. The curriculum, developed by Dr. Gilbert J. Botvin, a researcher at Cornell University and a leading expert in the field of drug abuse prevention, targets elementary through high school students in grades 3 - 10.

More Information about the National LifeSkills Training Program:

Using an interactive approach, LifeSkills Training:

• provides students with the necessary skills to resist peer pressure to smoke, drink, and use drugs
• increases knowledge of the immediate consequences of substance use
• helps develop greater self-esteem, self-mastery, and self-confidence
• enables young people to effectively cope with social anxiety, respond to stressful situations in positive ways, make healthy decisions, and solve problems
• assists students in identifying techniques used by advertisers to manipulate consumer behavior
• encourages students to examine the influence of the media on their perception of violence and substance abuse
• reduces abuse by up to 87%*
  *Research concerning the effectiveness of the program shows LifeSkills Training reducing the prevalence of tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drug use by as much as 87% when implemented with fidelity.

LifeSkills Training Curriculum

Over 1,000 classroom teachers, counselors, and school administrators in Tennessee have been trained. The LifeSkills Training program can be taught in school, community, and afterschool settings:

• Elementary School Levels:
  Level 1: taught in 3rd grade consists of 8 class sessions
  Level 2: taught in 4th grade consists of 8 class sessions
  Level 3: taught in 5th grade consists of 8 class sessions
  
  
• Middle School Levels:
  Level 1: taught in 6th grade consists of 15 lessons and 3 optional violence prevention lessons
  Level 2: taught in 7th grade consists of 10 lessons and 2 optional violence prevention lessons
  Level 3: taught in 8th grade consists of 5 lessons and 2 optional violence prevention sessions
  
  
• High School Levels:
  Taught in 9th or 10th grades consists of 10 class sessions
  
  
• Parent Program
  The Parent Program helps parents and guardians strengthen communication with their children by emphasizing the importance of family, promoting healthy choices, and preventing violence and the underage usage of tobacco, alcohol, and drugs.
  
  Designed to be implemented over a 12- to 15-week period.

Current offerings

June 27, 2012 - Oak Ridge, TN

June 29, 2012 - Nashville, TN

Registration Form (PDF)

For information, please contact Lori Ungurait.

Award-Winning Prevention Program Selected for Excellence by:

Meth Destroys, Tennessee Schools Can Protect

The destructive nature of personal substance abuse is well documented. Less known is the insidious reach of methamphetamine. Its influence extends beyond individual users into families, schools, and communities. Students distracted by their family’s meth use or manufacture have increased barriers to school success. But, there is hope. Participants will receive knowledge and materials, beginning with "Drugs 101", focusing on the effects of methamphetamine use and manufacture, and concluding with best practices in prevention and interventions.

This training is designed to build confidence in providing appropriate measures that foster safe, healthy, and effective learning environments in all Tennessee schools and will prepare participants to share this information with students, families, and school staff.

Funding for this training is provided to the Tennessee Department of Education, Office of Safe and Supportive Schools by a grant from the Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration, Office of Criminal Justice Programs.

Training is free to Tennessee educators of all grade levels.
Lunch is provided and seating is limited so pre-registration is recommended.

Meth Destroys, Tennessee Schools Can Protect

Training Registration Form (PDF)
Training Registration Form (DOC)

Available class dates and locations

Oak Ridge, TN - June 14, 2012
Nashville, TN - June 15, 2012

For more information, please contact Katie Powell.

Responding to Student Threats

The Tennessee School Safety Center invites you to attend a seminar in your region presented by Dr. Ken Strong, a licensed counseling psychologist and nationally certified school psychologist having extensive clinical and administrative experience in responding to (assessing and managing) student threats of violence.  Both the FBI and Secret Service/Department of Education studies recommended that school personnel be trained to screen student threats.  The University of Virginia Youth Violence Project field tested the federal recommendations and published Guidelines for Administrators in Responding to Student Threats of Violence.

In the morning session, Dr. Strong will describe how those guidelines can be used by school personnel to screen threats. An extended threat/mental health assessment process, for use by psychologists and social workers, will be presented in the afternoon session.

Dr. Ken Strong is a licensed Counseling Psychologist/Health Services Provider and Nationally Certified School Psychologist with 21 years of service with the Memphis City Schools (MCS). He has served as Supervising Psychologist with the district's Mental Health Center, as Coordinator of Safe and Drug Free Schools, and currently works as the Supervisor of the district's Threat Assessment Team. He has over 30 years of clinical, supervisory, and administrative experience in both public and private practice. In addition to his work with MCS, Dr. Strong has worked with the Memphis Police Department/Organized Crime Unit to develop a gang awareness, prevention and intervention manual for professional development. He developed a crisis response manual and trained superintendents throughout the state.

For information, please contact Lori Ungurait.

2012 Safe Schools Institute

The 2012 Safe Schools Institute provides a forum for educators to address best practices in the broad area of school safety. Utilizing a multi-hazard approach, the Institute addresses prevention/mitigation and response strategies for a wide range of safety challenges, including natural disasters, as well as violent or potentially violent incidents. Experts in the fields of emergency preparedness, law enforcement, mental health, and violence prevention will present on a variety of topics focused specifically on a school setting.

The Institute is specifically developed for those persons responsible for providing direction to district-level school safety programs, particularly those individuals who are responsible for ensuring district compliance with the Schools Against Violence in Education (SAVE) Act. Other persons who would benefit from participation include directors of schools, building administrators, school resource officers, and school counselors.

The Institute will be held April 30 - May 1, 2012 in Murfreesboro, TN. Click on the links below for more details and registration information.

Overview (pdf)

Registration Form (pdf)

Hotel Information (pdf)

Agenda (tentative) (pdf)

For questions or more information, please contact Lori Ungurait.

School Resource Officer (SRO) Skills Training

The SRO Skills Training class will provide SROs with knowledge and skills that will enhance their ability to provide a safe and secure environment in an educational setting. This training will aid in understanding the resources that an SRO provides to facilities and areas where crisis can be diverted or reduced. This training counts for 16 hours of POST-certified training

No classes currently offered

Student Discipline Institute

Tennessee Department of Education
Student Discipline Institute

The Student Discipline Institute provides a comprehensive overview of legal and procedural issues/practices relative to student discipline. Participants learn not only the basics of due process and disciplinary hearings, but also the latest legal developments in areas such as student searches, special education discipline, bullying, and technology-related issues. The Institute is particularly appropriate for district and building-level administrators responsible for student disciplinary actions.

Register online or fill out the registration form

Registration is currently closed.

For more information, please contact Lori Ungurait.

21st Century Community Learning Centers

This program supports the creation of community learning centers that provide academic enrichment opportunities during non-school hours for children, particularly students who attend high-poverty and low-performing schools. The program helps students meet state and local student standards in core academic subjects, such as reading and math; offers students a broad array of enrichment activities that can complement their regular academic programs; and offers literacy and other educational services to the families of participating children.

The 21st Century Community Learning Centers Multi State Conference with Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee and West Virginia provides an opportunity for networking and the sharing of best practices from sites in each state. The 2012 Conference will be held in September in Nashville, TN. Conference dates and hotel information to be posted as soon as available.

For information, please contact Lori Ungurait.