November 2024
Latest News
November is Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience Month
Each November, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency leads the national recognition of Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience Month, an annual effort that focuses on raising awareness about the vital role critical infrastructure – including K-12 schools – plays in the nation’s wellbeing. The initiative emphasizes the importance of preparing for and adapting to changing conditions and recovering quickly from incidents. Schools can access a range of resources on SchoolSafety.gov to build resilience and security, including resources and tools to create and exercise emergency plans, understand and assess threats, and improve physical security and cybersecurity measures.
ED Announces $70 Million in New Awards for School-Based Mental Health Services
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) announced an additional investment of $70 million to expand student access to school-based mental health services. The funding, made available through the School-Based Mental Health Services and Mental Health Service Professionals Demonstration grant programs, is projected to help train and hire an additional 4,000 mental health professionals nationally to support students and address their mental health needs.
CDC Releases Data from 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released results from the 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, which measures health-related behaviors and experiences among adolescents. The survey includes new findings related to sexual orientation, social media use, school discipline, and experiences of racism in school and the impact on students’ mental health. Reports in CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report further highlight factors that increase youth risk for poor mental and behavioral health, as well as protective factors that can help inform ways parents, caregivers, schools, and communities can support young people.
EPA Updates Ventilation Guidance to Prevent the Spread of Respiratory Viruses
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released updated guidance on indoor air quality strategies for preventing the spread of common respiratory viruses, including in schools. The updated guidance outlines how to implement ventilation strategies, such as opening doors and windows, as part of a multi-layered approach to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses indoors.
Upcoming Events and Opportunities
Grants and Funding Opportunities
Visit the SchoolSafety.gov Grants Finder Tool for additional school safety-related funding opportunities.
Events, Webinars, and Conferences
National Student Privacy and Data Security Fall Webinar Series (November 13, 20) – This webinar series, hosted by ED’s Student Privacy Policy Office and its Privacy Technical Assistance Center, includes the following remaining sessions:
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FERPA 201 and Transparency (November 13) – This webinar will outline scenarios faced by schools and districts and highlight research on transparency.
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Incident Response and Vetting Educational Technology (November 20) – This webinar will lead participants through a simulated data breach and explore how to assess online educational technology for privacy protections and general FERPA compliance.
Effective De-Escalation Strategies for School Resource Officers, Security Personnel, and School Staff in a K–12 Environment (November 20) – This webinar, hosted by the U.S. Department of Justice and Safer Schools (a STOP School Violence Program), will feature expert insights from the National De-escalation Training Center and introduce a comprehensive and nationally recognized de-escalation model to enhance conflict resolution skills of school safety stakeholders that can be utilized to create a safer school environment.
Enhancing School Safety Using Behavioral Threat Assessment (November 20, January 15, March 19) – These virtual training events, hosted by the U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC), will highlight key findings and implications from NTAC’s research on school violence prevention. This training will also provide guidance on how schools may develop or improve existing violence prevention programs utilizing a behavioral threat assessment model.
Preventing Mass Attacks in Our Communities (December 18, February 19, April 16) – These virtual training events, hosted by NTAC, will cover findings from NTAC’s research on mass attacks perpetrated in public and semi-public spaces, including businesses, houses of worship, schools, and more. This training will also provide guidance on how communities may develop or improve existing violence prevention programs utilizing a behavioral threat assessment model.
Visit the SchoolSafety.gov Events Page for additional school safety-related webinars, conferences, and more.
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School Safety Resources
Emergency Planning Resources
Online Courses for Emergency Planning
These online courses guide users on federally recommended information and processes for high-quality emergency operations plan development and related topics in comprehensive emergency management.
Sextortion: Protecting Youth Through the School Emergency Operations Plan
This fact sheet describes sextortion and its impacts on students and outlines how schools can protect youth from sextortion through the creation and modification of an annex in a school emergency operations plan.
Violence Prevention Resources
K-12 School Security Guide Product Suite
This suite provides resources, tools, and strategies to improve school physical security. These products can help schools and districts learn the steps to assess vulnerabilities, strengthen security, and better protect against targeted violence threats.
Mitigating Harm from Violent Visual Content
This resource provides guidance to help communities, families, and individuals understand and cope with violent images, videos, and other disturbing content after an act of targeted violence or terrorism.
Additional School Safety Resources
Classroom Management
This resource provides a summary of classroom management approaches and skills that strengthen school connectedness.
Strategies and Resources to Support Trauma-Informed Schools
This issue brief describes the impact of trauma on children and offers strategies and resources to build and maintain trauma-informed schools that promote student wellbeing and safe, supportive learning environments.
What Works In Schools
This program helps promote adolescent health and wellbeing. It supports the implementation of quality health education, increases connections to needed health services, and improves the safety and supportiveness of school environments for middle and high school students.
Visit SchoolSafety.gov for additional resources to support school safety and security efforts.
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If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for future newsletters, please contact us at SchoolSafety@mail.cisa.dhs.gov.
SchoolSafety.gov Disclaimer
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Department of Education (ED), U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) do not endorse any individual, enterprise, product, or service. DHS, ED, DOJ, and HHS do not mandate or prescribe practices, models, or other activities described in this communication. DHS, ED, DOJ, and HHS do not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of any information outside of those respective Departments, and the opinions expressed in any of these materials do not necessarily reflect the positions or policies of DHS, ED, DOJ, and HHS.
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