Each Cherry Creek school has a school safety team that monitors the building plan for both psychological and physical safety, and a crisis response & recovery team that oversees and implements the school's crisis response plan when needed. Major components of the district and school safety plans as recommended by the US Department of Education (2004) are conceptualized as a continuum of both physical and psychological safety efforts represented by the district safety triangle.
The guide Practical Information on
Crisis Planning: A Guide for Schools and Communities (1.6mb pdf download) describes four phases of crisis management which guide the district Comprehensive Safe Schools Plan.
- Mitigation/Prevention
Prevention steps are taken to ensure that:
- C) Communities are connected, inclusive, and work to prevent bullying
- A) Asset-building is integrated in the school, family, and community
- R) Responsive decision-making is based on data
- E) Expectations clearly communicated to students, staff, and parents
- S) Social-emotional-behavioral skills are taught
- Mitigation efforts assess dangerous environmental conditions, and work to ensure that risk is reduced.
- Preparedness/Planning
Preparedness includes plans that schools develop to facilitate an effective response when a crisis situation occurs. This also includes planning for effective interventions with youth who demonstrate behavioral difficulties, including training of all staff, students, and parents in Early Warning Signs of Violence: Getting Help for Troubled Children.
- Response/Intervention
The district and schools have response protocols for situations and/or students who are at-risk, in crisis, or potentially dangerous. Interventions are designed for students who may not respond to prevention efforts. This also includes implementing the district team danger assessment process, and using the RTI/Problem-Solving Process, when needed.
- Crisis Response/Recovery
Recovery includes the steps the school community uses to respond appropriately during and after a crisis situation for the care and recovery of students and staff. The goal is to return the school to a caring and supportive learning environment and return to the business of learning.