The Safe and Supportive Schools Program (SSSP) team includes trained individuals with a variety of backgrounds, knowledge, and experience:

• School administration
• Behavior management
• Mental health and substance use
• Classroom instruction
• Special education
• Counseling
• School safety and security
• Emergency management
• Law enforcement 

The TxSSC, in coordination with TEA, developed model policies and procedures to assist school districts in establishing and training SSSP teams. Each team must receive training provided by the TxSSC or a regional education service center (ESC). The National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) of the U.S. Secret Service offers an 8-step comprehensive targeted violence prevention plan to assist school districts in forming SSSP teams and creating behavioral threat assessment processes.

All student threats require notification to Austin ISD Police. While not all concerns require law enforcement intervention, an Austin ISD law enforcement expert is part of the SSSP team. Threats involving weapons will prompt law enforcement action.

It is beneficial to have a law enforcement officer on the team, but the case will need to meet the threshold established by the team or by law to warrant immediate law enforcement intervention. Examples may include physical violence, threats of violence, a planned school attack, or behaviors involving weapons.

The SSSP team identifies available resources in their school, community, or through virtual technology that can be utilized as part of their intervention and risk reduction plans. When an individual or situation is brought to their attention, the team reviews the reported or observed behavior, investigates to determine whether it poses a threat, and decides what resources the individual might benefit from. Resources are identified for the person of concern and any targets or victims.

The team identifies interventions that are focused on the root cause of the factors that caused the individual to become a threat to self or others. The intervention plan may be short or long-term based on the severity of the situation and may include a referral for mental health services or an initial request for special education services. Immediate, credible threats of self-harm or harm to others are considered prohibited behaviors and need to be reported to law enforcement to protect life.

If the team identifies a student who is at risk for suicide, they are to follow their district’s suicide prevention policies and procedures. If this student also makes a threat of violence to others, the team will conduct a threat assessment, in addition to following their district’s suicide prevention policies and procedures.

If the team identifies a student who is possessing or using tobacco, drugs, or alcohol, they are to follow their district’s substance use prevention and intervention policies and procedures.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects the privacy of student educational records. It does not cover verbal communications, observations, or other information that team members may share. School officials such as teachers, counselors, or administrators with a legitimate educational interest may access FERPA-protected education records.

FERPA authorizes school officials to disclose information, without consent, in emergency situations where the health or safety of students is at risk. Relevant information can be released to law enforcement, public health, and medical professionals.

Information obtained through a school official’s personal knowledge or observation can be disclosed. Specifically, notes, drawings, pictures, anonymous tips, security videos, and all investigating interviews are not protected under FERPA, and a threat assessment team is not violating anyone’s rights by collecting this data to drive their assessment of a reported threat or concern.

Yes, according to Texas House Bill 473, before a team conducts a school behavioral threat assessment, the team must notify the parent or guardian of their intent to conduct the assessment. The district must provide an opportunity for the parent or guardian to participate in the assessment process by providing information either in person or remotely. This opportunity to participate and provide information is met through the act of the parent or guardian being interviewed by the threat assessment team during the threat assessment process.

Other than choosing to participate in your own child’s interview, this law does not grant a parent or guardian the right to be present for any other part of the threat assessment process, to ensure the confidentiality and safety of all students and staff.

After completing the threat assessment, the team must provide the team’s findings and conclusions to the parent or guardian.

If my child is the subject of a school behavioral threat assessment, what happens to the information?

According to Texas House Bill 3, any materials and information collected during a threat assessment must be maintained in the student’s district record until their 24th birthday.

If my child moves to a new school district, the previous school district is responsible for sharing the child's disciplinary record and any threat assessments related to their behavior with the new school district.

• School safety is a shared responsibility, and everyone plays a role in keeping schools safe from violence and bullying.
• Each school has a Safe and Supportive School Program Team whose purpose is to ensure your child’s safety at school.
• The SSSP team investigates all concerns objectively and every report will be investigated.
• Reporting concerns is not about getting someone in trouble - it's about saving lives.
• Encourage your child to share any safety concerns using the anonymous Austin ISD Let’s Talk reporting system.