School Safety Commission makes final recommendations to governor

The Arkansas School Safety Commission’s final recommendations, which were presented to Gov. Asa Hutchinson this week, focused heavily on having an armed presence on school campuses, the layout of school facilities, and better engagement with students needing mental health services.

The final report came five months to the day after the commission’s preliminary report was presented, according to a news release from the governor’s office.

Dawn Anderson, school counselor at Hot Springs World Class High School, was appointed by the governor to the commission in March shortly after it was established.

According to the release, the five subcommittees of the commission made 30 recommendations which Anderson said came about through the intense study of various components of school safety.

“This included architecture and structure of buildings, physical and

mental well-being of students, supports and interventions currently in place, data from the most recent Center for Disease Control and Prevention Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, a statewide school safety survey, and information presented by a variety of stakeholders and experts,” Anderson said in an interview on Thursday.

“We addressed the areas of prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery. The recommendations in the final report expand on those in the preliminary report with more precise recommendations, data to support them, and resources to help implement them.”

The release said the recommendations regarding mental health include “reviewing the roles and responsibilities of school counselors in order to provide increased time with students; conducting school climate surveys across all campuses in all districts; developing and implementing an action plan based on the findings of those school climate surveys; and providing training in Youth Mental Health First Aid to all personnel who interact with students.”

According to Anderson, the commission recommended that the Arkansas Department of Education review the responsibilities assigned to school counselors that do not provide direct services to students.

“Feedback provided from counselors across the state indicated that a significant amount of time is spent performing administrative type duties, particularly, serving as the school testing coordinator,” she said. “Decreasing these responsibilities would allow more time for counselors to provide counseling and emotional support to students in need.”

School climate surveys, she said, are tools that evaluate and measure the perception of the school environment and are used to identify the school’s strengths and weaknesses “with the goal of making improvements in targeted areas, as well as determine what is going well within the school.”

She added the surveys should be conducted annually and the results would provide the necessary information to develop an action plan that includes implementing interventions in areas needing growth and improvement, and to address issues such as bullying, attendance and other at-risk behaviors.

Youth Mental Health First Aid is a program that introduces adults who work with youths to the unique risk factors and warning signs of mental health challenges, she said.

“(The program) builds an understanding of the importance of early intervention and equips individuals with the skills needed to help a youth in crisis or experiencing a mental health challenge,” Anderson said. “Participants learn how to assess a mental health challenge, provide initial help, and connect the young person to the necessary resource through a five-step action plan.

“Participants learn what to listen for and what language to use during the challenge or crisis but do not learn to diagnose or provide counseling. When teachers and staff understand the signs of mental health challenges and learn how to be more aware of changes in young people, they can help students get connected to an intervention immediately. The sooner the student is connected to an intervention, the better the outcome.”

The commission also supports and recommends having armed, trained personnel on campus when staff and students are present, she said.

“This could be achieved by having school resource officers or commissioned school security officers,” she said. “We understand that every school district is unique and has specific criteria to consider such as response time and finances. Therefore, each district should be allowed to determine how this recommendation is implemented.”

Anderson said the commission worked to develop recommendations that are to be used in a comprehensive school safety plan that stresses prevention, protection, mitigation, response and recovery.

“We believe that each one is equally important and that as stand-alone solutions, will not be as effective as they will be if implemented in a well-developed, comprehensive safety plan,” she said. “Our hope is that all of the research and information in the report will give schools across Arkansas a starting point to develop a safety plan that is specific to the needs of each school.”

Anderson said it has been a privilege serving alongside commissioners from various backgrounds who are passionate about Arkansas schools and students.

“As we work to make our schools as safe as possible, we are enhancing students’ educational experience and providing them with the opportunity to reach their full potential,” she said.