Assessment procedures and documentation

Teams should establish protocols and procedures that are followed for each assessment, including who will interview the student of concern; who will talk to classmates, teachers, or parents; and who will be responsible for documenting the Team’s efforts.

During the assessment process, Teams may identify other concerning statements and actions made by the student that may not already be addressed in their policies.

Gathering information about these behaviors will help the Team assess whether the student is at risk for attacking the school or its students and identify strategies to mitigate that risk.

Teams need to establish clearly defined processes and procedures to guide their assessments.

Note that any safety concerns should be immediately addressed before the procedures described below take place.

When followed, the procedures should allow the Team to form an accurate picture of the student’s thinking, behavior, and circumstances to inform the Team’s assessment and identify appropriate interventions.

Maintain documentation to keep track of when reports come in; the information that is gathered; when, where, and how it was obtained; who was interviewed; the behaviors and circumstances of the student of concern; and the intervention strategies taken.

Documentation requirements, such as forms and templates, should be included in the plan to ensure standardization across cases.

Use a community systems approach. An effective approach for gathering information to assess a student of concern is to identify the sources that may have information on the student’s actions and circumstances. This involves identifying the persons with whom the student has a relationship or frequently interacts and the organizations or platforms that may be familiar with the student’s behaviors.

Students exist in more than one system and they come in contact with people beyond their classmates and teachers at school.

Gathering information from multiple sources ensures that Teams are identifying concerning behaviors, accurately assessing the student’s risks and needs, and providing the appropriate interventions, supports, and resources.

Examine online social media pages, conduct interviews, review class assignments, and consider searching the student’s locker or desk.

Team members should also review academic, disciplinary, law enforcement, and other formal records that may be related to the student.

When reviewing school records, be sure to determine whether the student has been the subject of previous reports to school officials, especially if the student has a history of engaging in other concerning or threatening behaviors. Also determine if the student received any intervention or supports and whether those were beneficial or successful.

The Team may be able to draw on information from previous incidents and interventions to address the current situation for the student. This factor further emphasizes the importance of the Team’s documentation to ensure the accuracy and availability of information regarding prior contacts the student of concern may have had with the Team.

Family | Law Enforcement Social | Judicial Neighbors Online | Student | Teachers Classmates Hobbies | Employment

Build rapport that can facilitate information-gathering efforts.

By demonstrating that their goal is to support individuals who may be struggling, while ensuring that the student and the school are safe, Teams may be better able to build a positive relationship with a student of concern and the student’s parents or guardians.

When Teams have established this rapport, parents or guardians may be more likely to share their own concerns, and the student may be more forthcoming about frustrations, needs, goals, or plans.

Evaluate the student’s concerning behaviors and communications in the context of his/her age and social and emotional development.

To ensure that these students are being accurately assessed, collect information from diverse sources, including the reporting party, the student of concern, classmates, teammates, teachers, and friends.

Consider whether those outside of their immediate circle, such as neighbors or community groups, may be in a position to share information regarding observed behaviors.

Behaviors exhibited by a student with a diagnosed disorder need to be evaluated in the context of that diagnosis and the student’s known baseline of behavior.

Assess whether parents, friends, classmates, teachers, or others who know the student are worried about the student and whether they have taken any actions in response to their concerns. Gather information on the specific behaviors that caused worry or fear.