On January 20, 2021, Office for Safe Schools Director Dr. Scott Kuren disseminated a PennLink to all LEAs titled PCCD Threat Assessment Needs Survey, informing recipients that Act 18 of 2019 amended the Public School Code of 1949 by adding Article XIII-E, Threat Assessment. Among its provisions, Article XIII-E requires all school entities in Pennsylvania to establish threat assessment teams and tasks the School Safety and Security Committee within the PA Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) to support school entities with this effort by developing model procedures and guidelines, training and information materials, and other resources.

To fulfill these responsibilities and support school entities in implementing these new requirements, PCCD is working with a selected training and technical assistance provider, Risk and Strategic Management (RSM) Corporation, to design and launch new resources, including an online training program and train-the-trainer curriculum. PCCD anticipates making these resources available to school entities (at no cost) beginning in early spring 2021.

To inform the design of this new comprehensive threat assessment training curriculum tailored for PA school entities, PCCD is asking school administrators, School Safety and Security Coordinators, and other personnel who will be involved in a school entity’s Threat Assessment Team(s) to complete a confidential Threat Assessment Needs Survey:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/56YKGMP

LEAs are asked to provide responses by Wednesday, February 3, 2021.

More information about PCCD’s threat assessment initiative, as well as model procedures and guidelines, guidance, training, and informational materials, can be found on PCCD’s website.