Wellness & Safety

Key Strategies - Physical Safety

Create a physical environment that promotes student and staff safety through established protocols and procedures, appropriate internal and external security systems, and routine emergency preparations.


Physical Safety

  • Conduct a Comprehensive Facility School Safety Assessment at each campus.
  • Create a Districtwide assessment of technology enhancements, including cameras to improve safety at each school site and at the District Office.
  • Convene a School Safety Advisory Group (SSAG), consisting of parents and students, as well as certificated, classified, and management staff.
  • Develop an action plan and budget for each school site.
  • Begin facility improvements at each school site based on the action plan. Improvements will be phased in, as determined in the action plan.

Emergency Preparedness Culture

  • Increase overall staffing dedicated to emergency preparedness, risk management, and safety and security.
  • Establish standardized emergency preparedness, threat/risk assessment protocols, and crisis response training for all school sites and the District Office.
  • Establish close working relationship with City of Palo Alto Police and Fire Departments.
  • Convene a SSAG, consisting of parents and students, as well as certificated, classified, and management staff.
  • Include safety and emergency preparedness training at New Hire Orientations.

Key Strategies - Mental Health & Wellness

Provide for the social, emotional and physical health needs of students and cultivate positive, identity safe school environments that promote high levels of connection, engagement and overall well-being throughout the school community.

How will we measure progress? (Key Performance Indicators)

  • Increase staff awareness and efficacy in serving the needs of diverse learners as measured by staff feedback on district sponsored professional learning
  • Decrease percentage of students identified as chronically absent
  • Increase the extent to which students are engaged and connected to the school environment (e.g. feel personally accepted, respected, included, and supported by staff and peers)
  • Increase student knowledge of supports and help-seeking behaviors

Connection

  • Provide Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) professional learning opportunities for grades K-8.
  • Develop model for consistent SEL instruction across high schools.
  • Complete SEL practice inventory with middle schools and identify resources to support consistent SEL instruction across elementary and middle schools.
  • Implement instruction on Healthy Relationships & Behaviors, including comprehensive TK-12 sexual health instruction.

Engagement

  • Provide staff workshops on supporting vulnerable students as part of the New Hire Equity Series and on Professional Learning Days. Topics would include: SEL, Restorative Practices, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Questioning (LGBTQQ) inclusivity, and ongoing support for student mental and physical health needs.
  • Create and implement attendance interventions, coordinating available resources – including School Counselors, Family Engagement Specialists, District Social Workers, and District Nurses – to support increased attendance.
  • Expand partnerships and explore models to provide alternatives to traditional high school settings.

Student Well-being

  • Establish an annual process to review, refine, and publish protocols for identifying and addressing physical and mental health needs of TK-12 students.
  • Develop consistent articulation processes to share student needs and interventions for elementary to middle, and middle to high school transitions.
  • Promote healthy, productive, and responsible use of technology and digital citizenship.
  • Create District Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) model that encompasses the academic, social, emotional, and behavioral health needs of all students.
  • Improve Bullying & Harassment reporting and responses by utilizing the anonymous reporting tool, a process flow chart, and case management through administrators, counselors, and social workers.