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Building Based Teams:  The Safe and Responsive Schools Project relies on building based teams of educators to accomplish its goals.  Building based teams are key in making useful and realistic changes in practices related to student behavior.  Such teams can serve as a filter for assessing strengths and needs for a building and its staff, can develop plans and priorities for in-service education and training, as well as changes in practices, and can become a source or broker for specialized expertise related to behavioral issues.
Participating Community Schools

Specifically, these teams are crucial in refining policies and procedures for student behavioral issues, and for developing the ownership for improved practices which will insure that these practices are permanently integrated into the specific culture of that school, and supported by the faculty, staff and community, as well as students.

Team Composition:  Teams will consist of about 6-10 individuals from each building (or in the case of some Elementary buildings, one team may serve two buildings).  The individuals on the teams should be willing and able to offer leadership and information about the team activities to their building staff, and represent their building staff in making decisions regarding priorities.  The teams should include teachers, special education staff, administrators and other specialists (such as counselors, psychologists, etc.).  A Project Site Coordinator or Intern will attend each team meeting related to the Safe and Responsive Schools Project.

Team Goals and Activities:  The teams serving the Safe and Responsive Schools Project will:
1. Become familiar with, and develop specific knowledge of the range of topics that currently are considered best practices in preventing and responding to violent and other inappropriate behavior in school.  These practices will include positive oriented practices that emphasized the responsiveness of the school to various kinds of behavioral issues.
......a. Read, review and provide feedback on materials developed for the project sites
......b. Assist the project to create and refine materials that will be of maximum use to similar teams with similar goals in other locations.
......c. Develop in the team expertise on each of the specific topics addressed in the project.
2. Assess their own building in terms of its strengths and weaknesses related to preventing and managing behavior of students
......a. Complete a school practice questionnaire (completed only by the team)
......b. Assist in the delivery of a school safety survey (may be provided to staff, students and parents)
......c. When available, assist in understanding the results of the district's school climate survey results.
......d. Use the above information as well as other information the committee may gather to develop a written plan or list of priorities for improving school practices.
3. By the end of the school year, develop a multi-year building plan for improving the practices related to safety and behavior for that building.
......a. At a minimum the plan should address each of the eight or so ......components of safe and responsive schools
......b. At a minimum, the plan will identify at least one specific activity with each component.
4. Assist building and district administration to coordinate in-service training, and changes in policies or procedures that will implement best practices in this area.

Advisory Council:  The project will receive input and formative evaluation feedback from an advisory council, consisting of superintendents, juvenile judges, parents, school board and community members, and teacher and principal representatives.  The advisory council will provide feedback on project success in meeting objectives throughout the three years of the project.  Beginning in the second year of the project, representatives from generalization sites will be part of the advisory council, participating in meetings via conference call or tele-video linkup.