Report 2016-136 Recommendation 7 Responses
Report 2016-136: School Violence Prevention: School Districts, County Offices of Education, and the State Must Do More to Ensure That School Safety Plans Help Protect Students and Staff During Emergencies (Release Date: August 2017)
Recommendation #7 To: Education, Department of
To ensure that districts and county offices properly review and approve safety plans as required, CDE should provide additional guidance regarding district and county office responsibilities under state law by providing information on best practices similar to those we discuss in this report for monitoring and approving safety plans.
6-Month Agency Response
The CDE issued a letter on February 1, 2018 reminding all county superintendents and charter school administrators to update and approve comprehensive school safety plans by March 1, 2018, and provided additional guidance and updates, including effective best practices (https://www.cde.ca.gov/nr/el/le/yr18ltr0201.asp).
- Completion Date: February 2018
- Response Date: February 2018
California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Fully Implemented
We reviewed the letter reminding all county superintendents and charter school administrators to update and approve comprehensive school safety plans by March 1, 2018 and found it included appropriate guidance. However, we expect CDE to provide regular updates and guidance to schools.
60-Day Agency Response
The CDE contacted Rocklin Unified School District (identified in the audit report as having met the requirements related to school based violence readiness and prevention) regarding best practices related to developing guidance to assist schools and districts in monitoring and approving safety plans, and was briefed on their school safety plan monitoring and approval procedures. These model practices will be included in the CDE's annual reminder to LEAs regarding updating and approving their school safety plans by March 1, 2018.
- Estimated Completion Date: March 2018
- Response Date: November 2017
California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending
All Recommendations in 2016-136
Agency responses received are posted verbatim.