We, the undersigned parents and residents of CCISD, are asking the CCISD Board of Education to prioritize implementation of the following policy or a similar version of it:

BELIEF:

Standardized tests have not proven to effectively indentify students struggling with mental illness. In addition, most perpetrators of school violence are not mentally ill, and most mentally ill students are not violent. However, many perpetrators of school violence are struggling with socio-emotional needs and/or deficits that can be better addressed through counseling and student support services. A better use of our tax dollars would be to hire more Professional School Counselors and Licensed Specialists in School Psychology.

REQUESTED ACTION:

- CCISD will identify and procure the necessary resources, financial and otherwise, to hire Professional School Counselors at a ratio of 1 counselor:200 students throughout the district.

- CCISD will identify and procure the necessary resources, financial and otherwise, to hire Licensed Specialists in School Psychology at a rate of 1 LSSP:600 students throughout the district.

DESIRED OUTCOME and IMPACT:

- School counselors will form relationships with their designated students and work with teachers to identify pre-determined "red flags" for any potentially violent student(s).

- School counselors will then contact guardians and refer the student(s) to the LSSP on staff and assist with the net steps, as appropriate.

- LSSP will conduct a same-day threat assessment and, as needed, formal psychological testing of student in a timely fashion and communicate results to guardian(s).

- LSSP will work in tandem with the designated school counselor to develop an appropriate set of interventions for the student, as needed, and communicate action steps to teachers.

- School counselor and LSSP will frequently monitor student and interventions to determine whether to continue or adjust interventions at the end of each grading period.

- In accordance with FERPA, intervention plans and allowable information regarding student(s) will be forwarded to the appropriate school counselor and LSSP at the beginning of each new school year.