Act 44:
School violence is a top concern.

ACT 44 is making $52.5 million in School Safety funding available to Pennsylvania schools.

The people of Pennsylvania are in support of policies aimed at preventing school violence, drafting emergency response plans, and requiring background clearances for people who enter school buildings as well as implementing comprehensive security measures in every school.

School Safety and Security Committee guidance will validate evidence-based strategies, but also provide schools with flexibility to fund programs that meet their local needs.

Every school in PA should understand which safety services are ACT 44 funded…

ACT 44 assessment criteria…

Will your school safety plans meet the requirements?

School Safety and Security Grant funds are now available to all PA schools in 2019 but to receive full funding you’ll need to consider:

1) Properly managing all visitors entering the building.

2) Address social and emotional behavior issues.

3) Improve student accountability and securing door access.

Visitor Management

The most vital aspects of school safety is knowing who should be allowed into your buildings and confirming their identity. The visitor's identity, as well as sexual offender information, should be automatically verified by scanning their state ID, driver's license or passport. Schools can have hundreds of visitors every day: vendors, volunteers, and parents. A Visitor Management System helps you make important security decisions by supplying critical data and reporting.

Social Emotional Behavior

A good behavior management system should change disruptive behavior, build emotional resilience, provide interventions and monitor progress throughout a student’s career. This preventative strategy should be implemented to improve protection among all students. Identifying at-risk students and supporting those students with proven learning interventions.

Student Accountability

Identity Management begins with issuing smart ID cards to students. Taking automated attendance with smart ID cards allows only enrolled students into the building. Secure Door Access provides door access to specific cardholders. Administrators can manage emergency lock down from the click of a button. Authorized staff and students simply tap their smart ID cards to gain access to secure doors.

Learn more about ACT 44 Assessment Criteria. Below are a list of resources, websites and documents to help your school meet fund and grant requirements and get on a path to a safer school.

ACT 44 Funding Resources

PSEA. Pennsylvania State Education Association.

PSEA encouraged members to share their ideas to make our public schools safe from violence in the aftermath of the tragic school shooting in Parkland, Florida. Many of your ideas were used to put School Safety Act 44 into law.

PCCD. Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.

School Safety and Security Committee is tasked with developing the criteria schools are to use in performing school safety and security assessments, to measure school safety and security preparedness, and to administer grants. The Committee will consider all applications.

Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD)

Overview of Act 44.

To better understand its requirements, an overview of the key elements of the Act has been developed and provided in the Overview of Act 44 (pdf).

What to do, step-by-step.

Assessment Criteria Overview

To inform both schools and assessors as to the state of a school’s safety preparedness. The criteria rely on the expertise of the Committee.

ACT 44 School Assessment Criteria

School Safety Criteria

Which school safety services are in line with Committee criteria: visitor management, student behavior management, student accountability and secure door access management.

Assessment Criteria Checklist

ACT 44 checklist with specific guidelines for visitor management, student behavior management, student accountability and secure door access management.

Contact Us

Our modular approach lets you implement what you need today with an eye on what you’ll need in the future. Contact us today to learn how we can help you meet and exceed your dual factor attendance goals.

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Act 44: School violence is a top concern.