An increasing number of American schools are investigating behavior management solutions as part of their school safety strategies. And it’s no wonder: the Association for Children’s Health reports that 20% of children have been diagnosed with emotional, behavioral or mental health conditions. Health problems such as these can cause a myriad of school-related issues, such as chronic truancy, reduced graduation rates, disruption of the educational environment, more bullying, creating a hostile environment, and increasing potential for violent incidents at school.
It’s never too early to help children and their families as they seek the behavior management resources they desperately need. Identifying and assisting students who are at risk of behavioral or emotional problems is a growing part of many school leaders’ jobs, even at the elementary level. Yet while we focus a growing number of resources on helping kids who need interventions, we must also remember to maintain a steadfast eye on overall school safety. It can feel nearly impossible to cover all of a school’s safety needs at once.
Responsible school administrators are facing these school safety and student social, emotional health challenges head-on by implemented multi-faceted prevention systems. When a school incorporates and establishes behavioral norms, policies and procedures around events and everyday life, students will feel safe and appreciated at school, along with becoming engaged and encouraged. The trick is to find a way for all the pertinent teachers and administrators to collaborate effectively on behalf of each child. Monitoring and addressing student behavior and emotional health is the critical starting point for averting many school safety threats. Here are three specific behavior management solutions that are endorsed by industry experts for reducing potential school threats.
1. Proactive, Responsive Student Information Systems
The National Association of Secondary School Principals recommends all schools develop proactive and responsive systems that support a safe, orderly, and inviting learning environment. Such a system is of the utmost importance in helping identify and nurture students who are struggling with behavioral issues. What do proactive and responsive systems look like? Ideally, it’s a tech-based platform that tracks behavior infractions, parent contacts, student behavior training, and more. Having a centralized place to store all behavior-related information about students keeps teachers and administrators informed about students of concern. This type of tool takes a proactive approach to identify emerging behavior patterns, allowing counselors to intervene and work with a student before the problem gets worse.
2. Secure Digital Information Storage Solutions
Sometimes, kids arrive at school without a behavioral health diagnosis but with clear signs of trouble. The National Alliance encourages faculty and administrators to create lines of communication through which their concerns can be shared, compared, and used for good. Talking about these issues face-to-face is ideal, but must be done carefully to maintain HIPAA-mandated confidentiality. The same issue arises with email chains concerning student health information and Individualized Education Programs. A secure digital data storage system solves these problems and provides all concerned adults a constantly-updated forum for vital student information.
3. Alternative Behavior Educator Programs
An integrated student information system such as ScholarChip-Alternative Behavior Educator is the ideal solution to these problems and more. School counselors and special education teachers can only do so much on their own to curtail behaviors induced by illnesses. ABE offers schoolwide staff a concise way to record incidents and notes, track patterns of attendance and behavior, and communicate all concerns instantly and securely with the counselor in charge of a given at-risk student. Parent contacts and notes are critical details in a child’s behavioral health care plan, and these can also be stored and referenced in the ABE records. With all of a student’s important information kept in one central location, teachers and administrators will find it easier to assess the student’s records and devise a more effective plan for the child’s academic and behavioral success.
Your Partner in Behavior Management Solutions
ScholarChip specializes in developing and fine-tuning all the tools critical to maintaining safe and secure school campuses. We are the industry leader in automated and integrated behavior management solutions. School administrators nationwide rely on our tools and systems to keep their personnel and students safe, accountable, and engaged. From video camera systems to student behavior management software, ScholarChip has what you need to take control of your campus safety program.
Is your school in need of campus safety upgrades? ScholarChip’s team of campus security experts will be glad to assess your campus layout and existing information collection and storage systems. We will them formulate a security plan and recommend the best tools to meet your needs. ScholarChip ABE is a smart choice for schools facing an ever-increasing number of students with behavioral, emotional, and behavioral illnesses. Not only does it serve as a centralized location for student data, but it also integrates with common student information systems like PowerSchool.
Another school safety option available from ScholarChip is our visitor management system. This program gathers and stores critical information about people who visit your campus, such as vendors, substitute teachers, and parent volunteers. Our system uses each person’s government-issued identification to confirm their identity and instantly flag those on sex offender registries. A digital visitor management system is therefore far superior to the old paper sign-in sheets many schools still use.
With your new visitor management system, Alternative Behavior Educator program, and strategically-placed surveillance cameras, you will have covered all the critical bases of school security. Outsiders will be identified and vetted for security clearance instantly. Students with behavioral or emotional illnesses will be monitored by teachers and counselors via a centralized digital data center.
Your students and staff deserve to feel safe at school.
If you would like to learn more about different solutions to your behavior management needs and creating the safe campus culture you’ve been looking for, schedule a 1-on-1 strategy session today!
