Using Blackboard Connect to Promote School Safety & Security

Valerie Fuller, Director of Communications, Muscogee County School District

John Dye, Safety and Security Director , Killeen Independent School District

Mike Petersen, Manager, K-12 Solutions Engineers, Blackboard

Making their daily lives more convenient and secure

Keeping them informed and aware

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Engaging and assessing learners at all levels

Enrich the experience through devices they love

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Our Vision:

• Close the gap between the way students live and the way they learn

• Empower district leadership to communicate directly and effectively

• Engage parents in their child’s academic progress

• Deliver a 21st Century educational experience

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• Fully-hosted notification and alert solution for reaching millions in minutes through Voice, Email, SMS, Text, TTY, Wireless, and PDA capabilities

• 2,600 clients in K-12, Higher Education, and Government

• 470 million messages delivered in 2009. 99.99% uptime, serving:– 1 in 5 K-12 students– 1 in 6 Higher Ed students– 4 million+ citizens

Keeping them informed and aware

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Safety & Security –Critical to your Success

• Unlimited messaging

• The voice of leadership in any event

• SaaS platform/Initiate notifications from web/phone

• Redundant capabilities/Robust architecture

KILLEEN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT

Blackboard Connect Client Spotlight

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Overview of District

• Killeen ISD– located in Killeen, TX• KISD Schools located in Killeen, Harker Heights, Nolanville,

Fort Hood.• 39,000 Students• 31 Elementary Schools (grades PK-5th), eleven Middle

Schools (grades 6-8), four High Schools (grades 9-12), two alternative schools, one career and technology center and several specialized campuses

• Our staff is composed of 194 administrators; 503 support staff; 2,855 teachers; 1,187 secretaries and instructional aides; and 1,302 classified

• employees.

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Deciding on a Mass Notification System

• Four national ranked companies presented a briefing to a group of District and Campus level Staff.

• Blackboard Connect was the clear selection.

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Bb Connect Uses for Safety & Security

• At the Campus level, we use the system to alert parents of Emergency Situations.

• District Level - few

• Lockdown notifications

• Evacuation / Relocation Situations

• Nov 5, 2009 – Fort Hood Shootings

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Bb Connect Other Uses

• Early releases / Delayed releases due to weather

• H1N1 messages

• Attendance notification and tardy messages

• Different methods of communication – Redundancy

• Key Factors – Keep it short, Refer to letters sent home, Refer to a Web Site

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Results

• Our Bb Connect Client representative has been very helpful.

• On Site Training of Campus Staff – separate presentations – 1) Outreach, Emergency Messages – 2) Attendance Messages

• Since Oct 2008 -– 2,925 Outreach Messages, 10 Single Surveys– 45 Emergency Messages, 13,355 Attendance– 16, 335 Total Messages– 2,022,656 Phones called

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National Interest

• In School Safety presentations to both State and National Organizations, the subject of Mass Notifications is always brought up.

• KISD is very satisfied with the product and the support that Blackboard Connect has provided.

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MUSCOGEE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT

Blackboard Connect Client Spotlight

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MUSCOGEE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT

Department of Communications Director of Communications, Valerie FullerMCSD

School Safety & Security:How Mass Communications Can Help

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Overview

About MCSD Department of Communications Improvements Implementation Project Why Blackboard Connect Attendance and Emergency Use Safety Notices Questions

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Our Mission

The Muscogee County School District is committed to providing educational excellence that will enable each student to become a

lifelong learner, enter the work force with necessary skills, and achieve academic and personal potential.

Investing in the Future…Guiding Lifelong Learners to Endless Success

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MCSD Goals

Goal 1: Student Achievement

Goal 2: Growth

Goal 3: Human Resources

Goal 4: Communication/Trust

Goal 5: Effective & Efficient Use of Resources

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Muscogee County School District

32,500 Students 6,200 Employees 35 Elementary Schools 12 Middle Schools 9 High Schools 8 Centers and Programs 92% of School Age Children Attend

MCSD Public Schools

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CommunicationsDirector, Valerie Fuller

Background Radio Television Corporate Public

Relations K-12

Communications Higher Education

Instructor *Hired July 2007

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Communications

KEEP PACE(Proactive Administration of Communication in Education)

All Media Inquiries/Interviews Student and School Achievement/School Publicity Blackboard Connect Administration & Training Be There-Parent Involvement Campaign Open Records Requests District-wide Communications Plans for all Divisions News Releases and Publications

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CommunicationsImprovements

Streamline Internal & External Communications Rapid Notification System Annual Report Quick Reference Parent Handbook Lighthouse Headlines MCSD School Briefs Muscogee Monday Messenger District-wide Communications Plans Public Education Awareness Report (PEAR)

7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Daily

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Why Blackboard Connect?

Improve capabilities to provide consistent, timely communications with parents and staff, especially during emergencies.

Attendance, Emergency, Community Outreach, Single Survey

Primary Uses Attendance Notification Emergency Notification

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Attendance Reporting Safety Timeline

Start Time Notification

High Schools 8:25 a.m. 9:10 a.m.

*Pending High School Improvement Grant Award (2 Schools) 7:40 a.m. 8:25 a.m.

Elementary Schools8:00 a.m. 8:45 a.m.

Middle Schools 9:00 a.m. 9:45 a.m.

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Days Absent 2005-2009

Percentage of students who have 15 or more days absent.

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Graduation Rate 2005-2009

Numerator = Number of students who graduate with regular diplomas.Denominator = Number of dropouts in 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th from appropriate years

+graduates + other completers.

0

20

40

60

80

100

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

69.4 70.872.3 75.4 78.9

64.3 69.770.5 76.1 79.8

Per

cen

tage

of S

tud

ents

GA MCSD

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Drop-Out Rate 2005-2009

Students are reported as drop outs if they leave school for one of the following reasons: Marriage, Expelled, Financial Hardship/Job, Incarcerated/Under Jurisdiction of Juvenile or Criminal Justice Authority, Low Grades/School Failure, Military, Adult Education/Postsecondary, Pregnant/Parent, Removed for Lack of Attendance, Serious Illness/Accident, and Unknown.

0.0

2.0

4.0

6.0

8.0

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

5.04.7

4.13.6 3.8

5.9

4.84.3

2.9 3.0

Per

cen

tage

of S

tud

ents

GA MCSD

Students Who Drop-Out Grades 9-12

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Safety NotificationPlayground/Athletic

Equipment May 11, 2010

This is an urgent safety notice to all schools in MCSD. Principals, assistant principals and coaches should check all outdoor play equipment and athletic equipment immediately. If students are currently using any of this equipment please remove them from these areas immediately. Columbus Police reported earlier today that razor blades were found taped to equipment in Lakebottom Park. If you have bleachers they need to be checked as well. Students should not be allowed in these areas until a thorough check has been made by school administrators and staff. If you have any questions or if you find anything that appears suspicious, please call Dr. Obleton, security, or Dr. Gary Gibson immediately.

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Safety NotificationWeapon at School

February 23, 2010

Hello, this is assistant principal Felicia Johnson calling with an important safety message for all St. Mary's Road parents. We want to inform you of an incident that occurred on campus today and make sure you have accurate information. No one was hurt or injured, however, a student brought an unloaded 9 mm gun to school today. The weapon was immediately confiscated by administrators who notified police and MCSD security. We commend our students and staff for reporting the safety violation and following proper procedures to ensure the safety of every child and employee as safety is a priority. Please take this time to review the weapons policy in the behavior code and discipline policy handbook with your child. If you have questions please contact our office at 706-683-8841. Thank you for helping us.

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Other Safety Notifications

Abductions Gas Leaks Power Outage Tornado Weather Sports Watch/Cancellations

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Effectiveness of Blackboard Connect

Improved Internal and External Communications

We Tell the News to Parents & Employees First! Reliable System to Rapidly Connect with

Stakeholders Helps Provide Facts Quickly and Dispel Rumors Flexible Communication Modes User-Friendly

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Challenge: School Safety & Security-

Mitigating Misinformation from Media Coverage of DC Shooting

Solution: Blackboard Connect™

Result: District Reaches Parents Ahead of Media Coverage

“With the Blackboard Connect service, we were able to contact all our parents within a half hour. Much before the Boston media was able to get the message out, our message was already out there.”

Dr. Lisa Dana, SuperintendentDanvers School District, MA

Danvers School District

Blackboard

Case Study

• Serves the students of Danvers, Massachusetts, a small town 15 miles north of Boston.

• 3,700 students

• 7 Schools (5 elementary, 1 middle, and 1 high school )

DISCUSSION & QUESTIONS?

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Thank you! Valerie Fuller

Director of Communications

Muscogee County School District

vfuller@mcsdga.net

communications@mcsdga.net

John Dye

Safety and Security Director

Killeen Independent School District

John.Dye@killeenisd.org

Blackboard Connectwww.blackboard.com/connectfork12

(800) 424-9299 ext. 434