6A-1.0019. Threat Management

(1) Purpose. The purpose of this rule is to set forth requirements relating to threat management, a process by which school districts, K-12 schools, charter school governing boards, and charter schools identify, assess, manage, and monitor potential and real threats to student safety.

(2) Definitions.

(a) “Florida Harm Prevention and Threat Management Model” or “Florida Model” means the Florida-specific behavioral threat management process required by Section 1001.212(12), F.S. The Florida Model consists of the Florida Threat Management Manual and the Florida Harm Prevention and Threat Management Instrument (“Instrument”). Under the Florida Model, threats and reports of concerning behavior or concerning communications are categorized as having a low, medium, or high level of concern.

(b) “School” means a public K-12 school, including a charter school, with a Master School Identification Number (MSID) number as provided under Rule 6A-1.0016, F.A.C., but does not include:

1. Settings where instruction is provided in a county jail or state prison, in a Department of Juvenile Justice facility or program, in a hospital, or while a student is homebound;

2. Schools that provide only prekindergarten or adult education;

3. Technical centers under Section 1004.91, F.S.

“School” also includes the Florida Virtual School (Section 1002.37, F.S.), the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind (Section 1002.36, F.S.), and Developmental Research (Laboratory) Schools (Section 1002.32, F.S.). These entities also function as “school districts” as defined in paragraph (2)(d) of this rule. A list of schools meeting this definition will be provided to the School Safety Specialists annually by July 1.

(c) “School-based mental health services provider” means a school psychologist certified under Rule 6A-4.0311, F.A.C., a school social worker certified under Rule 6A-4.035, F.A.C., a school counselor certified under Rule 6A-4.0181, F.A.C., or a mental health professional licensed under Chapter 490 or 491, F.S., who is employed or contracted by a district or school to provide mental health services in schools.

(d) “School district” or “district” means a Florida school district, the Florida Virtual School (Section 1002.37, F.S.), the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind (Section 1002.36, F.S.), Developmental Research (Laboratory) Schools (Section 1002.32, F.S.), and universities or Florida College System institutions that sponsor charter schools (Section 1002.33(5), F.S.).

(e) “Student Support Management Plan” or “SSMP” means an ongoing intervention and monitoring plan implemented by the school-based threat management team. The SSMP may impose requirements on a student of concern for a defined period of time based on the level of concern.  The SSMP is reviewed each month by the School Based Threat Management Team (SBTMT).

(f) “Threat Assessment” means the identification of individuals exhibiting threatening or other concerning behavior.

(g) “Threat Management” means the multipart process by which schools identify individuals exhibiting threatening or other concerning behavior, assess the risk of harm, and coordinate appropriate interventions and services for such individuals, as provided in Section 1006.07(7), F.S.

(3) Required policies.

(a) Each school district and charter school governing board must adopt policies, consistent with this rule, for the establishment of threat management teams and for the completion of threat assessments. These policies must include providing guidance to all students, faculty, and staff regarding recognition of concerning behavior or threats and must identify members of the school community to whom concerning behaviors and threats should be reported, pursuant to Section 1006.07(7)(c), F.S. These policies must also include procedures for referrals to mental health services, pursuant to Section 1012.584(4), F.S., and referrals for threats of self-harm, consistent with Section 394.463, F.S.

(b) Parental notification.

1. School districts and charter school governing boards must, at a minimum, require parental notification in the following circumstances:

a. If the SBTMT Chair determines the report of a concerning behavior or threat is a Low level of concern and summarily closes the case, the Chair or designee must use reasonable efforts to notify the parent or guardian of the student of concern.

b. If the Chair does not summarily close the case and refers it to the SBTMT, reasonable efforts must be made to notify the student of concern’s parent or guardian on the same day the SBTMT assigns the preliminary level of concern.

c. If the preliminary or final level of concern is High, the SBTMT Chair or designee must notify the superintendent or designee to ensure that the notice requirements of Section 1006.07(7)(e), F.S., are met.

d. Parents or guardians must also be notified if the threat management process reveals information about their student’s mental, emotional, or physical health or well-being, or results in a change in related services or monitoring, including but not limited to implementation of an SSMP.

e. Once an SSMP is finalized and anytime it is substantively revised, the SBTMT Chair or designee must provide a copy of the SSMP to the student of concern’s parent or guardian. The targeted student's parent or guardian should also be informed that an SSMP has been implemented.

f. Where a report of concern includes an identified student target, the Chair must make a reasonable effort to notify the parent or guardian of the targeted student before the end of the school day that the report was received unless the Chair has determined the concern is unfounded. As provided for in the Florida Harm Prevention and Threat Management Manual (Form OSS-001), the unfounded summary disposition should only be used when it is clear and articulable that there is no basis for concern. If there is any doubt, the case should be forwarded to the full School Based Threat Management Team for further evaluation and parent notification should occur. Nothing herein prevents the school from notifying parents or guardians if they believe it is in the best interest of the student.

2. “Reasonable effort to notify” means the exercise of reasonable diligence and care to make contact with the student’s parent or guardian, typically through the contact information shared by the parent or guardian with the school or school district.  The SBTMT Chair or designee must document all attempts to make contact with the parent or guardian.

3. Timelines for required notice may be modified where the SBTMT reasonably believes and documents that such disclosure would result in abuse, abandonment, or neglect, as defined in Section 39.01, F.S.

(c) Education records. Threat assessments and records related to threat management are considered education records as defined by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and Sections 1002.22 and 1002.221, Florida Statutes. Policies relating to access, maintenance, and retention of these records must be consistent with Rule 6A-1.0955, F.A.C., Education Records.

(4) Florida Harm Prevention and Threat Management Model (“Florida Model”). Threat management and assessment of concerning behaviors or communications must be conducted in accordance with the Florida Model, as follows:

(a) District Threat Management Coordinator (DTMC). Each school district superintendent must designate a Threat Management Coordinator to oversee threat management at all public K-12 schools, including charter schools sponsored by or under contract with the district. Where there is no superintendent, the lead administrator for the school district must assign the Threat Management Coordinator.

1. The DTMC must:

a. Ensure that all district-level and school-level threat management team personnel are trained in threat management and on the Florida Model;

b. Serve as Chair of the District Threat Management Team and as the liaison to the Department of Education’s Office of Safe Schools (“Office”); and

c. Assist School Based Threat Management Teams in the district.

2. Each school district school superintendent, or lead administrator if there is no superintendent, must report the name, phone number, and email address of the District Threat Management Coordinator to the Office at [e-mail]. This information must be reported annually by July 1, and must be updated within one (1) school day if there is a change in the information provided.

(b) District Threat Management Team (DTMT). Each school district superintendent must designate a District Threat Management Team that will receive referrals from the School Based Threat Management Teams, assess serious situations, and provide support to school-based teams, including charter schools in their district. The DTMT must include the District Threat Management Coordinator as Chair, persons from school district administration and persons with expertise in counseling, instruction, and law enforcement. Where there is no superintendent, the lead administrator for the district must assign the DTMT. Districts with three (3) or fewer schools may request approval to alter the DTMT membership by emailing the Office at [e-mail]. The Office will grant requests that demonstrate that the duties of the DTMT can be executed with fidelity.

(c) School Based Threat Management Team (SBTMT). Each school must have an SBTMT comprised of four (4) members, at a minimum, including persons with expertise in counseling, instruction, school administration, and law enforcement. The principal or equivalent administrative head of the school is responsible for appointing team members. The SBTMT must also include a member with personal knowledge of the student of concern who is the subject of threat management. Team members must meet the following requirements:

1. The counseling team member must be a school-based mental health services provider that is able to access student mental health records.

2. The instructional team member must meet the definition of instructional personnel under Section 1012.01(2)(a)-(d), F.S., or must hold a current Florida Educator Certificate under Section 1012.56, F.S.

3. The school administrator team member must meet the definition of administrative personnel found in Section 1012.01(3), F.S. This should not be the school principal, or equivalent, unless they are the only administrator at the school, because the principal has administrative oversight of the SBTMT.

4. The law enforcement team member must be a sworn law enforcement officer, as defined by Section 943.10(1), F.S., including a School Resource Office, school-safety officer, or other active law enforcement officer. At a minimum, a law enforcement officer serving on a threat management team must have access to local Records Management System information, the Criminal Justice Information System, and the Florida Crime Information Center and National Crime Information Center databases. Officers serving on school-based threat management teams must also have clearance to review Criminal Justice Information and Criminal History Record Information. A school guardian, as defined under Section 1006.12(3), F.S., or a school security guard, as defined under Section 1006.12(4), F.S., may not serve as the law enforcement member of a threat management team.

5. If none of the team members are familiar with the student of concern, the SBTMT Chair must assign a member of the school’s staff who is familiar with the student to consult with and provide background information to the threat management team.  The person must be instructional or administrative personnel, as defined in Section 1012.01(2) and (3), F.S. Consulting personnel do not have to complete Florida Model training and may not participate in the decision-making process.

(d) Threat Management Chair and Vice Chair. The principal of each school must appoint a Chair and Vice Chair of the SBTMT. The Chair serves as the point person for threat management at the school-level and is responsible for triaging reported threats or concerning behavior and communications to determine whether the matter should be summarily closed or whether it should be reviewed by the full SBTMT.

(e) Instrument. Each SBTMT and DTMT must use the Florida Model to assess the behavior of students who may pose a threat of harm to themselves or others and to coordinate intervention and services for such students. All reported threats or concerning behaviors and communications, even those determined to be unfounded, must be documented by the SBTMT along with any resultant action, using the Florida Model Instrument.

(f) Meetings. Each SBTMT must meet as often as needed to fulfill its duties of assessing and intervening with students whose behavior may pose a threat of harm to themselves or others, but no less than monthly. Districts must adopt policies requiring threat management teams to maintain documentation of their meetings, including meeting dates, team members in attendance, cases discussed, and actions taken. DTMTs must meet as needed to review and consult with SBTMTs and must meet timeframes set forth in the Florida Threat Management Manual.

(g) Training.

1. All members of SBTMTs and DTMTs must be trained on the Florida Model through training provided by or approved by the Office of Safe Schools, as follows:

a. All SBTMT and DTMT members must complete basic Florida Model training.

b. The District Threat Management Coordinator must complete additional training specific to the Coordinator role.

c. School principals, the Threat Management Chair, and the Vice Chair must complete additional training specific to their respective roles.

2. Beginning with the 2024-25 school year, district and school-level teams must be designated before the start of the school year. Team members who have not previously completed training must complete Florida Model training before the start of the school year.  Those appointed to threat management teams after the start of the school year must complete Florida Model training within sixty (60) days of appointment. For assistance in accessing this training, districts must contact the Office in writing at [e-mail].

3. Beginning with the 2024-25 school year, district and school-level team members who have been fully trained in a previous school year must complete an annual refresher training provided by the Office within the first sixty (60) days of school.

(h) Reporting. Each district school safety specialist must ensure that all threat management teams in the district report to the Office on the team’s activities during the previous school year, with required reporting due annually by June 15 for the preceding school year. The Office will provide reporting instructions prior to the start of each school year, that will include at a minimum the following metrics:

1. Number of cases reported to the SBTMT Chair;

2. Number of students evaluated by the SBTMT, broken down by sex, race, grade level, and existence of an IEP, 504, or behavior intervention plan at the time of evaluation;

3. Number of cases closed by the SBTMT Chair as unfounded; after referral for self-harm assessment; or as a low level concern without review by the full SBTMT;

4. Number of cases the SBTMT Chair referred to the full SBTMT for review;

5. Number of cases categorized by the SBTMT as unfounded, low, medium and high levels of concern;

6. Number of SSMPs implemented after cases categorized as low, medium, and high levels of concern;

7. Number of cases referred to the DTMT categorized as medium and high levels of concern; and

8. Number of high level of concern cases the DTMT referred back to SBTMT.

(5) Charter Schools. Charter schools are responsible for establishing SBTMTs and conducting threat assessments as required by this rule. DTMCs and DTMTs must oversee and support charter schools sponsored by or under contract with the district to the same extent they do for traditional public schools.

(6) Charter Schools Sponsored by a College or University. The Florida College System institution or university board of trustees must establish a District Threat Management Team and assign a District Threat Management Coordinator to oversee and provide support for threat management for all charter schools that fall under the sponsoring entity, in accordance with the Florida Model. Charter schools are responsible for establishing SBTMTs and conducting threat assessments as required by this rule.

(7) Virtual Schools. Virtual schools are responsible for establishing SBTMTs and conducting threat assessments as required by this rule. Florida Virtual School must also establish a District Threat Management Team and assign a District Threat Management Coordinator.

(8) The following forms are hereby incorporated by reference and made a part of this rule. Copies may be obtained from the Florida Department of Education, 325 West Gaines Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399-0400.

(a) Florida Harm Prevention and Threat Management Manual, Form OSS-001 (http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-16692), effective July 2024.

(b) Florida Harm Prevention and Threat Management Instrument, Form OSS-002 (http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-16693), effective July 2024.

Rulemaking Authority 1001.02(1), (2)(n), 1001.11(9), 1001.212(12) FS. Law Implemented 1001.11(9), 1001.212(12), 1006.07(7) FS. History–New 9-26-23, Amended 7-2-24.