About NCESD Threat Assessment Program

In partnership with the Department of Children, Youth and Families and mental health, law enforcement, and juvenile justice agencies, the Student Threat Assessment System, administered by North Central ESD 171, provides Student Threat Assessment services to school districts.

NCESD 171 utilizes the Salem Keizer-Cascade Threat Assessment Model. The team was developed in the Willamette Valley with the leadership of the Salem Keizer school district.

Goals of the Assessment Model

  • Keep students who are at risk from committing violent acts in school.

  • Help protect students and staff members from potential violence.

  • Provide a student-specific safety plan utilizing community resources to mitigate the threat of violence.

  • Involve parents in the threat assessment process.

  • Document the program’s effectiveness in dealing with students who make threats of violence, including student academic and behavioral success.

  • Work in collaboration with community partners to coordinate resources for the safety and well-being of youth, families, and communities.

Objectives of the Assessment Model

  • Assess threats of potentially harmful or lethal behavior and determine the level of concern and action required.

  • Organize resources and strategies to manage threatening situations that pose a risk of harm to others.

  • Maintain a sense of psychological safety among our schools and community.

  • Reduce the number of expulsions for students who can be maintained safely in the school environment.

Threat Assessment Services & Forms

The North Central ESD Threat Assessment team provides a variety of services and support to regional school district threat assessment programs.

  • Training key staff in schools regarding the Level I threat assessment process of assessing behaviors or situations of concern
  • Coordination of Level II threat assessments in which a trained multidisciplinary team meets with key school staff to assess risk and assists in management and intervention planning
  • Consultation, coordination and follow up as services provided

Interested in learning more? Contact us today to start the conversation!

Level 1 Assessment

Our team will train school staff to complete the Level 1 Threat Assessment. Components of this Assessment include:

  • Level 1 Protocol
  • Parent Interview
  • Staff questionnaire
  • Student Interview
  • Student Witness form

Upon the completion of the Level 1 Threat Assessment, a safety support plan is developed. In addition, a referral may be made for a Level 2 Threat Assessment.

Level 1 Documents & Forms

Forms to support districts with Level 1 assessment change and evolve frequently. Please contact our Threat Assessment Coordinator for the most up-to-date forms. Forms can be completed electronically or printed out and filled in by hand.

Email NCESD Threat Assessment Coordinator

Level 2 Assessment

Our team can support your school staff when a Level 2 Threat Assessment is requested. During a Level 2 Threat Assessment, the team expands to include community partners who have been trained in Threat Assessment and Threat Management.

These partners include members from law enforcement, mental health, juvenile justice, and children’s services. They provide recommendations for resources and additional support in developing a plan for the student with the goal of increasing safety for the student, school, and community.

Why Threat Assessment?

Below are resources that discuss a variety of topics to help answer the question: Why Threat Assessment? Topics include Regional School Safety Centers, violence in schools national trends, the relationship between law enforcement and school officials, and more.

OSPI - Student Success: School Based Threat Assessment

OSPI explains Washington State’s HB 1216, RCW 28A.320.123 and the concept behind the implementation of Regional School Safety Centers being implemented at the ESDs across the state. It further explains policy and procedures regarding School Based Threat Assessment and has up to date information at the state level.
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United States Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center Reports

The Secret Service established NTAC (The National Threat Assessment Center) in 1998. The NTAC researches and provides guidance to combat the threat landscape involving target violence across the United States. NTAC publishes not only yearly reports regarding the analysis of school violence yearly, but also analyzes mass attacks in other public spaces.
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Federal Government Resources for Learning about Threat Assessment and Reporting

School Safety offers quick links to the Secret Service research behind the importance of threat assessment in schools, and offers resources and tools to explain student threat assessment.
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U.S. Department of Justice FBI: Violence Prevention in Schools

The FBI published the article Violence Prevention in Schools to emphasize and offer advice to how school resource officers, local law enforcement and schools can work together to keep schools safe. This research helps to emphasize the importance of a multidisciplinary team within our schools for student threat assessment.
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National Association of School Psychologists: Threat Assessment at School

NASP explains best practices regarding student behavioral threat assessment and key facts regarding threat assessment.
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Parent Frequently Asked Questions

The Student Threat Assessment is a team process that focuses on factors which may influence a student to threaten and/or act in a dangerous way. The threat assessment team also provides recommendations/considerations with the goal of developing a safety and support plan for students and the school community. Threat assessment is a school-based process that parents are invited into as participants. This is different than other processes where “due process” rights mandate parent participation.

The student has threatened and/or acted in a way that raises concern about him/her, another student, and/or the school community. Safety is a priority for our community, so a team is brought together to give problem-solving recommendations and resources for your child and family and the school community.

Level I Threat Assessment

In a Level I Threat Assessment parents and school staff complete questionnaires and interview forms that ask for important information about the student’s behavior, strengths and challenges. The threat assessment Site Team includes school staff members who know the student and includes you as a parent. Occasionally, the Level I process will also involve the Student Threat Assessment Coordinator from NCESD 171 for technicalities or facilitation. A safety and support plan is developed based on the assessment information that is gathered and/or a referral is made for a Level II Assessment.

Level II Assessment

In a Level II Threat Assessment the threat assessment team expands to include community resources. A community team may include members from law enforcement, mental health services, juvenile court, and the Department of Children and Family Services. This team is specifically trained in threat assessment. The community team provides support and additional resources and/or links to resources. This expanded team helps develop a plan for the student with the goal of increasing safety for the student and the school community.

As the parent you are an expert on your child and your perspective is important. The safety and support plan is developed by an experienced team and, as the parent, being open to the team’s recommendations may be a key to helping your child to be successful at school. If you disagree with the consultation provided in the Level I Threat Assessment, feel free to discuss this during the Level I meeting if you are present or with the school personnel who has contacted you about this process. Decision-making regarding the threat assessment plan recommendations and considerations are the responsibility of the school.

Contact NCESD Threat Assessment Team

The NCESD Threat Assessment team has a unique skill set of experience in threat assessment, mental health, prevention and intervention, and special education. Our team is knowledgable about community and district resources, and participate in community teams and initiatives focused on improving youth access to services and supports.

Our staff’s expertise deepens the scope of a district’s Threat Assessment Program by:

  • Providing informative Level 1 consultations and training for school administrators
  • Shifting the threat assessment focus to more school support at Level 1 which empowers school staff to handle difficult situations
  • Facilitating information sharing among districts by tracking and notifying district safety officers of high-risk students moving between district

Meet the NCESD Threat Assessment Team

Hunter McLeod

Threat Assessment Coordinator
Email Hunter McLeod
509-667-3647

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