In McFarland, the Standard Response Protocol, developed by the "I Love You Guys" Foundation, guides our emergency response. Standard Response Protocol offers clear, distinct, common language among first responders, students and staff, not just throughout Madison but across the state and beyond.
It incorporates best practices in the Final Report of the Sandy Hook Advisory Commission. In addition, the Standard Response Protocol is endorsed by the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Office of School Safety.
Each protocol has specific staff and student actions that are unique to the action (“Lockdown,” “Lockout,” “Evacuate,” “Shelter” and “Hold”). In the event of an emergency, the action and appropriate direction will be announced.
Each school year, students receive age-appropriate instruction on what to do in each of these scenarios through lesson plans, slide presentations, class discussions, videos and more.
Lockout
“Get inside. Lock outside doors.”
Lockout is called when there is a threat or hazard outside of the school building. In a Lockout, staff ensure that all students return to the inside of the building and take attendance to account for all students. While staff increase their situational awareness, the school day goes on as normal.
Lockdown
“Locks, Lights, Out of Sight”
Lockdown is called when there is a threat or hazard inside the school building. In a lockdown, staff and students move away from sight and remain silent. Teachers lock classroom doors, turn lights off and account for all students.
Evacuate
“To the Announced Location”
Evacuate is called to move students and staff from one location to another. In an evacuation, staff lead students to the evacuation location. Students and staff bring their phones and leave other belongings behind.
Shelter
“For a Hazard Using a Safety Strategy”
Shelter is called when the need for personal protection is necessary. Examples include tornadoes or hazardous materials exposure. Shelter strategies include sealing classrooms, evacuating to shelter areas and “drop, cover and hold.”
Hold
“In Your Classroom or Area. Clear the Halls.”
There may be situations that require students to remain in their classrooms. For example, a medical emergency may require the hallways to be cleared for personnel and privacy of the individuals involved. In a hold, students and staff remain in their classrooms, even if there is a scheduled class change, until the all clear is announced.
You can read more about the Standard Response Protocol and the i love u guys foundation at the iloveyouguys.org website.
Violence Risk Assessment
Suicide Risk Assessment
Reporting
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Students, staff, and parents are encouraged to report issues of bullying, harassment, or other information pertaining to student safety through Speak Up Speak Out (SUSO), our anonymous reporting system.
Monitoring
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Our technology department monitors student and staff activity through a variety of programs (e.g., Securly) for suspicious activity, bullying behavior, school safety concerns, and mental health concerns. The monitoring software allows for student services and administration to follow up with students who are flagged in the system to ensure safety and offer support when needed.
Crisis Response
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When a critical incident occurs in a school, or in the school community, planning for the immediate aftermath is important and planning for emotional response and recovery helps children and youth return to their educational routine. The McFarland School district has a crisis team which includes members from administration and student services who plan and coordinate crisis response.