Ann Arbor Public School District Streamlines Behavioral Threat Assessments

Ann Arbor Public School District Streamlines Behavioral Threat Assessments With Raptor StudentSafe™

In this case study, we’ll review the challenges the district faced—and how Raptor worked with their team to overcome them.

"Adopting StudentSafe for our CSTAG platform was a big game changer for us. We had used different threat assessment tools in the past—including hard copies—but it wasn’t consistent across all of our district. Adopting StudentSafe to have one threat assessment protocol means BTAs are completed consistently in one platform across the schools."

Liz Margolis, Executive Director of School Safety & District Operations at AAPSD

The Challenges

Prior to adopting Raptor StudentSafe, Ann Arbor Public School District (AAPSD) performed their behavioral threat assessments (BTA) and suicide risk assessments using paper copies, which presented challenges such as:

Inconsistent CSTAG BTA process across the district
AAPSD lacked a single platform for completing BTAs across the district. They needed a consistent process.

Lack of simple way to share critical information with law enforcement and mental health support agencies

When a threat or risk assessment indicated a student needed further intervention beyond the school’s capacity, they’d have to send a lengthy email to the external service’s leadership providing the necessary details. In addition to being a time-consuming task, it opened the risk for missing, incomplete, or inaccurate information—adding obstacles to the intervention’s success.

Protecting confidential information
Having a secure yet readily accessible location to document and store student behavioral observations was a challenge. They needed a better way to protect and store that documentation.

How Raptor Helped

Consistent threat and risk assessment processes across the district

StudentSafe enables schools to categorize concerns using consistent terminology and capture data across campuses, grade levels, and demographics. This means administrators can identify areas that require additional support and allocate resources more effectively.

Streamlined documentation makes it easy to collaborate with approved personnel
Cataloging low-level concerns can help present a complete chronology of concerns and behavior, helping schools make informed decisions about interventions, track progress, and measure the impact of their support strategies. StudentSafe’s ability to capture low-level concerns provides a unique, holistic perspective on students and their wellbeing.

A secure platform
Raptor completed SOC 2 Type 2 examinations for Privacy and Security. And, with four dimensional provisioning for roles and permissions, schools gain precise control over the information staff can see and manage. Districts can be confident that sensitive information is well-protected in StudentSafe.

A central repository gives teams a secure place to gather and share data, making it easier to analyze data—and identify patterns and potential warning signs—so teams can make informed decisions. Fully documenting all aspects of each case in one location helps ensure a defensible approach to prevention and support of the student.

With parents’ permission, we can share the StudentSafe information when a student is transported to Pediatric Emergency Services (PES). The PES director is able to have that as they’re taking the student in. The first time we did that, the doctor told us how much it helped—it means they’re prepared when they are treating the student because they know what has happened.

Liz Margolis, Executive Director of School Safety & District Operations at AAPSD

Ann Arbor Public School District in Michigan serves over 18,000 students across 34 buildings.

Inconsistent CSTAG BTA process across the district
Lack of simple way to share critical information with law enforcement and mental health support agencies
Protecting confidential information

StudentSafe

Consistent threat and risk assessment processes across the district
Streamlined documentation makes it easy to collaborate with approved personnel
A secure platform