[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6504725,"mediaKeyId","5561784-9fcce2363172e8e636c2cbcb10aa8965","parentId",5561784,"title","Board hears school safety briefing on overdoses; nurses, SROs urged to watch for \"tranq\" and Narcan replacement procedures","audioSeconds",838,"startMs",10422000,"endMs",11260000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5561784-9fcce2363172e8e636c2cbcb10aa8965&start=10422&end=11260","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5561784-9fcce2363172e8e636c2cbcb10aa8965/thumbnail_10422000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6504725/Alabama/Board-hears-school-safety-briefing-on-overdoses-nurses-SROs-urged-to-watch-for-tranq-and-Narcan-replacement-procedures","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6504725-29dfe331ea2a8dcab42400c7b12289b3/orig.mp4?Expires=1770529207&Signature=bM-p9VEddY7XOKfuLfRjssT-e7NHDbOCl0AhjOwreIt29eVR~RcYcADqa0baEKPNxbElxfl30Sb1BXqoEdlbj1Y~McymfC9o--epNWUSbwKqTGU8P8~IRPihcjv6NITbbK2x2XdtUrldIGspM2HAGGumOVfLWxQlxeuEeqkNGJZR4r0NVUQXJMmHB-lBUbR-22jiBLELu8octHV4L4O~j2rE3a1ToYCq0NZdKvmebR6PPyaOR2eJ8S08Bl-ttKuJNS8e0kMcDV7M5R6cioqfiGF-gybcpjx2qJnlpG4RB6L4KYR4ztr2h2w7uZgDnviqqQXYKjR28JyUHhMxJVZClQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Alabama State Department of Education","date","2025-08-11T16:44:10Z","article","State education officials, lead nurses and board members discussed recent student overdose responses and growing concern about an animal tranquilizer — commonly called \"tranq\" in the discussion and widely known in clinical literature as xylazine — that is being detected in parts of the country and can complicate overdose response.

Board lead nurse Miss Marshall told the board the department has distributed naloxone (Narcan) to schools through partnerships with public health and local law enforcement and that donated higher‑strength doses (8 mg) have been supplied to many schools. \"We have a standing order to stock Narcan in every school,\" she said, and staff described protocols for replacing doses after use.

At the same time, Marshall and other board members warned that Narcan reverses opioid overdoses but does not reverse the effects of xylazine; Marshall said tranq overdoses are not reversed by naloxone and that xylazine can cause prolonged sedation and tissue damage. \"Narcan doesn't have — tranq overdose is not undone by the usage of Narcan,\" she told the board. She described xylazine’s clinical risks including deep sedation and tissue injury when injected.

Board reaction and next steps

Board members asked public health and school nurses to be vigilant for new drug trends and to communicate quickly to counselors, SROs and school nurses about emergent street names and symptoms. Officials said they already use an \"unusual occurrence\" reporting form and receive data from school nurses and local law enforcement to track incidents involving naloxone use and overdose responses.

Miss Marshall described the department’s response protocol: when a student does not respond to naloxone and remains sedated, staff treat as a complex overdose, call 911 and escalate clinical care; the department also conducts follow‑up to replace used naloxone doses and to coordinate with local health partners.

Why it matters

Board members said these are community problems that enter schools and emphasized awareness and partnerships. The department said it will continue early‑warning communications to school nurses, SROs and counselors about emerging substances and their clinical presentation, and will continue to coordinate Narcan distribution and replenishment for schools that lack funding to procure doses.

Ending

Board members commended nurses and local partners for rapid response to overdoses and asked the department to maintain and expand its communications about emerging substances and response protocols.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Alabama Board of Education Work Session","oneSentenceSummary","State education and health staff briefed the board on recent overdose incidents and warned that xylazine (referred to in discussion as \"tranq\") may not be reversed by naloxone; the department said it maintains a standing order to supply naloxone to schools and will continue to alert nurses, counselors and SROs about emerging drug threats.","taxTitle","Alabama State Department of Education, State Agencies, Executive, Alabama","taxId",80275,"location","Alabama","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6504729,"Alabama Supercomputer Authority presents free cybersecurity services for K‑12 districts, including 24/7 SOC monitoring and firewall management",2690,5753000,8443000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5561784-9fcce2363172e8e636c2cbcb10aa8965&start=5753&end=8443","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5561784-9fcce2363172e8e636c2cbcb10aa8965/thumbnail_5753000.jpg","/articles/6504729/Alabama/Alabama-Supercomputer-Authority-presents-free-cybersecurity-services-for-K12-districts-including-247-SOC-monitoring-and-firewall-management","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6504729-aebd14dd8646113592c93eb78138c49a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770529207&Signature=Jsa~pwHQFAU5yfBgRdGbpjJItHb1Q4anwRpcH-5WX~8lEh8V24M3Pft93gq50M54tyK2TK1rfd6pHHjrjO0-8daGgZy1N-YMjt6SzslhnkDMhLC7URl6bpyp1x-IrsO4n4qVyjetsGcTojbRxtEaPzcv50GtxZYdzThDKkv1oeitu2Tdh74ehK~5he9P7Mk2ACRLMW-0OcjV9E6Dj~bTLfxkFNhmnG5FaTfLYU839b4h1FNKeYagI8YMd28vmn9C26lQ99SK4ZN7P9KO60rDvaQr8WyMjTMRLKvq1GXLVeBSN1do3SkV-QwnIEDaPzerwT2K1r1dYex2NzQSC7ho5g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Officials from the Alabama Supercomputer Authority (ASA) briefed the State Board of Education on the Authority’s cybersecurity services for K‑12 systems, describing a Security Operations Center that monitors logs from more than 100 school district firewalls, provides monthly vulnerability scans, conducts firewall reviews and offers free cybersecurity awareness training for district staff.

\"What we do is provide Internet access. We provide firewalls. We provide we have a security operation center,\" Carrie Hill, director of governmental affairs for the Alabama Supercomputer Authority, told the board while introducing the Authority’s briefing. Hill said ASA’s services are available to K‑12 systems, public libraries and community colleges statewide.

Victor Rodriguez, who runs ASA’s SOC, described the technical operations and alerted the board to the importance of continuous monitoring and people who analyze alerts. \"The overall concept that you hear in technology when it comes to cybersecurity is as much defense‑in‑depth as possible,\" Rodriguez said. He described the SOC’s use of Palo Alto next‑generation firewalls, a security information and event management (SIEM) system that aggregates logs and threat subscriptions that push signatures and blocks automatically to subscriber firewalls.

Key services described by ASA

- 24/7 monitoring and a staffed SOC that aggregates logs from K‑12 firewalls into a SIEM for real‑time alerting and incident response.
- Free cybersecurity awareness training and phishing simulations for district faculty and staff (two vendor platforms named during the briefing).
- Monthly external vulnerability scanning and firewall reviews to identify and close unnecessary open services and misconfigurations.
- Incident alerting and coordination with district technology staff; ASA staff said they will call local directors — including after hours and on holidays — when alerts indicate possible compromise.
- Assistance with threat assessments that districts can use for compliance and security posture improvements.

Adoption and reach

ASA staff said that, as of the 2022 renewal cycle, 111 districts had renewed service under the Authority’s agreement and that the SOC monitors and aggregates data from more than 100 K‑12 firewalls. ASA staff emphasized that services are free for districts and are intended to complement — not replace — local IT staffing.

Board and auditor participation

State Auditor representatives offered to scan state‑owned computers for agencies that had not yet completed the office’s required equipment scans. Board members and auditors discussed logistics for scanning devices and replacing Narcan used in schools (a separate topic later in the meeting) and commended ASA staff for the SOC demonstration.

What officials said

Carrie Hill: \"What we do is provide Internet access. We provide firewalls. We provide we have a security operation center.\"

Victor Rodriguez: \"Cybersecurity or security in general is always an afterthought. It is never something that organizations across The United States from federal agencies down place as the highest importance ... Defense in‑depth as much as possible.\"

Ending

Board members praised the Authority’s work and several asked ASA to host site visits and demonstrations. ASA staff invited board members and staff to tour the Huntsville SOC and said they would provide additional detail on district participation and a distribution list for service enrollment.","Representatives of the Alabama Supercomputer Authority described a suite of free cybersecurity services offered to school systems — including 24/7 monitoring, Palo Alto next‑generation firewalls, phishing training, monthly vulnerability scans and a state‑run Security Operations Center (SOC) — and said 111 districts had renewed service as of 2022.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6504732,"State education staff outline ESSA amendment, new baselines and 13‑year proficiency goals; 30‑day public comment opens",246,0,246000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5561784-9fcce2363172e8e636c2cbcb10aa8965&start=0&end=246","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5561784-9fcce2363172e8e636c2cbcb10aa8965/thumbnail_0.jpg","/articles/6504732/Alabama/State-education-staff-outline-ESSA-amendment-new-baselines-and-13year-proficiency-goals-30day-public-comment-opens","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6504732-b6c89fa9ddfbf1e989e540767e439353/orig.mp4?Expires=1770529207&Signature=Ky~KvITs7g24PiLRpfQJD-o1luiBBFFCNEusfBVLskWeQiZrw8AnDRHVLjW8koDXFLXonrMJitxxUiq6rBuOv5CYx04n5DF-RSKvtZqe8OANgivpD75wfbTs27MdPU2QglOal7Pofi-MPztuURRR7Lu9fLZ6EwaAFZF-AqieGb4~r0yclWS6ITmOzIH1ep7nnzQXmi7YEYMnWbaEtEePbE3KQoouRx9ofW1pRYhJRcbLNdAK6-fgBonPncL9Yn1BSHg1hRLcoS8~kCO~Evmnc6d0LImA22L0vYAPcv1tIMw0I8ULCjWGL-6w50ad18DD3uAxiyS7GCGiVqntnjxWxg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Alabama State Department of Education staff told the State Board of Education that the department will submit an amendment to its ESSA accountability plan that resets achievement baselines based on the third administration of the ACAP assessments and establishes new long‑term proficiency targets, and that the amendment is open for a 30‑day public comment period through May 15.

The presenter said the amendment incorporates changes made during an ESSA addendum — including a revised exit rule for schools identified as CSI (Comprehensive Support and Improvement) or ATSI (Additional Targeted Support and Improvement) — and that the department shifted multi‑year timelines to account for two lost accountability years during the COVID pandemic. \"The original ESSA plan as it was approved required that schools were to show continuous improvement for 2 consecutive years. We were able to change that through the addendum to show improvement from the time that they were originally identified,\" the presenter said.

Why it matters: resetting baselines after a new statewide assessment can change which schools are identified for supports and the timeline for meeting federally required long‑term goals. The department says it used the 2021–22 administration of the DRC‑based ACAP as the new baseline and applied the department’s existing methodology — a 50% reduction in the percentage of nonproficient students over the long term — across the new baseline.

Key figures and timeline

- Baseline scores (unweighted percentage scoring at levels 3 or 4): English language arts 47.38% (2021–22); mathematics 27.36% (2021–22); combined proficiency 37.35% (2021–22).
- The department’s long‑term targets are set for the 2034–35 school year — a 13‑year horizon the department said corresponds to the K–12 span of a child who starts kindergarten now and finishes 12th grade in 2035.
- Under the new baseline, the combined proficiency 3‑year interim target was listed as 44.58% for the first reporting cycle described by staff; the department will report target attainment every three years.
- Public comment: the estimate and amendment are posted for a 30‑day public comment period through May 15; staff said they will review stakeholder comments and then transmit the amendment to the U.S. Department of Education for federal review.

Supporting details and context

Department staff noted that because interim and accountability reporting was paused for two years during the pandemic, the timeline for interim progress measures was shifted forward by two years. The presenter said these changes are consistent with federal flexibility granted during the pandemic and were discussed with schools and local education agencies.

Asked how the baseline numbers compare to prior targets, staff said the department included a column showing targets that would have applied had the state not changed assessments; but because assessments changed, the department reestablished baselines and will use the new figures going forward. \"We were establishing new long term goals and measures of interim progress for achievement based on the 21–22 school year data,\" the presenter said.

What officials said

A department presenter summarized the change in approach: \"The idea is to show improvement over a period of time, and we felt that was a very good measure to show if you're better off now after 3 years of implementing a plan than you were when you started.\" (Presenter listed in speaker roster below.)

Process and next steps

Staff said they will accept comments through May 15, review stakeholder input, revise the estimate as warranted, then send the amendment to the U.S. Department of Education for approval in time to implement the measures for the upcoming school year.

Ending

The board did not vote on the amendment during the discussion recorded in the transcript; staff framed the presentation as an informational briefing and described the public comment window and the department’s plan to submit the amendment to the federal government after review.","State Department of Education staff described proposed amendments to Alabama’s ESSA plan that reset achievement baselines after adoption of a new assessment, extend long‑term goals to the 2034–35 school year and open the estimate to 30 days of public comment through May 15 before submission to U.S. Department of Education.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board hears school safety briefing on overdoses; nurses, SROs urged to watch for "tranq" and Narcan replacement procedures

Alabama Supercomputer Authority presents free cybersecurity services for K‑12 districts, including 24/7 SOC monitoring and firewall management

State education staff outline ESSA amendment, new baselines and 13‑year proficiency goals; 30‑day public comment opens