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Buffalo Public Schools outlines DASA training, reporting and new tools for bullying prevention
Summary
District staff reviewed the Dignity for All Students Act, described required staff training and a three‑tier prevention model, announced grants and toolkits (including ClassDojo adoption), and said all DASA complaints are recorded centrally though only founded incidents go to the state.
District leaders presented an overview of Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) compliance, the school‑level complaint workflow, and new resources the district is using to prevent and respond to bullying.
Presenters said DASA is a New York State law designed "to protect all students from harassment, bullying, and discrimination," updated in 2013 to address cyberbullying. The district described its implementation as a three‑tiered system: tier 1 universal supports (school‑wide expectations and restorative practices), tier 2 targeted interventions (check‑in, check‑out; small group supports), and tier 3 intensive individualized services (wrap‑around counseling and case management).
Chief Darlene Jasanowski outlined reporting options for concerns: an online form on the district website, a paper form submitted to a school coordinator, or a verbal report to any adult in the building (who must forward it to a DASA coordinator). Investigations include interviews and evidence collection and conclude with a DASA final investigation report and determination; parents are notified of results and schools create action plans for involved students when appropriate.
The district highlighted several grants that expand mental‑health and prevention capacity (a multi‑year federal Project Prevent award, state mental‑health supports and a near‑state anti‑bullying/PD grant) and a resource hub that houses a DASA coordinator toolkit. Staff also said the district has begun implementation of ClassDojo to increase family engagement; early usage numbers were cited as evidence of parent uptake.
Board members pressed staff on implementation fidelity and transparency. Assistant Superintendent Laura Somosky Peters told the board that principals must complete a detailed electronic DASA form for every complaint; district staff aggregate those submissions for pattern analysis and only report founded incidents to the state. Several members said they had heard from parents that investigations were sometimes ruled "unfounded," and asked staff for monthly aggregated reporting to detect patterns; staff agreed to provide monitoring summaries.
Chief Jasanowski and the assistant superintendent said they will continue training for building administrators and partners, expand messaging to families, and work with principals to ensure investigations and follow‑up are completed promptly. District staff also encouraged board members to forward specific case information to administration for follow‑up.
The presentation concluded with actions to expand training, monitor DASA data centrally, and promote prevention programming districtwide.
