MASKIDS presents evidence-based prevention training to Dracut Public Schools; 991 employees trained

Jetta Birnier, executive director of MASKIDS, told the Dracut School Committee on Dec. 9 that the child-protection nonprofit has worked in Massachusetts for 65 years and is partnering with Dracut Public Schools to prevent abuse through training and policy work. "We've been in the state for 65 years," Birnier said, describing the group's history and a one-hour online training the district began using in 2018.

Birnier said the training was evaluated in a randomized controlled study and published in an academic journal. She told the committee that since 2018, "991 Dracut school employees have completed this course," and cited evaluation results showing the share of employees who reported a moderate understanding of the issue rose from about 64% before the course to roughly 90% afterward. Birnier also said nearly all participants recommended the course and that 96% felt more able to identify signs that a child might be experiencing abuse.

The presentation emphasized that training alone is not enough. Birnier recommended a comprehensive approach that includes improved screening, clearer codes of conduct and targeted training for clinical staff. On screening she said background checks such as CORI and fingerprinting may miss perpetrators and urged clearer interview questions and reference checks. "Have you ever been investigated for any kind of misconduct? Have you ever surrendered your license in lieu of an investigation?" she said as examples of questions districts should standardize.

Superintendent Stone (as referenced in the presentation) and other administrators discussed next steps with Birnier, including asking the policy subcommittee to consider either an amendment or a new policy that would incorporate a code of conduct into the employee handbook and routing curriculum or training decisions through the appropriate offices. Birnier said MASKIDS received a grant to follow a cohort of 10 school districts implementing comprehensive prevention strategies and that the work includes no-cost consultation and materials for participating districts.

The committee exchanged questions and answers with Birnier about prevalence by age and practical measures schools can take. Birnier described a broad age range of offenders in her experience and stressed the need for schools to act before rumors or widespread harm emerge. She said MASKIDS will report results to the Department of Education and the Legislature as part of the grant project.

The district accepted the presentation and invited further work with the policy subcommittee and school staff on potential code-of-conduct language and additional targeted training.