Behavioral Threat Assessment (BTA) Checklist for Parents in Vermont

It is very important that everyone takes the behavior seriously. If your child is making dangerous threats, you as a parent need to address this with them.
Advocate that a Behavioral Threat Assessment is not the best approach. For example, “BTAs are only allowed if you need to act to prevent a ‘severe and significant targeted violence against schools and school communities.’ What you are saying my child did is serious, but there is no reason to think this is severe and targeted violence. Let’s address this behavior in a different way.”
Advocate for an approach that can help, such as:
- Restorative Justice
- addressing underlying hazing, harassment or bullying which may have prompted a behavior through an HHB investigation
- access to school-wide resources to provide supports to the student
- providing mental health supports
- Does your child possibly have a disability? If so, you might request an evaluation for Special Education services.
Decide whether or not to participate in the BTA.
Advocate to keep police out of the BTA:
- For example, “The law only allows police involvement where the student’s alleged behavior is also a crime. I agree that we have to take this seriously, but I do not agree that this was a crime.”
If the school involves police, know your rights and decide how to exercise them.
If the school decides to remove your student from school, know their due process rights and decide how to use them.
Exercise rights to read the educational records and request corrections to inaccurate or misleading records.