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Welcome to the Office
of Student Assistance Services (OSAS)
The Knox County Schools Board of Education established
the Office of Student Assistance Services (OSAS) in 1987 to support
development of safe and drug free schools.
The OSAS is supported by Knox County Schools along
with grants from the federal No Child Left Behind Act – Title
IVA, the Tennessee Safe Schools Act, and the Tennessee Youth Violence
and Drug Use Prevention grant. The staff is dedicated to supporting
the district’s goals as defined in the Tennessee Comprehensive
System-wide Planning Process (TCSPP).
Our mission, found
in TCSPP Goal 5, is that
“All students will be educated in learning environments
that are safe, drug-free, and conducive to learning.”
Although we incorporate a variety of programs, our four prime action
areas are:
- Increase school & community connectedness to reduce likelihood
of unsafe and unhealthy student decisions.
- Provide professional development relating best practices
for developing good character & mutual respect
- Provide on-going consultation with community experts
- Provide program support and professional development
relating best practices for addressing student misbehavior
to staff of in school behavior programs (i.e., PAC,
ISS, SOLUTIONS, counseling services)
- Provide instruction to increase student and adult knowledge
of student assistance issues (including reduction in rate
of drug use & violence, and an increase in demonstration
of good character).
- Professional development
- Education programs for parents/community
- Purchase of instructional materials
- Website development
- Provide appropriate curriculum within SOLUTIONS, PAC,
ISS, and counseling programs
- Increase the likelihood of healthy student choices through
effective child-adult relationships fostered by positive
adult role models.
- Provide professional development for staff in bullying,
character, and diversity
- Provide programs to encourage participation of parents
and community
- Provide support to school counseling programs
- Reduce threats to school safety via:
- Updating school safety & crisis management plans
- School policy development
- Community plans for crisis management
- Data collection and assessment
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