New!  Welcome, New EVVRS User!

What Is the EVVRS?

All New Jersey public school districts (including charter schools) must use the EVVRS to report all incidents of violence, vandalism, weapons, and substance abuse that occur in their schools, as well as to report suspensions of students with disabilities for reasons not related to violence, vandalism, weapons, or substance abuse.

To help you meet this requirement, the N.J. Department of Education (NJDOE) launched the Web-based Electronic Violence and Vandalism Reporting System (EVVRS) in March 2000, along with several documents to guide your use of the system.

Since that time, the EVVRS has undergone several updates designed to further ease districts’ year-end state and federal reporting responsibilities and to make data entry as transparent as possible. The latest system update and document revision was instituted for the 2007-08 school year.

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New System Documents

All current EVVRS user documents are available from the EVVRS Welcome page: http://homeroom.state.nj.us/index.htm

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Discard Previous System Documents & Reporting Forms

The latest revision of the EVVRS User Manual reflects significant system changes. Please discard all earlier versions of the manual. Prior versions of the manual are no longer valid.

The “EVVRS Violence, Vandalism and Substance Abuse Incident Report Form” and the “EVVRS Report of Suspensions/Removals of Students With Disabilities for Reasons Other Than Violence, Vandalism, and Substance Abuse Form” have also been updated. Please discard earlier versions of these forms, as they are no longer valid.

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Update Local Reporting Forms

If you use locally created forms to capture initial data about EVVRS incidents, review them to make sure they contain all of the information requested on the new EVVRS forms, as per N.J.A.C. 6A:16-5.3(a)1.

System Requirements

To access the EVVRS, you need:

•     a computer with Internet access

•     an Internet browser, such as Microsoft Internet Explorer® or Netscape®

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Attention Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape Users

To enter data efficiently and to download system documents:

•    Internet Explorer – You will need version 5.0 or higher (Macintosh users: Do not use versions 4.01 or 4.5 of Internet Explorer).

•    Netscape – You will need version 4.7 or higher.

You can download either one of these browsers from the Internet by clicking on the Download Current Browsers hyperlink on the Welcome page. Allow at least one-half hour to download either of these browsers onto your computer. If you need assistance, contact your school district’s Web User Administrator.

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Browser Compatibility

Other browsers with equivalent versions also work with the EVVRS. To ensure that the browser you are using to access the EVVRS is capable of processing the encryption software that the NJDOE uses to secure the system, make sure the version of the browser that is installed on your computer is the most recent one that is available.

 

To read and print downloaded support documents, you also need:

•     Microsoft Word – The EVVRS User Manual, EVVRS FAQs, Notices to EVVRS Users, the “EVVRS Report of Suspensions/Removals of Students With Disabilities for Reasons Other Than Violence, Vandalism, and Substance Abuse Form,” and other EVVRS documents are formatted as Microsoft Word documents for downloading and printing.

•     Microsoft PowerPoint® – The most recent EVVRS training presentation is available to users on the Welcome page as a PowerPoint slide overview.

•     Adobe Acrobat™ Reader – The paper version of the “EVVRS Violence, Vandalism, and Substance Abuse Incident Report Form” is available to users on the Welcome page as a PDF document.

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You can download the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader from the Internet by clicking on the Download Acrobat Reader hyperlink on the Welcome page.

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Data Security

The EVVRS database is protected by a firewall and the highest level of encryption technology available. Data-entry access is limited to registered users. The system encrypts the data that are entered so that they may be transmitted securely from N.J. schools to the NJDOE.

Training for New EVVRS Users

Establishing a User Account

Your district’s Web User Administrator (usually the Business Administrator) establishes school- and district-level user accounts for administrative and support staff who need access to the EVVRS. 

NJDOE-Provided Training

From time to time, the NJDOE holds training sessions for new EVVRS users. Notices of training opportunities are emailed to all registered EVVRS users, but sessions fill fast. Users who are unable to attend the training may download a PowerPoint presentation of the most recent NJDOE training session using the EVVRS Training Presentation link provided on the Welcome Page.

In-District Training

Every year, the district superintendent – or the lead person in the case of charter schools – is required to provide staff training in the use of the EVVRS (N.J.A.C. 6A:16-5.3[e]3).

Individual users may also take the steps that follow to accustom themselves to the EVVRS.

Before Logging On to the EVVRS

1.   View the EVVRS training video, “Using the EVVRS.”

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A new EVVRS training video, “Using the EVVRS,” was mailed to all school districts, charter schools, and private schools for the disabled in DVD format in November 2007. Districts may make as many copies of the DVD as needed to provide training to EVVRS users, to educate staff about reporting responsibilities, and to inform the public about what the school is doing to ensure school safety.

2.   Download and print a copy of the latest EVVRS User Manual from the EVVRS Welcome page.

3.   Review the Preface sections of the EVVRS User Manual.

 

4.   Develop an in-depth understanding of EVVRS-defined incidents using the EVVRS Data Entry Overview, the EVVRS VV-SA Incident Definitions, and the EVVRS Incident Scenarios, all of which are provided in Chapter 2 of the EVVRS User Manual.

5.   Download and review the latest EVVRS Training Presentation, provided as a PowerPoint presentation on the EVVRS Welcome page.

6.   Download and print the latest EVVRS data entry forms from the EVVRS Welcome page and review them with a staff member who is already familiar with the system.

7.   Discuss incidents that have occurred in the district with a staff member who is already familiar with the system to test your understanding of how specific incidents must be reported.

While Logged On to the EVVRS

1.   Review Chapter 1: Getting Started, Chapter 2: Reporting New EVVRS Incidents, and Chapter 4: User Maintenance of the EVVRS User Manual while simultaneously exploring the relevant portions of the system.

2.   Enter data for an incident under the supervision of a staff member who is already familiar with the system.

3.   Download and print the EVVRS FAQ document from the EVVRS Welcome page, review how it is organized, and refer to it as needed.

4.   Review Chapter 3: Editing EVVRS Reports and Chapter 5: EVVRS Reports of the EVVRS User Manual while simultaneously exploring the relevant portions of the system.

5.   Seek out a staff member who is already familiar with the system to answer any questions you have.