Educational Institutions | Advanced Strategic C

Investigative Interviewing for Educational Institutions: Empowering Administrative and Human Resources Staff

Amid the challenges of today’s complex educational environment, conducting effective interviews and gathering accurate information is essential to upholding student safety, fairness, and integrity. Whether part of the administration or Human Resources team, your approach to interviews and the quality of the information obtained play a critical role in maintaining a safe, supportive, and equitable learning environment for both students and staff.

Effective investigative interviewing is critical to upholding your school district’s commitment to safety, fairness, and integrity in today's complex educational landscape. Whether you are an administrator, a member of Human Resources, or a school-based leader, the quality of your interviews directly impacts your ability to resolve issues and maintain a safe, supportive learning environment for students and staff.

This course is tailored to meet the unique challenges faced by educational institutions, equipping participants with advanced investigative skills and evidence-based techniques. From addressing workplace harassment and student-staff interactions to ensuring compliance with state and federal laws, this program provides the tools and knowledge necessary to handle even the most sensitive and high-stakes situations.

Why This Course Matters
Conducting thorough and unbiased investigations in educational settings requires more than basic interviewing skills. It demands a deep understanding of legal requirements, effective communication strategies, and practical techniques for managing diverse and sensitive situations. This course goes beyond foundational knowledge, empowering participants to handle issues like policy violations, discrimination, and breaches of student safety with professionalism and confidence.

What You Will Learn

Legal and Ethical Foundations: Gain a detailed understanding of critical state and federal laws, including the Dignity for All Students Act (DASA), Title IX, FERPA, New York’s Child Abuse Reporting laws, and the SAVE Act. Ensure that your investigative processes uphold privacy, safety, and legal compliance standards.
Principles of Investigative Interviewing: Learn advanced, non-accusatory techniques to elicit truthful, actionable information. Develop strategies to build trust and cooperation with students, staff, and parents, ensuring effective communication.
Teach to Talk™: Master ASC’s innovative communication approach to guide conversations, encourage detailed responses, and uncover the truth. This technique helps differentiate between truth-tellers and those withholding information, fostering clarity and reliability.
Cultural Sensitivity and Bias Awareness: Understand how cultural differences and implicit biases can impact interviews. Learn strategies to navigate these dynamics ethically and effectively.
Trauma-Informed Interviewing: Develop the skills to communicate with victims of trauma in a supportive, empathetic manner. Recognize signs of trauma and adjust your approach to gather accurate and sensitive information.
Rapid Personality Assessment and Nonverbal Communication: Use personality insights and nonverbal cues to build rapport and craft effective questions. Learn to interpret changes in behavior and body language to uncover critical details during interviews.
Strategic Use of Evidence (SUE): Learn how to present evidence in a way that encourages subjects to provide additional information or clarify inconsistencies without feeling coerced.
Scenario-Based Practice: Engage in hands-on exercises that simulate real-world challenges. Practice interviewing techniques, managing disruptive behavior, and handling high-stakes situations under the guidance of experienced instructors.

Course Formats

One-Day Course: Lecture-Focused Learning
Perfect for those seeking a strong foundation in investigative interviewing techniques, this one-day format delivers essential content in a lecture-style format. Participants will gain critical knowledge of legal frameworks and key principles, making it ideal for professionals with limited time who need actionable insights quickly.
Two-Day Course: Hands-On, Scenario-Based Training
This immersive format builds on the lecture content by incorporating interactive exercises and role-playing scenarios. Participants will practice conducting interviews, managing complex cases, and assessing credibility. The two-day course provides ample opportunities for personalized feedback, ensuring confidence and competence in applying these skills to real-world situations.

Course Topics

Key Legal Insights
Principles of Investigative Interviewing
Rapport Building with Parents, Staff, and Students
Teach To Talk™
Focus Note-Taking Method
Guidelines for the 2nd Interviewer
The Interview Environment in Schools
Rapid Personality Assessment
Interpreting Baseline Behavior
Preventing Coercion and Misinformation
Cultural Sensitivity and Bias Awareness
Enhanced Cognitive Interviewing for Victims, Witnesses, and Subjects in Schools
Enhanced Cognitive Interviewing for Students with Special Needs or Disabilities
Strategic Use of Evidence in School Investigations
Challenge & Clarify Techniques
Managing Disruptive Behavior
Crisis Communication
Handling Media and Public Relations
Interagency Collaboration (Law Enforcement, Child Services)

Why Choose ASC?
At ASC, we specialize in evidence-based, research-driven training designed to deliver results. Our investigative interviewing program integrates proven methodologies with real-world application, ensuring participants leave with actionable tools and techniques. Led by experienced professionals, this course prioritizes both legal compliance and ethical best practices, giving your district the confidence to navigate even the most sensitive investigations.

The Impact on Your District
By enrolling in this course, your district is investing in the professional development of its staff, ensuring that investigations are conducted effectively, ethically, and with a commitment to fairness. The result is a safer, more inclusive educational environment where students and staff can thrive.

Whether you’re managing minor policy infractions or investigating serious allegations, this course equips you with the knowledge and skills to transform interviews into meaningful conversations that lead to clear, reliable outcomes. Join us to master the art of investigative interviewing and elevate your district’s standards for safety, integrity, and accountability.

At the heart of this course is Teach to Talk™, a communication approach that revolutionizes how examiners manage interviews. This method focuses on guiding conversations through targeted, non-accusatory techniques that encourage interviewees to speak without feeling coerced. It builds rapport, promotes openness, and elicits accurate information in even the most challenging interviews. Integrating Teach to Talk™ into your polygraph examination process will strengthen your ability to uncover the truth while maintaining a professional and ethical approach.

Teach to Talk™: A New Standard in Communication

Teach to Talk™ is a proprietary communication framework that redefines how interviewers connect with others. It encourages meaningful, human-centered dialogue instead of relying on rigid question-and-answer formats. By fostering authentic connections and more profound understanding, Teach to Talk™ elevates communication beyond routine information-gathering, guiding interviews toward clarity, cooperation, and insight.

This modern approach transcends traditional boundaries. It empowers law enforcement professionals to clearly outline intentions, set expectations, and create an environment where interviewees feel comfortable, respected, and willing to share truthful, detailed information.

Whether conducting an exploratory conversation or shifting toward a more focused, truth-seeking interview, Teach to Talk™ supports communication that inspires cooperation and candor, even when the topic is complex. Grounded in rapport, empathy, and mutual respect, it helps uncover facts and the whole context behind them.

Why Teach to Talk™ Matters:

Elevated Clarity: Teach to Talk™ promotes mutual understanding by clarifying goals, reducing confusion, and creating a secure communication environment. When both parties are aligned, conversations become more focused and effective.
Depth of Insight: By fostering rapport and listening with empathy, this framework encourages individuals to reveal not just what they did, but why. Teach to Talk™ helps uncover the motivations that often remain hidden in traditional interview models.
Cooperative Engagement: Teach to Talk™ facilitates balanced, respectful exchanges. Rather than relying on pressure or control, it promotes trust and authenticity, resulting in more open, accurate, and actionable disclosures.
Breaking Through Barriers: This approach replaces adversarial tactics with understanding and respect, naturally dismantling defensiveness. It builds pathways to truth without coercion through ethical conversation, not confrontation.
Empowering Authenticity: Every individual has a story. Teach to Talk™ respects that reality. Promoting ethical, open dialogue empowers people to speak freely and truthfully, improving the quality and depth of investigative outcomes.

More Than a Strategy - A Communication Philosophy
Teach to Talk™ is not a method or technique. It is a guiding principle, a philosophy that repositions communication as the most critical tool in any investigator’s toolbox. It’s designed to be adaptable, strategic, and grounded in real-world experience.

Because in high-stakes interviews, you don’t need a script, you need a strategy.

Teach to Talk™ transforms communication into a force for clarity, connection, and discovery—helping professionals navigate every conversation with purpose and confidence.

Why Choose ASC over everyone else?

At ASC, we believe learning isn't just about the material, it's about the expertise and experience that bring it to life. While high-quality content lays the foundation, it's the instructor's insight and real-world perspective that transform education into lasting impact.

Why Choose Joseph Auriemma for Your Training Needs?

Guidance Rooted in Real-World Experience: With over 24 years of law enforcement experience, Joe provides unmatched insight into the practical application of skills. His extensive background bridges the gap between classroom learning and real-world scenarios, ensuring your team is prepared to face the complexities of modern investigations.
Engaging and Interactive Learning: Over the last decade, Joe's courses have earned the nickname "The Joe Show," a testament to his captivating and dynamic teaching style. Known for his ability to command attention and foster meaningful engagement, Joe creates a learning environment that is both highly professional and deeply memorable. His approach ensures students remain fully immersed in the material, gaining clarity and confidence through active participation.
Tailored to Your Needs: Drawing on more than a decade of teaching experience, Joe adapts his methods to suit diverse learning skills. His ability to customize content ensures that every participant leaves the training with a firm grasp of the material, regardless of their prior experience or role.
Mentorship That Inspires: Joe isn't just an instructor; he's a mentor. Having guided thousands of police officers, he motivates and inspires students not only to master the subject matter but also to grow as professionals and individuals.
Insights Built on Thousands of Interactions: Joe's expertise stems from conducting thousands of interviews and interrogations, offering a depth of knowledge forged through both success and failure. His nuanced understanding of human behavior, communication, and problem-solving equips participants with practical skills that transcend basic interview techniques.

Invest wisely by selecting ASC, where the instructor's proficiency mirrors the caliber of the material. Avoid courses taught by individuals lacking practical experience in the techniques they teach. Our commitment lies in offering unparalleled value, ensuring your officers receive instruction rooted in substantial practical know-how.

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