By Sam Rawdon, Grants Development Associate (K-12 Education)
As a result of the rising number of violent incidents at K-12 schools over the last decade, schools have dedicated significant time and resources to developing ways to keep their students, faculty, and staff safe. There are a couple of different approaches education institutions take while creating and implementing an overarching school safety plan. Some institutions have focused on providing staff and students with training on what to do in the event of an incident, while others have begun developing systems for reporting suspicious or threatening behaviors before an incident happens. At the end of the day, the question all institutions must answer is - what components should a school-wide plan include to keep everyone inside (and outside) our schools safe? While there is no one-size-fits-all plan that will work for all, there are many different elements to include in your comprehensive plan, based on the needs of your institution.
The first element is to create a team of staff members dedicated to contributing to any school safety efforts. These individuals will manage and implement any safety and security policies, programs, directions, and training efforts within the school. The most common types of teams should include members from a designated safety and security department and school mental health professionals, such as school counselors or school psychologists. While not required, it is recommended that team members are certified and trained in handling emergencies.
The second element is the implementation of a reporting system. This system will empower those within the school’s community to effectively recognize any alarming behaviors demonstrated by students or staff before an unfortunate incident occurs. Mass notification apps and/or anonymous tip lines are some of the most adopted reporting systems at schools. Anyone, not just faculty or staff, can easily and anonymously report any alarming behaviors to authorities, especially students, allowing all to play an active role in keeping their community safe.
The third element is developing and implementing an Emergency Operations Plan, or EOP (also commonly known as an action plan, a response plan, an emergency response plan, or a crisis plan.) The purpose of an EOP is to address any threats and hazards to a school before, during, and after an incident has occurred. Schools usually collaborate with their local governments or municipalities and community members to develop their EOP, which is largely dependent on the specific safety needs of a school (determined by conducting a site risk or threat assessment). All emergencies, from natural disasters, hazardous materials incidents, active shooters, and viral outbreaks, can be included in an EOP.
The fourth element is training. Everyone in your school community should receive appropriate training, from students and faculty, through administration. Regular training will acclimate everyone to the adopted emergency protocols and procedures and will provide ample opportunities to assign specific roles and responsibilities when an incident occurs. Training can be conducted through presentations, seminars, informal discussions, or more interactive means, for example through checklists, flip cards, or instructional games for students. Regardless of how they are conducted, the training should always be age-appropriate.
The fifth and final element is conducting exercises and drills. While an EOP is theoretical and written down, exercises and drills are essentially an EOP in practice. Drills not only ensure all parties are trained but they also provide an opportunity for a school’s EOP to be assessed in a low-risk environment. Some schools may make these efforts more discussion-based, for example through workshops or tabletop exercises while others may take a more operational approach, for example through physical drills or full-scale exercises. Some schools may even do both. The primary mission of conducting exercises and drills is to prepare all parties and confirm the effectiveness of a school’s EOP through practice. Some examples of exercises and drills can include conducting evacuation, lockdown, or shelter-in-place, and workshops on accounting for people and reunification efforts.
Many State Education Agencies (SEAs) have resources to assist their districts in developing school safety plans, and some may even provide funding to provide this assistance. While no safety plan will be identical to each other, all should begin with the foundational elements discussed here and then be refined to address the specific school’s needs.
A designated team identifies who will be responsible for managing the plan. A reporting system can allow authorities to recognize concerning behaviors in your school’s community and empower community members to get involved in the safety of their schools. An EOP will provide guidelines for what to do before, during, and after an incident. Training can ensure that everyone in the school community is aware of the rules and their roles during an emergency. And lastly, exercises and drills will put theory into practice by ensuring an EOP is well thought out and effective.
With a functional and successful school safety plan in place, communities can feel safer and more secure sending their children to school.