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National Initiatives

Recommendations from School Safety Commission Reports

Federal Commission on School Safety

2018 Initiative

Below are key recommendations from four School Safety Commission Reports: Columbine, Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook, and Parkland. The recommendations are divided into three categories: (1) crisis prevention, (2) crisis detection, and (3) crisis response.

virgina Tech

2007

Commission Report 

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https://scholar.lib.vt.edu/prevail/docs/April16ReportRev20091204.pdf

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Sandy hook

2012

parkland

2018

Prevention

Columbine

Recommendations:

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  • Implement programs to prevent school violence

    • ​Threat assessment teams​ & plans
    • Programs should encourage parental involvement
    • Bullying prevention programs
    • Anonymous tip lines (report leakage)
  • Prepare & practice for crisis with multiple agencies using  an incident command system. 

  • Complete regular trainings

  • Planning sessions

  • Complete crisis drills 

  • Have up to date, individualized emergency response plan & emergency kits 

  • Develop intranet system between agencies 

  • Collaboration among agencies

  • Train & utilize school resource officers​​

virgina Tech

Recommendations:

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  • Increase feelings of connection & positive school culture

  • Amend policies to ensure information is kept confidential or shared in alignment with FERPA laws

  • Complete crisis drills with  multiple agencies

  • Have emergency management plans that include victim assistance capabilities

  • Complete threat assessments

  • Complete regular trainings 

  • Review reporting requirements 

  • Collaboration among multiple agencies (each member knows their role)

  • Establish a protocol that includes best practices in response to a crisis

  • Require background checks for gun purchases\C

  • Check safety hardware (i.e., doors)

Sandy hook

Recommendations:

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  • Implement programs to promote a positive school climate

  • Complete crisis drills & trainings (i.e., active shooter)

  • Develop threat assessment systems

  • Include a K-12 curriculum about alcohol awareness

  • Review & update building infrastructure

    • Cameras, locks, monitoring systems, etc.​

  • Review & Update building design and operations​

    • Doors lock from interior​

    • Exterior doors can shut down

    • Teachers/substitute have keys to rooms

    • Roster of students

  • Create a school safety committee​

  • Background checks, registration of firearms and limitations on purchases

  • Improve community mental health services for all ages

  • Examine the effects of  exposure to violent entertainment

parkland

Recommendations:

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  • Identify threats & at risk behaviors (monitor social media)

  • Implement a tiered hardening system

    • Level 1 - policies/practices that are implemented quickly with little/no funds​

    • Level 2 - Low/moderate implementation costs

    • Level 3 - moderate/significant implementation costs

  • Train & utilize School Resource Officers for safety/security purposes

  • Guardian program - select individuals can carry firearms

  • Support mental health initiatives (screening, school-based services, etc.)

  • Provide training on confidentiality laws (e.g., FERPA, HIPPA, etc.)

Detection

Columbine

Recommendations:

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  • Overcome the 'Code of Silence" by encouraging students and staff to report concerning behavior via an anonymous line

  • Communicate that threats will be taken seriously 

  • Continually review best practices in safety

  • Agencies should share  information about threatening behavior with other agencies (in compliance with the law)

  • Information about threatening behavior should be shared among key stakeholders. 

virgina Tech

Recommendations:

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  • Learn to recognize the warning signs

    • Trainings about violence, mental health, etc.​

  • Establish a reporting system​

  • Work collaboratively

  • Document & report threatening behavior immediately 

  • Require staff to report threatening behavior

  • Anyone with a history of violence should be entered into the Central Criminal Records Exchange database

  • When investigating an incident, agencies should have more than one communication system

  • Take threats seriously

Sandy hook

Recommendations

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  • Recognize the warning signs by considering the design & policies in schools (ability to observe changes in behavior)

  • Review best practices in school safety.

parkland

Recommendations:

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  • Identify, communicate & report warning signs

  • Advertise & promote technology used to report threatening behavior

  • Establish a policy to mandate reporting

  • Develop & use a standardized, statewide threat assessment database (accessible to all stakeholders) to detect threatening behaviors 

  • Review best practices in school safety

Response

Columbine

Recommendations:

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  • Response to a crisis should be an active, rapid deployment by first responders.

  • Communication systems should be shared between agencies

  • A public information officer should be designated to communicate with the media

  • An intranet system should be used for medical response to a crisis

  • A command center and victim advocate should be established to communicate accurate information to families

  • Staff should be supported following a crisis (debrief, coping with stress, etc.)

  • The procedures for identifying victims should match the need of the victims & families. 

virgina Tech

Recommendations:

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  • Establish multiple ways to immediately alert the community about a crisis.

  • Share information sensitively with families when safety issues or casualties arise. 

  • Review and revise policies related to crisis response (e.g., code of conduct, how to intervene, etc.)

  • Establish a system to connect students to mental health services 

  • Behavioral incidences should be reported to the threat assessment team

  • Determine the outpatient service capacity needed, then expand statewide resources

  • Expand school-based, culturally responsive mental health resources

  • Review & modify the protocol for involuntary mental health services

  • Review & amend the hearing protocol

  • Police should escort survivors from the scene 

  • Establish personnel that will communicate with the media (so victims don't need to)

  • Mental health services should be made available to first responders

  • Establish a unified command post for medical responses

Sandy hook

Recommendations:

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  • Change laws to allow law enforcement to respond to crises as needed

  • Integrate response centers 

parkland

Recommendations:

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  • Be aware of how the crisis is covered by the media.

  • Train school resource officers

  • Allow law enforcement to have timely means of communication

  • Establish an assessment protocol and juvenile pre-arrest diversion programs. 

Education Commission of the States

Education Commission of the States is the trusted source for comprehensive knowledge and unbiased resources on education policy issues ranging from early learning through postsecondary education.

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