Your School Safety Action Plan
Thank you for completing the Safety Readiness Tool quiz. This personalized action plan has been created based on the results of your answers. It outlines initial priorities or efforts you can consider as part of your safety planning and includes aligned resources and federal funding opportunities.
Please note that every school is different and requires an individualized approach to school safety. However, we hope this plan provides valuable information to help you prioritize and/or strengthen your school safety efforts.
Topics for further review
Consider meeting with your school or school district's safety team to learn about how these topics are addressed.
Designated Staff
Designated staff is an individual or group of individuals responsible for emergency management and effective implementation of safety and security policies, programs, directives, and training within their district or school. Safety or security departments are a group of people working together to fulfill this same purpose. All staff should have appropriate emergency management training and certifications from the Emergency Management Institute or other similar programs.
Related Resource(s)
- Collaboration and Community Partnerships: Strategies for Effective School and Higher Ed Emergency Operations Plan Development
- Developing Emergency Operations Plans in K-12 101
- Guiding Principles for School Resource Officer Programs
- K-12 School Planning and Response Teams: Developing and Enhancing the School Emergency Operations Plan
- Multihazard Emergency Planning for Schools
For additional resources, please visit the Emergency Planning topic page on SchoolSafety.gov.
Grants
School Climate
School climate reflects how members of the school community experience the school, including interpersonal relationships, teacher and staff practices, and the physical environment. School climate includes factors that serve as conditions for learning and that support physical and emotional safety, connection, support, and engagement. Measuring school climate helps to understand the perceptions of students, staff, and parents. It also helps monitor progress, make data-driven decisions, involve stakeholders, and adapt to shifting needs.
Related Resource(s)
- Creating a Healthy and Supportive School Environment
- School Climate Improvement Resource Package
- School Climate Measurement
- School Climate Surveys
For additional resources, please visit the School Climate topic page on SchoolSafety.gov.
Grants
- Enhancing School Capacity to Address Youth Violence
- School Climate Transformation Grants - Local Educational Agency Grants
- School Climate Transformation Grants - State Educational Agency Grants
- Stronger Connections Grant Program
- Students, Teachers, and Officers Preventing (STOP) School Violence Program
Reporting Systems
Reporting systems allow members of the school community to share concerns regarding student and school safety and student wellness. Mechanisms for reporting range from systems that encourage reporting information to a trusted adult at school to more formal systems with anonymous reporting capabilities, like tip lines.
Related Resource(s)
- Addressing the Risk of Violent Behavior in Youth: Know the Signs of Youth Violence and How to Identify and Reduce Risk in Schools
- Averting Targeted School Violence: A U.S. Secret Service Analysis of Plots Against Schools
- Improving School Safety Through Bystander Reporting: A Toolkit for Strengthening K-12 Reporting Programs
- School Safety: Research on Gathering Tips and Addressing Threats
- School Tip Line Toolkit: A Blueprint for Implementation and Sustainability
For additional resources, please visit the Threat Assessment and Reporting topic page on SchoolSafety.gov.
Grants
- COPS Hiring Program
- Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant
- Homeland Security Grant Program
- School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP)
- Students, Teachers, and Officers Preventing (STOP) School Violence Program
Threat Assessment
Threat assessment is the process of identifying, assessing, and managing individuals of concern, including students, faculty, or staff. A threat assessment team is a group of trained, multidisciplinary school personnel that are tasked with early identification and intervention with at-risk students and staff. A threat assessment begins by identifying an individual who has displayed a concerning behavior, which may or may not involve a direct threat. The threat assessment team will gather information to assess whether that individual poses a risk of violence or other unwanted behavior and identify intervention strategies to manage that risk.
Related Resource(s)
- Anonymous Reporting Systems Response Skill Building
- Enhancing School Safety Using a Threat Assessment Model: An Operational Guide for Preventing Targeted School Violence
- School Behavioral Threat Assessments: An Introduction
- School Threat Assessment Toolkit
- Threat Assessment and Management Teams
For additional resources, please visit the Threat Assessment and Reporting topic page on SchoolSafety.gov.
Grants
- COPS Hiring Program
- Mental Health Awareness Training Grants
- School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP)
- Students, Teachers, and Officers Preventing (STOP) School Violence Program
- Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention Grant Program
Emergency Operations Plans
An Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) is also known as an emergency plan, emergency action plan, emergency response plan, or crisis plan. A school EOP is a document that describes the actions students, teachers, and school staff should take before, during, and after emergency events. Elements of an EOP include the Basic Plan section, which addresses the overarching activities a school undertakes, as well as functional and hazard or threat-specific annexes. Threats included in the plan are based on a school’s specific needs and characteristics. Examples of threats and hazards addressed in the school EOP are hurricanes, severe storms, earthquakes, tornadoes, hazardous materials incidents, mass casualty incidents, active assailants, and pandemic disease or outbreak. When creating a school EOP, schools should collaborate with their local government and community partners.
Related Resource(s)
- Collaboration and Community Partnerships: Strategies for Effective School and Higher Ed Emergency Operations Plan Development
- EOP Interactive Tools
- Emergency Exercises: An Effective Way to Practice and Validate Emergency Operations Plans
- Guide for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans
- The Role of Districts in Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans
For additional resources, please visit the Emergency Planning topic page on SchoolSafety.gov.
Grants
- Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program
- Homeland Security Grant Program
- Nonprofit Security Grant Program
- School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP)
Site Assessment
A site assessment examines the safety, accessibility, and emergency preparedness of school buildings and grounds. Critical aspects of an assessment include a review of building access and egress control measures, visibility around the exterior of the building, structural integrity of the building, and emergency vehicle access. Site assessments should be completed in accordance with any state legislative or statutory requirements.
Related Resource(s)
- Assessing Your School Site
- K-12 School Security Guide Product Suite
- School Safety and Security Guidelines for K-12 Schools (6th Edition)
- SITE ASSESS
- Specialized Training Package: Conducting K-12 Site Assessments
For additional resources, please visit the Targeted Violence topic page on SchoolSafety.gov.
Grants
- Homeland Security Grant Program
- Nonprofit Security Grant Program
- School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP)
Staff and Faculty Training
Training familiarizes staff and faculty with emergency policies and procedures, their role during an emergency, and how to train students. Training may include presentations, seminars, or informal discussions developed by schools or districts. Guest speakers or presentations from security subject matter experts can be beneficial. Checklists, flip cards, or other updated reference materials may also help with training efforts.
Related Resource(s)
- Emergency Exercises: An Effective Way to Practice and Validate Emergency Operations Plans
- Exercise Starter Kits
- Hierarchy of Education & Training Activities
- Multihazard Emergency Planning for Schools
- Training for School Personnel to Prevent, Prepare, and Respond to School Safety Incidents
For additional resources, please visit the Emergency Planning topic page on SchoolSafety.gov.
Grants
- Mental Health Awareness Training Grants
- Preparing for Active Shooter Situations (PASS) Program
- Project Prevent
- Students, Teachers, and Officers Preventing (STOP) School Violence Program
Student Training
Student training is training that’s developmentally appropriate, trauma-informed, and designed for a student’s specific grade level. Training may include presentations, seminars, instructional training, or informal discussions. Training should be developed by the district or school and delivered by teachers and staff. Checklists, flip cards, or updated reference materials may also help with training efforts.
Related Resource(s)
- Developmental Levels of Safety Awareness
- Emergency Exercises: An Effective Way to Practice and Validate Emergency Operations Plans
- Ready Kids
- Safe and Sound Student Club Program Kit
- Trauma-Informed Care for Schools Before, During, and After Possible Emergency Events
For additional resources, please visit the Emergency Planning topic page on SchoolSafety.gov.
Grants
- Preparing for Active Shooter Situations (PASS) Program
- Project Prevent Grant Program
- Students, Teachers, and Officers Preventing (STOP) School Violence Program
Exercises and Drills
Exercises provide a low-risk environment to test capabilities and familiarize staff, faculty, students, and community partners with their roles and responsibilities in the school’s Emergency Operations Plan (school EOP). They also strengthen efforts to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from threats and hazards facing the school. Exercises may be discussion-based, like workshops, seminars, and tabletop exercises. Exercises can also be operations-based, like drills, functional exercises, and full-scale exercises. Drills are used to validate a specific capability in the school EOP, provide training, or practice skills. Schools conduct drills specific to their EOP, like evacuation, lockdown or shelter-in-place, accounting for people, communications, reunification, continuity of operations, recovery, security, and public, medical, and mental health.
Related Resource(s)
- Best Practice Considerations for Armed Assailant Drills in Schools
- Exercise Starter Kits
- Emergency Exercises: An Effective Way to Practice and Validate Emergency Operations Plans
- Hierarchy of Education & Training Activities
- Regional Security Advisors
For additional resources, please visit the Emergency Planning topic page on SchoolSafety.gov.
Grants
Recovery Plans
Recovery plans make up a section of a school’s Emergency Operations Plan (school EOP) and are tailored to a school’s facilities, population, and geographical area. The EOP planning team should develop plans for academic, physical, and fiscal recovery. They should also develop plans for psychological and emotional recovery, like social, emotional, and behavioral recovery. Recovery plans describe what happens in the hours, days, weeks, and months after an incident occurs.
Related Resource(s)
- Bereavement, Memorials, and Anniversaries: Developing a Recovery Annex for K-12 Schools
- Managing Immediate, Short-term, and Long-term Recovery From an Emergency Incident
- Recovery Annex
- School Preparedness: Before, During, and After School Emergencies
- The NASSP Principal Recovery Network Guide to Recovery
For additional resources, please visit the Emergency Planning topic page on SchoolSafety.gov.