This dissertation examines the fidelity in which school districts are prepared to implement their reunification plan in the event of a tragedy or emergency. School emergencies continue to occur, and safety plans need to be developed and administered to support and protect students and staff. This dissertation is organized into two separate papers.…

School principals are responsible for the safety and well-being of the children entrusted to their care. Parents expect their children to be safe and protected and that school leaders establish and maintain clear lines of communication during a time of crisis. Within their capacity as school leaders, it is incumbent on them to guarantee that…

This study aimed to identify potential gaps related to crisis preparedness at 98 public secondary schools, as such crises may occur following a substantiated eminent threat of school violence. Crisis preparedness data collected by trained external assessors captured knowledge of the procedure for responding in a safety-related crisis and process…

BACKGROUND: Lockdown drills are mandated within many educational settings in the US; they may contribute to adverse mental health and there is little to suggest their effectiveness. We describe factors associated with post-drill anxiety and perceived effectiveness of drills. METHODS: We surveyed youth-caregiver dyads presenting to the pediatric…

In order to assist schools and their community partners in their efforts to create, assess, or update their comprehensive emergency operations plans (EOPs), Federal agencies jointly produced the "Guide for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans (School Guide)" and "The Role of Districts in Developing High-Quality…

After an emergency event has occurred on campus and the education agency has activated the emergency operations plan (EOP), it is likely that the planning team has feedback and lessons learned. Similarly, after conducting an emergency exercise -- whether it be an orientation, tabletop exercise, drill, functional exercise, or full-scale exercise --…

The National Incident Management System (NIMS) is part of the National Preparedness System and supports the National Response Framework. NIMS puts forth a systematic approach to collaborating across disciplines and all levels of government to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from threats and hazards that impact the…

This 50-state comparison assesses the K-12 school safety policies in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The information presented in this interactive resource gives an overview of relevant laws in each state and does not reflect how these laws may interact with other state or federal policies. The interactive resource does not include…

It was unknown how campus public safety administrators view the relationship between planning and training for incidents when it came to improving campus safety by implementing emergency preparedness and critical response policies and procedures, in combination with comprehensive training for faculty, staff, and students. Therefore, the purpose of…

Our nation's postsecondary institutions are entrusted to provide a safe and healthy learning environment for the students, faculty, and staff who live, work, and study on campus. Planning for emergencies may be challenging for institutions of higher education (IHEs) because of geography, environment, governance, around-the clock-operations, and…

To develop sound emergency management practices and comprehensive emergency operations plans (EOPs), schools should incorporate community-based organizations and agencies into the planning process. Collaboration by schools with community partners can support implementation of the National Preparedness System mission areas--prevent, protect,…

The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study is to explore the perception of middle school parents regarding the efficacy and effects of multi-option response drills that are conducted in schools with the intent to improve readiness for a critical shooting incident. Participants were parents of current middle school students who have…

This document lists resources for planning teams on engaging students in prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery efforts and emergency operations plan development.

The Houston Independent School District (HISD) is seeking a $4.4 billion bond aimed at addressing critical infrastructure and educational needs. Branded as "Renew HISD," the package would rebuild and modernize over 40 campuses, upgrade HVAC systems, improve campus security, and expand early childhood and career and technical education…

This article examines the perceptions, attitudes, understanding, and knowledge of special education case managers in the United States working with students with disabilities who identify as LGBTQ+. Through a qualitative descriptive study grounded in descriptive phenomenological theory, the study examines the case managers' personal experiences…