Best Practices
General
Every school should prioritize the safety and security of its students and staff.
Any school can improve safety by:
- Locking classroom doors during school hours
- Controlling visitor access to campus through a single point of entry
- Screening all campus visitors
- Empowering all staff to activate an emergency response
- Identifying the safest space in every classroom
- Providing emergency covers for all classroom windows
- Ensuring every student has a trusted adult
- Coordinating with first responders before a campus emergency
Florida Best Practices
- AG: Florida School Search Reference Guide 2021
- DJJ: School Threats
- Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission Initial Report
- Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission Second Report
National Best Practices
- SchoolSafety.gov
- NTAC: Averting Targeted School Violence
- DOJ: Ten Essential Actions to Improve School Safety
- Protecting America's Schools: A U.S. Secret Service Analysis of Targeted School Violence
- Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools
- Final Report of the Federal Commission on School Safety
- Guide for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans (School Guide)
- The Role of Districts in Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans (District Guide)
Emergency Drills and Exercises
- Best Practice Considerations for Armed Assailant Drills in Schools
- Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS)Recommendations for Appropriate Drills
- DHS: Exercise Starter Kits
Mental Health
School Violence
- K-12 School Security Guide
- US Secret Service: Enhancing Schools Safety – Threat Assessment Model (PDF)
- Prior Knowledge of Potential School-Based Violence (PDF)
- DHS: Planning and Response to an Active Shooter
- FBI: Violence Prevention in Schools (PDF)
Student Privacy
Facility Safety
- Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission Initial Report
- Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission Second Report
- Final Report of the Federal Commission on School Safety
- Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS) Safety and Security Guidelines
- Florida Safe School Design Guidelines
- CDC: CPTED School Assessment
- Guide for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans (School Guide)
- DHS: Primer to Design Safe School Projects
- DHS: K-12 School Security Guide
- NFPA: Codes and Security Workshop