Evaluating School Safety and Preparedness: Findings from Implementing an Emergency Response Protocol

• In Event: Preventing Gun Violence

Abstract

In light of high-profile school shootings, including Columbine, Sandy Hook, and Parkland, safety in our nation’s educational institutions continues to be a top concern. Such attention became even more pronounced when it was revealed that students in Parkland had never undergone active shooter training prior to the attack. While several different programs exist to prepare students, faculty, and staff to respond to school shootings, virtually no evidence exists to support whether these trainings are effective in achieving such ends. The present study examines the impact of implementing one such program – the Standard Response Protocol (SRP) – in an urban school district. Using data collected as part of a larger project, this paper examines how the implementation impacted classroom preparedness in the context of lockdown drills for 30 schools, spanning more than 20,000 students and 3,200 faculty and staff. Limitations of the study, as well as lessons learned from the field, are discussed in relation to the importance of consistency and standardization of training and overall school preparedness.

Authors

• Jaclyn Schildkraut, SUNY Oswego

• Kirsten Ruth Klingaman, State University of New York at Oswego