The Federal Commission on School Safety (Commission) has released a 177-page report detailing 93 best practices and policy recommendations for improving safety at schools across the country.

 

The Commission report offers a holistic approach to improving school safety, ranging from supporting the social and emotional well-being of students to enhancing physical building security. The report serves as a resource guide for families, educators, law enforcement officers, health professionals, and elected leaders to use as they consider the best ways to prevent, mitigate, and recover from acts of violence in schools.

"Each of us has an important role to play in keeping our students safe while at school," said Chair of the Federal Commission on School Safety and U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. "Through the Commission's work, it has become even clearer there is no single policy that will make our schools safer. What will work for schools in Montana will be different than what will work for schools in Manhattan. With that in mind, this report provides a wide-ranging menu of best practices and resources that all state, community, and school leaders should consider while developing school safety plans and procedures that will work for their students and teachers."

The Federal Commission on School Safety Report contains 19 chapters divided into three sections based on phases of security planning:

PREVENT

1. Character Development and a Culture of Connectedness
2. Cyberbullying and School Safety
3. Curating a Healthier and Safer Approach: Issues of Mental Health and Counseling for Our Young
4. Integrating Mental Health, Primary Care, Family Services, and Court-Ordered Treatment
5. Using Suspicious Activity Reporting and Threat Assessments to Enhance School Safety
6. Effects of Press Coverage of Mass Shootings
7. Violent Entertainment and Rating Systems
8. The Obama Administration's "Rethink School Discipline" Guidance
9. The Effectiveness and Appropriateness of Psychotropic Medication for Treatment of Troubled Youth
10. The Efficacy of Age Restrictions for Firearm Purchases
11. Extreme Risk Protection Order Laws
12. Improvements to the FBI's Public Access Line

PROTECT & MITIGATE

1. Training School Personnel to Help Ensure Student Safety
2. Emergency and Crisis Training for Law Enforcement
3. The Transition of Military Veterans and Retired Law Enforcement Officials into New Careers in Education
4. Best Practices for School Building Security
5. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and Other Statutory and Regulatory Privacy Protections
6. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and Other Statutory and Regulatory Privacy Protections

RESPOND & RECOVER

1. Active Shooter Preparedness and Mitigation