Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google


Feds Offer Guidance on School Safety

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 02/26/20

The federal government has launched a "clearinghouse" website to help schools prepare for threats. A joint venture of the four agencies, the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security, Education, Justice and Health and Human Services, SchoolSafety.gov will provide recommendations for helping schools "prevent, protect, mitigate, respond to and recover from emergency situations."

Currently, SchoolSafety.gov includes links to about 255 resources, including videos; virtual training; guidance; reports; tools; fact sheets; podcasts; surveys and assessments; and links to grants, programs and events. Content can be filtered and searched on by education level (primary, secondary or post-secondary), audience (such as principals, emergency managers or parents and students) and intended application (classroom, school building, campus, etc.).

"School safety is the number one priority of parents across the country," said Chad Wolf, acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, in a statement. "The Department provided expertise and resources on a range of school safety issues including threat assessments, physical security, emergency planning, and trainings and exercises designed to help schools and local law enforcement prepare for incidents. With these resources, schools and law enforcement will be better equipped to handle a crisis."

"All students deserve a safe learning environment, and the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse is an essential resource for information and best practices," added U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, who also chairs the Federal Commission on School Safety. "Because every school community has its own unique needs, SchoolSafety.gov equips decision makers with resources for developing, customizing and implementing actionable school safety plans."

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • Businessman using laptop analyzing data and growth graph chart

    Report: AI Budgets in Education Show No Sign of Decline

    The vast majority of education organizations (98%) expect their AI infrastructure budgets to either increase or hold steady over the next year, according to a report from cloud storage provider Wasabi.

  • circuit patterns

    Anthropic Intros Lower-Cost Claude Sonnet 5

    Anthropic has launched Claude Sonnet 5, positioning the model as its most autonomous mid-tier offering to date and a lower-cost alternative to its flagship Opus 4.8 system. The company said the model can plan multi-step tasks, operate tools such as browsers and terminals, and complete agentic work at a level that previously required larger and more expensive models.

  • Neon blue security locks with a single red highlight

    With AI, Cybersecurity Focus Shifts from Finding Flaws to Fixing Them

    For decades, one of cybersecurity's biggest challenges has been finding vulnerabilities before attackers do. A growing number of security professionals now say artificial intelligence is changing that equation, shifting the focus from discovering flaws to fixing them quickly enough to prevent exploitation.

  • Man offers stem word sign on virtual screen

    Immersive Workforce Development Initiative Connects Students with Real-World STEM Careers

    The Center of Science and Industry, a science museum and research center in Central Ohio, has launched The HIVE, a workforce development initiative designed to help students across the country explore real-world career pathways in aerospace, advanced manufacturing, engineering, and emerging technologies.