Safety Initiatives

We are committed to regularly reviewing and enhancing our safety and preparedness measures. In the wake of increased violence and hate across our country, we know the impact this has on our schools. Our school and district based teams work closely with local first responders to ensure we have the best and most up-to-date safety practices and response procedures in place.

A number of systems and structures have been put in place to ensure a consistent, proactive approach across schools. Some of our efforts include:

• School-based crisis plans are updated annually. They are reviewed and shared with staff, district officials, and local first responders.
• Required safety drills are completed annually in each school. These include drills such as fire, shelter-in-place, bus evacuation, and lockdown or active shooter training.
• Regular meetings of school and district safety teams to review, practice, and update crisis response procedures.

• All visitors are allowed entry only through each school’s secure main office and screened through a visitor management system that checks visitor information with an integrated, comprehensive database of registries for every state (excluding immigration or citizenship status) and the District of Columbia as well as orders of protection within our student information system. New student and staff entry and exit procedures have also been established across schools to strengthen safety and reduce vulnerabilities.

• Annual ALICE training for all staff members to support active shooter response that empowers students and staff with an age- and ability-appropriate, trauma-informed approach to surviving in the face of violence and proven to help reduce anxiety.

• Established Threat Assessment procedures, which adhere to the Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines, developed at the University of Virginia. This model has been extensively examined through field tests and controlled studies, and recognized as an evidence-based approach to preventing school violence by the National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices. The procedures also align with best practices developed by the U.S. Secret Service and the FBI.
• Mass notification system in place to send community communications in a matter of moments, including phone, text, and email simultaneously.
• District-level positions with a strong focus on school safety, ensuring this critical work remains a top priority with dedicated staff providing centralized support for safety and school climate. 

• Continued proactive, restorative approach to improving culture and climate: de-escalation training for staff, refinements to the district’s behavioral continuum, opportunities for daily social emotional learning and activities for students, and more. FACE Liaisons (Family and Community Engagement Liaisons) also provide proactive support to students and families.

• Implementation of network security measures to protect students from inappropriate content and monitor internet use for signs of distress, such as bullying or self-harm, as well as activity that could be considered concerning from a safety perspective. At the school and district levels there are protocols in place to ensure timely interventions for any member of our school communities who may need extra support. 

• Strengthened relationships with first responders to ensure increased coordination in times where the situation warrants additional support. This includes interactive maps of the interior and exterior of all District facilities for use by first responders and district officials.