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Additional Resources
- SchoolSafety.gov: Back-to-School Campaign
SchoolSafety.gov is a collaborative website created by the federal government to provide actionable recommendations for safe schools. Copy, download and share the SchoolSafety.gov Back-to-School Campaign resources, including an animated video, communications toolkit, infographics and social media posts and graphics.
- Indiana Cyber Hub: Cybersecurity Resources
Many schools have expanded their reliance on remote online learning. This presents greater risks for cybersecurity threats. Schools can learn more about cybersecurity best practices and resources by contacting their county emergency management agency, or by visiting the Indiana Cybersecurity Hub.
- K-12 Bystander Reporting Toolkit
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and United States Secret Service (USSS) published a toolkit to give guidance to schools on how to improve and encourage reporting when students and other community members need help and want to report concerns about student wellness or safety issues. The toolkit stems from a literature review and dozens of interviews with stakeholders in K-12 school safety, behavioral threat assessments and reporting.
- CISA.gov: Safeguarding K-12 from Cybersecurity Threats
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released a report in January 2023 with a supporting toolkit. The report provides recommendations and resources to help K-12 schools and school districts reduce their risk to cybersecurity threats. CISA provides three recommendations to help K-12 leaders build, operate and maintain resilient cybersecurity programs. Along with the report is an online toolkit that aligns with the recommendations and includes guidance on how schools can implement changes.
- SchoolSafety.gov: Actionable Recommendations, Resources
The Federal Commission on School Safety released its final report in December 2018 recommending that the federal government create a clearinghouse for school safety strategies and to act as a federal resources hub. SchoolSafety.gov was launched in February 2020 by the federal government to give schools these actionable recommendations and resources.
- Secret Service: Targeted School Violence Analysis
The U.S. Secret Service's National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) studied the prevention of targeted school violence for 20 years and has released the report "Protecting America's Schools: A U.S. Secret Service Analysis of Targeted School Violence." The report contains many facts about school violence, offers practical guidelines for prevention and is available on the U.S. Secret Service website.
- Indiana: Progress Update on 2018 Recommendations
Following the 2019 legislative session, significant progress was recorded in enacting the 2018 Indiana School Safety Recommendations submitted to Governor Eric Holcomb.
- School Shooting Tracker: Counting School Shootings
The K–12 School Shooting Database is keeping record of U.S. school shooting incidents. The data includes when a gun is brandished or fired, as well as if a bullet hits school property for any reason.
- Integrated Public Safety Commission Checklist
The Indiana Integrated Public Safety Commission IPSC) has provided guidelines for Indiana schools to evaluate the status of their communication capabilities in the event of an emergency. When tragedy strikes, Indiana schools require efficient and effective communication methods and resources. This tool will help schools to work with local first responders, dispatchers and emergency management officials to plan and exercise crisis communications plans to best prepare for all hazards impacting students and educators.
- Explore the Map of Gunfire on the Grounds of U.S. Schools
Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund is an independent research organization that seeks to improve our understanding of the causes of gun violence and the means to reduce it—by conducting groundbreaking original research, developing evidence-based policies, and communicating this knowledge in the courts and in the courts of public opinion.
- 2018 School Security Roundtable Summary
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Academic Engagement regularly gathers members of the K-12 community, law enforcement, first responders and other public safety officials to host roundtable discussions about issues of national importance. The latest National School Security Roundtable was held in August in Washington D.C.
- Need Help? Call 211 or Search 211 Database
211 is a simple way to connect to food, shelter and housing assistance, employment services, counseling resources and much much more. Get help by dialing 211. If you are unable to dial 211 from your landline or cellular phone, you can dial your local 211 service center’s 10-digit number or click on your county to be taken to your 211 service center’s website.
- Indiana School Resource Officer Association
Established in 2012, the objective of INSROA is to promote harmony and good will among members of INSROA, to promote continuity of materials and teaching techniques; to reinforce and maintain discipline of the INSROA program; and to develop a means to disseminate information which is available to all members statewide.
- National Association of School Resource Officers Training Courses, Curriculum
The NASRO Basic School Resource Officer Course is a forty-hour (40) block of instruction designed for law enforcement officers and school safety professionals working in an educational environment and with school administrators. The course provides tools for officers to build positive relationships with both students and staff.
The course is also beneficial for educational professionals dedicated to providing a safe learning environment and provides a more in-depth understanding of the role and functions of an SRO.
- Department of Education Readiness and Emergency Management
The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Safe and Healthy Students has administered the REMS TA Center to serve two critical functions to support a safe and supportive learning environment for children, faculty, staff, and others. We build the preparedness capacity (including prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery efforts) of schools, school districts, and institutions of higher education (IHEs), and their community partners at the local, state, and Federal levels. We also serve as the primary source of information dissemination for schools, school districts, and IHEs for emergencies via the REMS TA Center Website.
- Federal Commission on School Safety
In March 2018, President Donald J. Trump appointed U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to lead the Federal Commission on School Safety. The Commission has been charged with quickly providing meaningful and actionable recommendations to keep students safe at school. These recommendations will include a range of issues, like social emotional support, recommendation on effective school safety infrastructure, discussion on minimum age for firearms purchases, and the impact that videogames and the media have on violence.
There is not one plan that fits all schools across the country, so the Commission will be focusing on all variations of school size, structure, and geographic locations with their final recommendations. Input from Commission meetings, listening sessions and field visits will all be considered. Meetings and correspondence with students, parents, teachers, school safety personnel, administrators, law enforcement officials, mental health professionals, school counselors, security professionals and other related stakeholders will be critical to the Commission's work as well. If you have information to share you may email the Federal Commission School Safety team at safety@ed.gov.
- Secret Service: Threat Assessment Model
As part of its efforts to continue to combat school violence, the U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) created an operational guide that provides actionable steps that schools can take to develop a comprehensive targeted violence prevention plans for conducting threat assessments in schools. The guide, titled “Enhancing School Safety Using a Threat-Assessment Model: An Operational Guide for Preventing Targeted School Violence," is available on the U.S. Secret Service website.
- U.S. Department of Homeland Security: Academic Engagement
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security works with the academic community - including school administrators, faculty, and students - on a range of issues. The Office of Academic Engagement (OAE) supports DHS’s mission by building, improving and leveraging relationships with the academic community.
- Active Shooter Exercise Starter Kits
The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Academic Engagement (OAE) released Exercise Starter Kits for the K-12 community focused on an active shooter incident as part of the Campus Resilience (CR) Program. The Exercise Starter kits were developed in support of Department’s school safety efforts, including its work with the Federal Commission on School Safety.
The CR Program’s Exercise Starter Kits are self-conducted tabletop exercises (TTX) that provide school districts and schools with a set of scalable tools to develop a TTX that can be tailored to validate or update their existing emergency operations plans, policies, and procedures, while also identifying issues, gaps, and areas for improvement in response to an active shooter incident.
The K-12 Exercise Starter Kits are currently available at the elementary, middle/junior high, and high school levels. Each Exercise Starter Kit includes a set of planning documents that contain pre-populated exercise content that aligns with the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program’s (HSEEP) methodology and principles. The kits include:
- An Exercise Conduct Briefing for presentation during the TTX
- A Situation Manual to provide background information on the TTX, scenario content, as well as discussion questions for participants
- A Facilitator Guide for assisting facilitators in delivering the TTX
- A Participant Feedback Form Template for players to provide candid feedback on the TTX
- An After-Action Report Template for summarizing key strength and areas for improvement following the TTX
The new K-12 kits are a part of the CR Program’s other suite of Exercise Starter Kits, which are designed for institutions of higher education (IHE) and focus on a cyber breach, hurricane, and active shooter incident.
To obtain the new K-12 ESK, please fill out this request form.
- U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) works with governments, law enforcement agencies and others nationwide to continue enhancing school safety and security. Visit its School Safety and Security page for documents, resources and tools.
- Data and Reports on School Safety Topics
The National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments website features information about data trends and guidance for schools at every level covering topics such as emotion safety, physical safety, bullying, substance abuse and the environment.
- Indiana Cyber Hub: Education Toolkit 2.0
The Indiana Executive Council on Cybersecurity (IECC), along with the Indiana Department of Education and federal partners, developed an updated toolkit designed for superintendents, administrators, teachers, staff members, school board members, parents and concerned citizens. The toolkit provides ways to protect schools, teachers, families, students and more.
- Firearm Best Practices at Home
The Indiana Department of Education and Indiana State Police collaborated to develop a list of best practices about safe possession and storage of firearms in homes with children.