Final Report of the NJSBA School Security Task Force
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What Makes Schools Safe? FINAL REPORT: SCHOOL SECURITY TASK FORCE New Jersey School Boards Association October 22, 2014 Cover Page What Makes Schools Safe? FINAL REPORT: SCHOOL SECURITY TASK FORCE New Jersey School Boards Association October 22, 2014 The Final Report of the NJSBA School Security Task Force represents the culmination of NJSBA’s efforts to inform the discussion of school safety and security that began immediately after the December 2012 tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut. The report should be viewed as a resource to help determine further state and local action to ensure the physical and emotional well-being of our students. www.njsba.org/schoolsecurity2014 What Makes Schools Safe? FINAL REPORT: SCHOOL SECURITY TASK FORCE New Jersey School Boards Association October 22, 2014 TABLE OF CONENTS LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL........................................................................................... v INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................. vi TASK FORCE MEMBERSHIP ....................................................................................... xii I. SECURITY PERSONNEL .......................................................................................... 1 The School Resource Officer....................................................................................1 SRO Roles and Responsibilities ................................................................... 2 SRO Training ................................................................................................ 4 The SRO and the Memorandum of Agreement ............................................ 4 Blocking the ‘School to Prison Pipeline’ ...................................................... 6 SRO: The Right Person ................................................................................. 8 SRO: The Cost .............................................................................................. 8 Special Law Enforcement Officers ..........................................................................9 ‘Class II’ Officers ....................................................................................... 10 SLEO III Proposal....................................................................................... 10 Retired Police Officers ............................................................................................11 Non-Police Security .................................................................................................12 Community Prerogative .........................................................................................13 SECURITY PERSONNEL: RECOMMENDATIONS .......................................15 II. SCHOOL CLIMATE ................................................................................................. 17 The Need for Safe and Healthy School Climates .................................................17 Mental Health Services/Counseling.......................................................................19 Bullying Prevention and the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights ...................................21 The Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights ................................................................ 21 School Safety/Climate Team ...................................................................... 22 School Climate Assessment ....................................................................................23 Climate Assessment Resources ..............................................................................25 Relationships and Programs ..................................................................................26 Relationships Built on Trust ....................................................................... 26 i What Makes Schools Safe? FINAL REPORT: SCHOOL SECURITY TASK FORCE New Jersey School Boards Association October 22, 2014 Social and Emotional Learning ................................................................... 27 Authoritative Structure................................................................................ 29 Supportive Practices.................................................................................... 30 Building a Healthy School Climate: Resources ....................................................30 Building a Healthy School Climate: Current Practices.......................................31 Building a Healthy School Climate: District Programs ......................................32 SCHOOL CLIMATE: RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................34 III. POLICY AND PLANNING ............................................................................................ 35 The State of School Security in New Jersey ..........................................................35 The Phases of Crisis Planning..................................................................... 36 Current Requirements............................................................................................37 Safety and Security Plans............................................................................ 37 Ongoing Planning ....................................................................................... 38 School District/Board Responsibility ......................................................... 39 Approval of Plans ....................................................................................... 40 Administrative Response Procedures ...................................................................40 Incident Command System ......................................................................... 41 Drills and Exercises.................................................................................................42 State-Required Drills .................................................................................. 42 Unannounced Drills .................................................................................... 43 Full-Scale Exercises .................................................................................... 43 Tabletop Exercises ...................................................................................... 44 Comparison of Emergency Exercises ......................................................... 45 After-School Security..............................................................................................45 The Uniform Memorandum of Agreement ..........................................................46 Security Audits/Assessments ..................................................................................48 Engaging the Full Community ...............................................................................50 POLICY AND PLANNING: RECOMMENDATIONS ......................................54 IV. COMMUNICATIONS ..................................................................................................... 56 Trust, Timeliness, Technology ...............................................................................56 Anonymous Tip Lines .............................................................................................57 ii What Makes Schools Safe? FINAL REPORT: SCHOOL SECURITY TASK FORCE New Jersey School Boards Association October 22, 2014 Emergency Notification Systems ...........................................................................58 COMMUNICATIONS: RECOMMENDATIONS ..............................................60 V. TRAINING IN SCHOOL SECURITY ........................................................................ 61 Employee Training..................................................................................................61 Training Resources .................................................................................................62 Online Training .......................................................................................................62 FEMA Independent Study Program............................................................ 62 New Mexico Tech: Energetic Materials Research and Testing Center ...... 64 Transportation Security Administration ..................................................... 64 New Jersey Training Resources .............................................................................64 Local, County and Other Training Partners ................................................ 64 NJDOE: School Preparedness & Emergency Planning .............................. 65 N.J. Office of Emergency Management ..................................................... 65 N.J. Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness .................................. 66 In-Person Training..................................................................................................66 FEMA Emergency Management Institute .................................................. 66 National Domestic Preparedness Consortium ............................................ 67 SECURITY TRAINING: RECOMMENDATIONS ...........................................69 VI. PHYSICAL SECURITY ............................................................................................ 70 Deter, Slow, Detain .................................................................................................70 Target Hardening....................................................................................................71 The Importance of Planning ..................................................................................72 Security Preparation