The percentage of public schools that had a written plan in place for procedures to be performed in the event of an active shooter increased over time, from 79 percent in 2003–04 to 92 percent in 2017–18. Schools use a variety of practices and procedures to promote the safety of students, faculty, and staff. The School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS) collects data on school safety and security practices by asking public school principals about their school’s use of safety and security measures, as well as whether their school had written procedures for responding to selected scenarios and whether it had emergency drills for students.
SSOCS also asked schools about the presence of security staff and the availability of trainings for classroom teachers or aides on school safety and discipline provided by the school or school district.1 In the 2017–18 school year, 95 percent of public schools reported that they controlled access to school buildings by locking or monitoring doors during school hours. Other safety and security measures reported by public schools included the use of security cameras to monitor the school (83 percent), a requirement that faculty and staff wear badges or picture IDs (70 percent), and the enforcement of a strict dress code (49 percent). In addition, 27 percent of public schools reported the use of random sweeps for contraband, 20 percent required that students wear uniforms, 9 percent required students to wear badges or picture IDs, and 5 percent used random metal detector checks.