The Division of School Safety provides support to schools in the areas of physical security, emergency operations and school discipline. Training and technical assistance may be requested to provide guidance in the development of a safe and secure school environment for students, faculty and administrators. Resources and areas of technical assistance include:
- School Resource Officer/School Safety Officer Training
- Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events
- Review and Assistance with School District Emergency Planning
- School Safety Technical Assistance Visits
Safe schools are fundamental to students' school successes and achievements. Consequently, providing a safe and orderly school environment remains an ever-present priority of the Mississippi Department of Education. School safety should be addressed through a comprehensive approach that focuses on prevention, intervention and response planning. Systems and programs should be in place that create caring school communities where all students and staff feel safe and supported. Key to the process of building and maintaining safe schools is the development of active partnerships between schools and communities.
School Safety-Teacher Resources
National Crime Prevention Lesson Plans - The following activities were created by teachers and reviewed by teachers, principals, law enforcement officers, and community members to ensure their quality and effectiveness. They are designed to teach an age appropriate lesson on a crime prevention and safety topic. Lesson plans are provided by the National Crime Prevention Council for grades K-5.
Youth Emergency Preparedness Curriculum-Ready Kids – Emergency preparedness curriculum for grades 1-12 that teach kids what to do before, during, and after an emergency while fostering critical 21st-century skills such as problem solving, teamwork, creativity, leadership, and communication.
American Red Cross Water Safety Outreach: Longfellow's WHALE Tales – Longfellow WHALE Tales is taught to raise children’s awareness of safe behavior in, on and around the water. WHALE Tales is a free course that can be taught by any Aquatic Leader or instructor or school teacher. WHALE Tales can be taught without a pool and is a great rainy day activity for Schools, Summer Camps, and during Swimming Lessons.
School Safety Resources
- National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO), Provides training, information, and resources to school-based law enforcement officers.
- Mississippi Association of School Resource Officers (MASRO), a nonprofit corporation created to provide a means to disseminate, share, advise, and coordinate information on the value of qualified law enforcement officers to teach elementary, middle/junior high school, and high school students on the principles of good citizenship and community responsibility.
- Final Report of the Federal Commission on School Safety
- Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS). National clearing-house for school safety information. Provides resources, training, and information related to violence prevention, response, and recovery from incidents of school violence.
- Guide for Preventing and Responding to School Violence, 2nd Edition, Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. • The guide addresses both prevention and intervention from a systemic view, clarifying the role of the school, the community, families, law enforcement, and the justice system and how these groups can work together effectively to prevent and respond to school violence.
- Preventing School Shootings: A Summary of a U.S. Secret Service Safe School Initiative Report, National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. • This report summarizes a U.S. Secret Service Report that examined the prevention of targeted violence in schools.
- The National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC). Provides links to best-practices in threat assessment and the prevention of targeted violence, including resources on conduction threat assessments in K-12 schools, building positive school climates, and requesting training from NTAC personnel.
- U.S. Department of Education Safe and Supportive Schools
- National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments