Tech-Enabled Safety: Integrating Solutions for Safer Schools

When evaluating the best approaches to school safety, it’s important to acknowledge what topics schools are wrestling with. School safety is nuanced because technology and the world are always changing. A panel at ATLIS, the Association of Technology Leaders in Independent Schools, dove deeper into examining how the landscape of school safety has changed, and how technology can aid in providing solutions. 

Before looking forward to modern technology for the use of school safety, let's acknowledge where safety protocols began. In response to tragedy in the 60’s-70’s, many emergency protocols were more uniformly implemented across schools. The common response to emergencies became lockdown, turn off the lights, corral into the corner of the classroom, and be quiet. After the tragedy of Columbine, it became apparent that the lockdown approach may not be an altruistic solution for every emergency schools face. In the mid-2000s, the Alice Foundation and the I Love U Guys Foundation became large proponents of an ‘options-based response’. An options-based response is an approach that empowers community members to assess the situation at hand and respond accordingly. An example of an options based response is Run, Hide, Fight. 

COVID Creates a Cultural Shift in Expectations for Information and Communication

In 2019, school safety responses changed yet again after facing an unprecedented threat to student health from the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic highlighted the need for adjustments in emergency approaches in two particular areas: ease of information and streamlined communication.

During the pandemic, having accurate, real-time information of who was on campus, and when they were actually arriving was imperative. Especially with private or independent schools that have open campuses, this proved to be an area in need of an effective and timely solution. Ease of information became critical, as student health was at risk. 

COVID-19 also ignited a cultural shift. Parents and families of students became more inquisitive regarding what schools were doing proactively to keep their children safe. This created expectations, especially in the independent school space, to gather more information. It was important to know who was coming to school when they were coming to school, and if they were well enough to.

Additionally, the pandemic probed heightened communication among school administrators and their security teams. With the expectation for more information, communications amongst school staff had to increase as well. The internal communication pipeline can face numerous challenges in itself. While communication via walkie-talkies is incredibly useful, it may not always be the best channel to use. Walkie-talkies can provide instantaneous communication among staff, however, they can also induce panic should a threat be mentioned and students are in proximity to hear. When all staff are trying to communicate via walkie talkie at once, there may be information lost in translation.

There are additional difficulties when deciding how to best relay information to students and families. With schools adapting to government mandated shutdowns, mask policies, and more, there needed to be an increased dialog among schools and families. To meet the outward communication needs, schools had to determine how they were going to get the word out and keep communications up.

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How Technology Is Aiding in Solutions to These‍

1. Information

Technology can help in providing accurate, real-time information. Implementing visitor management systems can ensure that once visitors check-in, they appear in your database so you’re aware of who is on your campus at all times. When facing an emergency, access to real-time information about who is at your school becomes crucial when knowing who to account for. 

Technology also aids in communicating to staff who is safe, and in a timely manner. According to Bill Stites, Director of Technology at Montclair Kimberley Academy, he “...knew for a very long time when we would have a lockdown. We would have an email address where everyone needed to send their attendance before you would say everything was all clear. And I often joked that there were emails coming in after the all clear was already given”. 

Utilizing software, like Ruvna’s Accountability, allows staff a clear insight into who is accounted for and safe, and who is missing, as well as flags for individuals who need immediate attention. “One of the things when we looked at Ruvna now and we brought it in for that purpose, was that real thing where we could really stand up tall and say, when we're calling this as an all clear, we know that we have everyone accounted for.”

Understanding in real-time who is on campus, if they are safe, if they need help, or if they are missing is an invaluable asset when it comes to navigating emergency situations. Utilizing technology to your advantage can aid in maintaining student and campus safety.

2. Communication

Streamlining communication to your specific, targeted audience ensures that who you want to receive the information, is getting it and quickly. When reflecting on a lockdown scenario, Hiram Cuevas, Director of Information Systems and Academic Technology at St. Christopher's School, said: “What we learned very, very quickly from a communications perspective is it's often better to not use the walkie-talkies but to use some of the internal communications that we have available within the application in order to keep the chatter down”. During an event, in-platform chat features enable staff to communicate with each other quickly.

Not every emergency is the same, and when trying to decipher the situation and determine a course of action, having a private channel of communication among staff is important. Not only this but communicating the emergency to families so they are in the know is also crucial. Everyone’s concern is ultimately the safety of your students. Having streamlined channels for communication can aid you in best-navigating emergency events, relaying information quickly, and mitigating panic. 

Before adopting any changes to school safety approaches, always ask yourself, is this providing an illusion of safety or a tangible benefit? What works for some doesn’t mean it works for all. While the rise of technology in aiding safety encourages schools to re-evaluate their existing methods, it’s still important to ask questions and be curious before jumping on board. Find a technology solution that works in harmony with your school's culture and provides value to your safety protocols. 

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To inquire more about Ruvna, or schedule a demo click here.

To listen to the ATLIS podcast in full, click here.