School Safety in New York
The New York State Education Department is committed to promoting safe learning environments where students and teachers work collaboratively in pursuit of academic excellence and social and emotional growth.
Safety Plans
One of the requirements of Project SAVE is that school districts develop, review and regularly update school safety plans at the district and building level. The districtwide school safety plan and building level emergency response plan are intended to define how each school district and all the buildings in the district will respond to acts of violence and other disasters thorough prevention, intervention, emergency response and management.
Safety plans should be submitted electronically via the New York State Education Department (NYSED) business portal.
Annexes: Included in Building Level Emergency Response Plan
Safety Plan Development Resources
District Wide School Safety Plan
Building Level Emergency Response Plan
Conducting Tabletop Exercises
The purpose of a Tabletop Exercise is to provide an opportunity for your team to review and discuss their responses to a simulated incident and to identify the information, actions, and notifications that are needed. Tabletop Exercises can also identify strengths and areas for improvement in your Emergency Response Plans.
Communicating with Families
District Wide School Safety Plan Self-Assessment
May be used to review District-Wide Safety Plans for compliance
Building Level Emergency Response Plan Self-Assessment
May be used to review Building-Level Emergency Response Plans for compliance
Training Modules
Click the button below to take the Emergency Response Training Modules.
Emergency Response Planning for Schools
This Initial Annual Safety Plan Training is a recorded slide presentation designed to provide an overview of student mental health, violence prevention, and includes prompts to guide your school or district through an overview of your District-Wide School Safety Plan and Building-Level Emergency Response Plan.
Note: The training is designed as a group training session.
Initial Annual Safety Plan Training: required by Safe Schools Against Violence in Education Act
Training Module 1:
Developing and Enhancing Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with your Community Partners
Training Module 2:
The Incident Command System (ICS) for Schools
Training Module 3:
Integrating the Needs of Students and Staff with Disabilities and Other Access and Functional Needs
The New York State Education Department has created a series of 13 short video modules designed to support districts and schools in developing their District-Wide School Safety Plan and their Building-Level Emergency Response Plan. The videos provide a process for reviewing and revising your plans, information on the required content for the plans, and tips for submitting the plans.
Emergency Response Planning Video Series
This four-part self-paced training program provides an in-depth look at the practice of lockdown drills and to how to ensure they are conducted effectively while using a trauma-informed approach.
Developed and presented by Dr. Jaclyn Schildkraut and Dr. Amanda Nickerson
Lockdown Drills 101: Preparing For, Conducting, and Assessing Your Practices
Information from NYSED
Audits Related to School Safety Planning Requirements
Updating and Submitting School Building Level Emergency Response Plans Related to District Wide Safety Plans for the 2019 – 20 School Year August 2019
Memorandum of Understanding: Requiring schools to define the roles and responsibilities of school personnel, security personnel and law enforcement who are deployed in schools
