School Climate & Safety News in Brief

School Shootings Continue Despite Safety Emphasis

By The Associated Press — February 18, 2014 1 min read
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Despite increased security put in place after the massacre at Connecticut’s Sandy Hook Elementary School in December 2012, no real reduction in the number of school shootings has occurred, an analysis concludes.

The Associated Press analysis finds that there have been at least 11 school shootings this academic year alone, in addition to other cases of gun violence, in school parking lots and elsewhere on campus, when classes were not in session. Experts say the rate of school shootings is statistically unchanged since the mid- to late-1990s.

Many schools now have elaborate safety plans and more metal detectors, surveillance cameras, and fences. They also require ID badges. Some schools practice locking down classrooms. Attention also has focused on hiring school resource officers.

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A version of this article appeared in the February 19, 2014 edition of Education Week as School Shootings Continue Despite Safety Emphasis

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