Context, Gap, Process, Progress and Choices

While heated, often illogical debates regarding gun control plague the topic of school safety, conversation surrounding specific security measures within said schools is dismissed. School safety is, of course, a massively exigent issue with numerous implications and consequences. Since the tragic Columbine High School Shooting in Colorado, over 320,000 students have experienced some form of gun violence within their schools (Cox et al., 2022). Not only are these shootings deadly and dangerous, but also psychologically catastrophic. A young child being exposed to an event as traumatic as this could influence their mental health for years to come (Rossin-Slater, 2022). However, there has been limited information released addressing the state of security practices and technologies within schools. In a recent study done by the Pew Research Center, it was revealed that about 32% of parents are “very” or “extremely” concerned about the possibility of a school shooting (Hurst, 2022). Evidently, the growth and development of security programs does concern an expansive audience, and is worthy of refinement. Due to the extreme publicity of Colorado’s past shootings, which can be attributed to the notorious influence of Columbine, many look to the state as a representative example of the country’s gun violence. Setting a precedent for standardized, modern procedures for active-shooter responses will be vital to the development of safety for surrounding regions. Continually, news coverage of school shootings reveals that a majority of safety measures are prone to failure, and that these institutions cannot rely on police response. Investigations of the recent Robb Elementary School Shooting in Uvalde, Texas disclosed that security in the building had to operate essentially on its own, with almost no support from the officers outside (Despart, 2022). The primary goal of my research project is to identify the state of elementary school-safety strategies in the metropolitan region of Colorado. I’ll be aiming to record the different protocols used in active-shooter response in order to make a conclusion regarding the consistency of Colorado schools’ safety programs. My research project will take into account processes/trained response, technology, and additional resources that have already been implemented in order to create a comprehensive understanding of methods. The goal of this inquiry will be to compare, contrast, and draw conclusions from the responses provided by interviewees. When embarking on my research journey, my first step was to evaluate the information currently available to the public regarding school safety. I went through each of the websites for the schools in the Metropolitan area and looked over the content. Upon initial search, there’s only one district in this study with specific information regarding the safety technology and protocols. While this website is actually quite effective in informing those who are interested, it still does not allow for communication between other districts. While this district may have a lot of available details, many others do not. The results of this research project will be integral in determining the uniformity, or lack thereof, of implemented safety technologies or strategies. These findings will provide a representative picture of Colorado’s troubling history with school-related gun violence. The investigation will take into account processes/trained response, technology, and additional resources that have already been implemented in order to create a comprehensive understanding of methods. The goal of this inquiry will be to compare, contrast, and draw conclusions from the responses provided by interviewees.

At this point in my project, I have just concluded my data collection. It took a significant amount of time to gather all my contact information and send out my survey. With the help of my research mentor, Mrs. Dobos, I reached out to 15 districts for help gathering my data. Originally, I had planned to collect data from 18 districts, but found that some were not applicable. While some districts were more responsive and collaborative than others, I have acquired some great replies. Now, I need to remove a few schools with districts that have denied my request. Soon, I can begin writing my paper. While I would like to share some specifics of my progress, it’s vital that this information stays entirely confidential.

Works Cited

20 Years after Columbine: Highlights of School Safety Efforts in Colorado. https://cdpsdocs.state.co.us/safeschools/Resources/20.Years.After.Columbine.Highlights.pdf.

Despart, Zach. “‘Systemic Failures’ in Uvalde Shooting Went Far Beyond Local Police, Texas House Report Details.” The Texas Tribune, The Texas Tribune, 17 July 2022, https://www.texastribune.org/2022/07/17/law-enforcement-failure-uvalde-shooting-investigation/.

“Digest of Education Statistics, 2017.” National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Home Page, a Part of the U.S. Department of Education, https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d17/tables/dt17_233.60.asp.

Hurst, Kiley. “About a Third of K-12 Parents Are Very or Extremely Worried a Shooting Could Happen at Their Children's School.” Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center, 18 Oct. 2022, https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2022/10/18/about-a-third-of-k-12-parents-are-very-or-ext.

Rossin-Slater. “Surviving a School Shooting: Impacts on the Mental Health, Education, and Earnings of American Youth.” Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR), https://siepr.stanford.edu/publications/health/surviving-school-shooting-impacts-mental-health-education-and-earnings-american.