| In an ever-changing world filled with violence, school districts are consistently faced with the task of having to help school-aged children deal with personal and public tragedies. Teachers and administrators should possess a skill set that will allow then to be positive and effective leaders and role models during times of crisis within the school building or district. Since many students are not yet mature enough to realize how to appropriately handle crisis situations, it is of great importance that school districts are providing knowledge and resources to their employees and students in order to effectively handle stressful situations. Since traditional lockdown methods are proving to be ineffective against school intruders, the US Department of Education is recommending a "Run, Hide, Fight" protocol to school districts when developing school safety procedures. The ALICE intruder alert program fits with this recommendation and many districts across the nation are adopting these procedures, or some that are similar, which are taught at the ALICE training. Districts are left to their own devices when it comes to implementing the ALICE procedures, and this study identifies how districts perceive the ALICE training as well as how they put the ALICE procedures into practices within their schools. |
