School Policy and School Crisis Management - Essay Example

?Crisis Management in Schools Introduction: Schools today are increasingly being exposed to critical man made incidents including shooting, stabbings, suicide, homicide and /or terrorist activities as well as natural and other disasters such as fire, traffic accidents, etc. among others resulting in irreparable damage to the school staff and students as well as property. The implementation of a well-developed and robust crisis response plan in such circumstances would enable the schools to address the problems faced by them and manage them effectively, thus safeguarding the lives of those on the premises and preventing damage to the school property and resources. The implementation of such crisis management programs in schools however require extensive knowledge and access to crucial information about local contexts and surroundings, as well as detailed long term follow up plan. Following the rise in shooting incidents in schools across the United States various local and district authorities have insisted on development and implementation of appropriate crisis management frameworks. School is the single most social structure next to family, in the life of a child. It is hence imperative and obligatory for schools to ensure safety of all its students as well as its staff against unforeseen incidents. The role of schools in recent times has widened from merely providing educational support to offering safety and ensuring physical and emotional security to children in times of chaos and turmoil. This essay on crisis management in schools attempts to assess, explore and analyze the crisis management programs implemented in schools and suggests recommendations for implementing an effective crisis management programs which effectively addresses the needs and requirements of contemporary social environment. School policies for crisis management: It is imperative for schools to implement an appropriate and effective crisis management program at the district, school and classroom levels which includes the following critical elements (Lunenberg, and Irby, 2005): A clear definition of the term ‘crisis’ A clearly defined crisis communication policy A range of other policies aimed at prevention of violence within the school premises (i.e., violence prevention policies which prohibits any sort of violence) A zero tolerance policy with regard to drug abuse or possession of weapons and A strict intruder policy. Prepare an Emergency Operations Plan with detailed instructions about the scope of duties of each and every staff member when faced with a crisis situation. Furthermore it is advisable for the school administration to categorize the crisis management programs based on type of crisis likely to be encountered by them i.e. people oriented policies to address crisis situations arising out of medical emergencies, sudden intrusion of outside elements; shootings; abductions or terrorist threats etc., or based on natural and other disasters. The emergence and rising role of media entails an the implementation of an additional media response strategy which helps the staff to respond and deal with the media who tend to arrive immediately after hearing about the incident. Media relations have increasingly become crucial for schools today and must be implemented within the crisis management policies (Dunlap, 2012). Crisis Management Program: Key steps It is imperative for schools to implement basic policies and introduce key provisions with regard to preparation and planning, assess the vulnerability and develop mitigation responses; plan threat management guidelines; develop robust incident response procedures and plan and implement recovery activities. Each of these key activities are discussed in detail as follows: 1. Planning and preparation: Planning and preparation are critical elements in the process of developing a crisis management plan. The planning process must be flexible enough to enable the management to adapt to the dynamic external environment. Preparation on the other hand refers to the process of collecting all necessary information which can be used later during times of crises. It requires identifying and acquiring critical resources - human as well as capital, which can be used to address the emergency situation likely to be faced by them during a crisis (Bosher, Kaminski, and Vacca, 2004). According to a nation-wide survey conducted by the National Association of School Resource Officers, most of the schools today are highly vulnerable to terrorist attacks due to lack of proper security arrangements and preparedness on the part of the school management. Furthermore it was also observed that gaining access to school grounds was easy and the mail handling system of a majority of schools was found to be lackluster and below par making it easier for foreign elements to enter the school premises (Klinger, 2008; Snow, 2004). Preparation is the first step in the process of developing a crisis management planning program. In order to ensure that the schools are thoroughly prepared to handle and address any impending crisis situation it is imperative for the administration or the planning committee to design a plan which is flexible and encompasses the key elements such as formation and maintenance of a school crisis team; providing training to the school staff / crisis communication team; forming and implementing various guidelines and ensuring strict adherence to the same by their staff in order to enable coping among the students post a crisis situation; developing an effective accounting system for all the students to provide them post crisis intervention; and develop long-term follow up plans (Franklin, Harris, and Allen-Meares, 2013). Furthermore preparation entails that the plans developed by schools are flexible enough to cater to the diverse school population. The planning process must ensure that the process is customized to suit the needs of its culturally diverse population; and planning the list of required resources to deal with an unforeseen situation. 2. Vulnerability assessment and mitigation: In order for any organization to deal with an impending crisis effectively it is vital to ensure that the organization clearly understands its vulnerability against the various internal and external forces and the subsequent stress likely to be encountered by the staff and the students during and post the crisis situation. The exposure of students and staff to a sudden or unexpected crisis situation is likely to cause serious negative physical and emotional impacts. Hence it is highly crucial for the crisis planning team to ensure that they consult with the school administrators and seek support from them regarding assessing the professional, physical and career vulnerabilities as well fitness of the crisis response team. This is of particular significance because the inability or professional vulnerability of the members of the crisis response team if unattended may lead to serious negative consequences, causing harm to the staff and the students exposed to the crisis (Johnson, 2000). Fig. 1: Vulnerability assessment process Vulnerability assessment refers to a process whereby there is a constant effort on the part of the school management to identify and prioritize the various risks likely to be faced by the schools as well as school districts. It entails the effective development of a crisis management plan which focuses on enforcing a system of accountability and timelines as a means to address the risks or threats involved. The process of effective implementation and identification of tools required to analyse the vulnerability of schools against unforseen situations helps in strengthening their response to a crisis situation and mitigate the damage likely to be caused to a considerable extent (Dunlap, 2012). 3. Threat assessment management: Threat assessment refers to the process by which the crisis management team ascertains and develops the credibility and extent of threat likely to be encountered by the school administration and the manner in which the response team will execute their respective roles. It also refers to identifying the various intervention programs proposed to be implemented by the administration both - prior and post a crisis situation. The term threat assessment is defined as "the process of assessing risks to a particular target, group of individuals, or individual and management strategies to reduce that risk or threat" (Mohandie & Boles, 1999 cited in Johnson, 2000: p. 39). It entails implementation of district wide policies aimed at assessing the vulnerabilities of schools as well as districts and designing programs to overcome them. Various threat assessment tools are available at the disposal of the management which can be used to ensure that the schools are adequately equipped to address any likely threat in the long term (Johnson, 2000). Threat assessment is a proactive step in the planning process of a crisis management program whereby the school administrators are entrusted with the responsibility to ensure that they are adequately equipped to address any threat encountered by them at all times rather than wait for a crisis to occur. The effectiveness of a crisis management program relies heavily on the threat assessment management. Hence it is imperative for the school administrators to ensure that the team responsible for management of threat assessment is adequately trained through multidisciplinary training sessions in diverse settings to enable them to establish effective communication channels and build positive relationships. Furthermore exclusive training sessions must be carried out using practical exercises whereby the members / teams responsible participate in brainstorming activities to arrive at the most effective way to enhance the current threat assessment and management programs (Fein, 2002). 4. Incident response procedures: The incident response procedures are critical for the effective development of a crisis management plan and for ensuring provision of enhanced school safety measures. With regard to crisis management, the term incident refers to any occurrence natural or otherwise which entails implementation and development of a prompt response with a view to protect and safeguard the life and property of those involved. The development of a crisis or incident response plan for schools has become very critical given the current social environment whereby schools and various other social institutions are constantly exposed to various threats man-made or otherwise. In the wake of the recent school tragedies the development of such response plans has become all the more important since it enables the management to effectively coordinate and manage the resources and mitigate the damage caused. The process entails that school administrators address and analyze the existing policies and procedures implemented throughout the orgnization at various levels and coordinate it with the corresponding laws and regulations of their respective districts. The process also entails assigning of appropriate duties and responsibilities to the crisis management team so that they are equipped to respond promptly to the needs and requirements of the staff and those on the premises during and after encountering a crisis situation. Furthermore it must also be ensured that the policies developed by the crisis response team be strictly adhered to at all times to ensure effectiveness and mitigate the damages caused in the best way possible (Sprague and Walker, 2005). 5. Recovery activities: This is the last phase in the crisis management program. Recovery activities refer to activities initiated by the crisis response teams to restore the administration as well as the staff and all those involved to their original state. The recovery activities can be implemented in various ways depending on the nature of crisis encountered and the impact of the same i.e. extent of damage caused. One of the measures that can be implemented by schools who have undergone significant damage to its property or physical resources is to conduct online classes whereby the students are provided the opportunity to take classes online thus eliminating the need to be present on the school premises and yet enable them to continue their education. The adoption of appropriate technology in such situations can not only help in mitigating the damage caused to the school property but also help them in overcoming costs and delays caused due to cancellation of classes (Dunlap, 2012). Also it is often observed that crisis often lead to long lasting damage to the individuals leading to their inability to cope with the stress and resulting in obstacles in learning. It becomes highly crucial for the crisis response teams to introduce recovery activities aimed at supporting all those affected in overcoming the trauma and help them resume their daily school activities. These activities include fund raising, providing counselling, and other community based services specially designed to help the victims deal with the aftermath of the crisis in the most effective manner possible (Johnson, 2000). Conclusion: School crisis management has shown tremendous growth over the years mostly on account of the growing need and significance of a well-developed crisis response team within school premises and their effectiveness in assessing, preventing and mitigating the damages caused in the aftermath of an issue. The crisis response teams provide the school administrations with an effective way to deal with the post-crisis situation whereby the students, staff as well as parents and guardians of the students are included in the program and offered guidance and resources to overcome the negative impact caused by the crisis. The discipline has not only grown but matured over the years enabling the schools to address any type of crisis through development of effective and unique strategies, policies and procedures and empowering their staff as well as students to utilize the resources available at their disposal to overcome an unforseen situation encountered by them. However despite the immense benefits offered by the development and implementation of an effective crisis management program there is abundant literature which points to the ineffectiveness of school management to implement an appropriate plan either due to lack of resources available at their disposal or due to their lack of ability to do so. In most cases such plans and procedures merely exist on paper with no practical implementation. It is only thorugh planned activities such as ongoing staff training and continuous evaluation and assessment of vulnerabilities of the schools; and evaluation of security measures available at the disposal of the school management that a robust crisis management program can be hoped to effectively implemented. References: Bosher, W. C., Kaminski, K. R., Vacca, R. S., (2004). The school law handbook: What every leader needs to know. Alexandria, VA: ASCD Publication. Dunlap, E. S., (2012). The comprehensive handbook of school safety. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. Fein, R. A., (2002). Threat assessment in schools: A guide to managing threatening situations and to creating safe school climates. Washington, D.C: DIANE Publishing. Franklin, C., Harris, M. B., Allen-Meares, P., (2013). The school services sourcebook: A guide for school-based professionals. London, UK: Oxford University Press. Johnson, K., (2000). School crisis management: A hands-on guide to training crisis response team. Almeda, California: Hunter House Inc. Publishers. Klinger, A. L., (2008) An analysis of factors that increase the priority and effectiveness of crisis response in a school district. Ann Arbor, MI: ProQuest Publication. Lunenberg, F. C., Irby, B. J., (2005). The principalship: Vision to Action. London, UK: Thomson Learning Publication. Snow, A. L., (2004). More practical advise for principals. Oxford, UK: R & L Education. Sprague, J. R., Walker, H. M., (2005). Safe and healthy schools: Practical prevention strategies. New York, NY: Guilford Press. Read More