School Threat Assessment in Florida Shared

The National Center for School Safety released a video this week in which Dr. Jenn Maeng presents findings from a new technical report on threat assessment.

The report examines Florida threat assessment case data from the 2021-2022 school year, highlighting outcomes for more than 22,000 cases. Maeng shares the outcomes of the study and emphasizes how a systematic approach can reduce disparities: 

• Recognize the significance and need for systematic threat assessment in schools

• Evaluate both the challenges and successes faced during the implementation

• Anticipate potential biases and disparities in threat assessment outcomes.

Key takeaways include:

• Behavioral threat assessment has become a widespread practice in schools across the nation

• The study in Florida covered 90% of the state and showed a rapid yet effective implementation of threat assessment procedures

• The study yielded notable results, including 82% of cases being deemed as non-threatening, only 2% of students being expelled, and 73% being referred to services such as counseling. There were minimal instances of violence

• Students with disabilites were more likely to undergo threat assessment, aligning with findings from previous studies in Colorado and Virginia

• No significant differences in disciplinary outcomes based on race were found: 27% of Black students received an out of school suspension while white students received out[1]of-school suspensions at a rate of 25%

Visit www.nc2s.org for more information and https://youtu.be/oqcBpNKHhdk to watch the video in its entirety.