Report page 5

Following the tragedy at Columbine High School in 1999, the Secret Service developed the field of BTAM in schools through a partnership with the Department of Education to examine targeted violence in K-12 schools and create protocols to help prevent future tragedies (Vossekuil et al., 2002).

Over the years, research has demonstrated positive school safety outcomes when BTAM is implemented with fidelity (Cornell et al., 2012; Nekvasil & Cornell, 2015).

BTAM is a proactive approach to identifying students whose behavior elicits concern for their safety or the safety of others, assessing the concerning behavior in context, and providing appropriate interventions and resources to manage the risk of harm while also supporting the student (National Threat Assessment Center, 2022).

Successful implementation requires coordinated effort among various stakeholders, including administrators, teachers, counselors, psychologists, families, and community partners, along with expertise in assessment and interventions that are both student-centered and evidence-based and which promote connection and belonging while minimizing student time away from learning.

In an attempt to follow prescribed models and/or state mandates, schools and districts occasionally establish school safety and other prevention efforts (e.g., school climate, BTAM) separate from broader prevention systems, other existing student support programs, and, in some communities, separate from the district itself.

Siloed implementation like this can strain limited resources and may result in less effective and less efficient supports for students.

Common barriers to integration include lack of cross-team coordination, limited professional development, and challenges in aligning different data systems and intervention approaches.

In instances of siloed implementation, school safety and prevention efforts may not be adequately monitored for effectiveness, fidelity, or impartiality in either referrals or outcomes.

Consistent implementation and balanced outcomes across all student groups are of paramount importance for behavioral threat assessment.