the policy challenge going forward is less about advancing adoption of BTAM as a component of schools safety efforts—the vast majority of schools already have done so—and more about how to improve existing programs.
cite page 100 Ch 13: Sustaining and Improving BTAM Programs over Time
We present the data in this chapter with an eye toward continuous improvement, focusing again on those schools with official BTAM teams.
cite page 100 Ch 13: Sustaining and Improving BTAM Programs over Time
Studies of program implementation in many areas have identified many risks to program sustainment, including resource constraints that force the closure of good programs; “drifting” away from careful program delivery so that over time a program morphs into something different than originally intended; and staff turnover or changes in leadership that remove the program’s “champion,” meaning no one is there to ensure continued quality and performance (see Lane et al., 2019, for a review).
cite page 100 Ch 13: Sustaining and Improving BTAM Programs over Time
Several factors must be in place to ensure the sustainability of BTAM programs.
cite page 100 Ch 13: Sustaining and Improving BTAM Programs over Time
Buy-in and ongoing support from the school community, belief across multiple groups—leaders, staff, parents, and students—that the program is working to improve school safety, and resilience to staff turnover are especially critical.
cite page 100 Ch 13: Sustaining and Improving BTAM Programs over Time
As we discuss in this section, our data suggest that many schools already have some of the suitable factors in place to support the continued operation of their BTAM programs into the future, but there are areas where additional support could strengthen BTAM sustainability and continuous improvement.
cite page 100 Ch 13: Sustaining and Improving BTAM Programs over Time
Sample (N = 1376) · Teams answering community support / challenges / processes / training questions
As shown in Figure 13.1, 71 percent of principals overall, across all school characteristics, believe that their school community is supportive of BTAM.
cite page 100 Ch 13: Sustaining and Improving BTAM Programs over Time
Sample (N = 1376) · Teams answering community support / challenges / processes / training questions
This includes 43 percent who perceive their school community as supportive and 27 percent who perceive their community as somewhat supportive.
cite page 100 Ch 13: Sustaining and Improving BTAM Programs over Time
Sample (N = 1376 total; column N not printed) · Teams answering community support / challenges / processes / training questions
Principals of large schools were slightly more likely than principals of small schools to view their community as supportive of BTAM (74 versus 67 percent, respectively).
cite page 100 Ch 13: Sustaining and Improving BTAM Programs over Time
In this chapter, we look toward the future to discuss what principals told us about what they think could help strengthen BTAM in K–12 schools and how their programs incorporate processes and activities focused on improving program effectiveness over time.
cite page 100 Ch 13: Sustaining and Improving BTAM Programs over Time
Even when schools adopt valuable programs that help students and lead to better outcomes—not just for school safety but also for academic, school climate, and other goals—there is no guarantee that these programs will be successfully sustained over time.
cite page 100 Ch 13: Sustaining and Improving BTAM Programs over Time
Principals who serve in a variety of school settings perceive that their school community is supportive of BTAM as a school safety approach.
cite page 100 Ch 13: Sustaining and Improving BTAM Programs over Time
We observed only one statistically significant difference when it comes to school characteristics
cite page 100 Ch 13: Sustaining and Improving BTAM Programs over Time
Find the Perfect Training Class For You
