Evaluating School Safety Using Environmental Design

A case study was conducted to establish baseline data in determining the efficacy of the safety and security program at two rural high schools. Using a publicly available Likert scale survey provided by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), district and school leaders were surveyed to determine their perceptions of safety and security on the two campuses. The adult subjects were subsequently interviewed to elicit deeper meaning behind their scores. A second survey was administered to former students to provide compare/contrast data. Utilizing the data from the surveys and interviews, the district was able to determine those things it is doing well as well as those areas in need or missing altogether from the safety and security program. Based on CDC scoring recommendations, each of the two campuses was determined to be safe for students and staff. The data from the surveys have informed the district regarding next steps for its safety and security program; however, the data are site-specific and are not intended to be used to compare the two schools–they only measure each location’s unique program. The CDC survey is a valuable tool that can be used to measure safety and security on any school campus.