School drills address armed intruders.

• Author: Heintz, Lauren
• Position: TRENDS & TRANSITIONS

Since the Newtown, Conn., school shooting tragedy in December 2012, state lawmakers have been working on strategies to strengthen K-12 safety and preparedness. One of the most common responses has been to add "active shooter" or "school intruder" drills to the list of general emergency drills that 32 states already require schools to conduct for earthquakes, fires, tornadoes and other potential disasters.

Lawmakers in 10 states--Arkansas, California, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Tennessee--have introduced such legislation since last year. The bills tend to address only general requirements for the drills, such as how many must be conducted each year and who needs to be involved, rather than specifically what should occur during the drill. Like the laws requiring schools to conduct general emergency drills, the proposed "active shooter" measures give districts and schools the flexibility to implement the type of drill they determine is best for them, from simple discussions and table-top exercises to full-scale operations involving emergency and law enforcement personnel.

To address concerns that the "active shooter" drills might unduly frighten children, the National Association of School Psychologists has created guidelines for the drills. They include recommendations that school officials steer clear of potentially traumatic stimuli, such as blank...