ASIS International, an authority in security standards, released its American National Standards Institute (ANSI)-approved standard designed to provide a framework for developing, implementing, maintaining, and improving school security. It provides a critical benchmark for assessing and improving a school’s security posture regardless of size and funding.

“This standard represents thousands of hours of dedicated volunteer work by a passionate cross-disciplinary team of professionals united in their commitment to improving school security. While there are no simple solutions for creating completely secure educational environments, this standard was specifically designed to help schools systematically assess and address their unique risks,” said Jeffrey Slotnick, CPP, PSP, co-chair, ASIS School Security Standard Technical Committee. “This is a proactive tool to serve schools across the globe by providing practical, actionable guidance for those on how to secure learning environments while maintaining focus on their primary mission of education.”

This framework was designed through a multi-disciplinary collaboration, bringing together the collective expertise of school administrators, security professionals, architects, mental health practitioners, behavioral threat assessment specialists, facilities managers, emergency management experts, law enforcement, crisis communications professionals, and business continuity planners. The result is an evidence-based approach designed to empower schools to conduct thorough assessments of their current security posture while identifying strategic opportunities to further mitigate risks.

The standard takes a holistic approach to security by providing criteria for a best-in-class security program that takes into consideration physical security, behavioral threat assessment and management, and emergency operations planning. This standard was purposefully developed as a dynamic framework that evolves through real-world implementation, actively soliciting insights and feedback from practitioners to drive ongoing refinement and enhancement of its guidance.

“For the first time, schools across North America and around the world have access to a nationally recognized, ANSI-approved standard to provide a clear path for implementing a comprehensive school security program,” said Drew Neckar, CPP, co-chair, ASIS School Security Standard Technical Committee. “This groundbreaking ANSI/ASIS School Security Standard transforms the security landscape for K-12 environments by providing those accountable for security measures a scalable roadmap that when implemented, doesn’t just meet security objectives, it creates a framework for continuous improvement based on industry benchmarks and empowers stakeholders involved in school security to build stronger, more resilient educational environments. This initiative reflects a growing recognition of the need for integrated security strategies that go beyond physical infrastructure to include behavioral and emergency response planning.”