The first requirement of any successful school safety program is careful planning. Without such planning, interventions, no matter how well intentioned, will not succeed. Planning efforts should be comprehensive, involving a wide range of individuals and school personnel. The SARA (scan, analyze, respond, assess) problem-solving model is one method that can be used effectively during the planning process. Planners can scan the broad range of problems faced by the school, analyze the available resources, respond by developing policies and implementing procedures that emphasize accountability, and subsequently assess the impact of the program.

Second, programs with an integrative and collaborative basis for their creation, implementation, execution, and evaluation are most likely to succeed. As with planning, a comprehensive approach that includes students, teachers, staff, parents, and juvenile justice system officials is recommended for school-based intervention efforts designed to reduce violence and disorder. Appropriate staffing is necessary at each level of the intervention to ensure the program’s effectiveness; individuals with appropriate skills and experience should be hired whenever possible. Training is also key to the success of any intervention. Every individual involved should receive appropriate training that includes crosstraining where possible (e.g., training in security for teachers and training for school resource officers to support the teaching function).

Finally, more and better evaluations of school-based interventions are essential to establishing and maintaining effective accountability-based school safety programs. Careful measurement, data collection, and evaluation of all school accountability interventions will enhance existing programs and provide a solid foundation for future efforts. More information is needed about what works, when it works, and for whom it works. Without strong, independent evaluations, the identification of successful programs for replication is impossible.