Safety Self-Assessment Tool Allows Schools To Compare Each Other

Jul 1, 2008 4:23 PM

CDW Government Inc. (CDW-G), a source of Information Technology (IT) solutions to educators and governments, has published the 2008 School Safety Index Self-Assessment Tool, enabling school and community leaders to take CDW-G’s School Safety Index survey and receive an instant score showing how their school or district compares to the national school safety average, which CDW-G reported in May.

Using the self-assessment tool, school leaders, parents and policy makers answer 12 questions about physical and cyber safety. Each question highlights an indicator of strong school safety programs, as well as the barriers to improved school safety. The self-assessment results are meant to spark discussion about school security at the local school level. The CDW-G School Safety Index Self-Assessment Tool is online at www.schoolsafetyindex.com.

The CDW-G School Safety Index Self-Assessment Tool scores schools and districts on eight safety indicators, or strengths, and four contraindicators, or weaknesses:

Cyber Security Indicators
• District Cooperation
• Data Monitoring
• Network Access
• User Authentication
• Education

Physical Security Indicators
• Security Tools
• Local Authority Communication
• Emergency Communication

Cyber Security Contraindicators
• IT Breaches IT Barriers

Physical Security Contraindicators
• Physical Breaches
• Physical Barriers

“These days, technology plays a key role in helping schools ensure student and staff safety -- especially with tools such as IP cameras that bridge both IT and physical security,” says Bob Kirby, senior director, K-12 education, CDW-G. “While the School Safety Index shows that districts are actively pursuing security improvements, breaches keep the school safety discussion top of mind for educators, parents and community leaders. The School Safety Index Self-Assessment Tool helps stakeholders identify key areas of concern for their school or district based on their score so that they can find ways to balance security needs with other priority projects.”

CDW-G surveyed more than 400 district IT and security directors to arrive at the national school safety average, which was published in the School Safety Index report in May.

Key survey findings include:
• More than half of districts are using network access control (NAC) to protect data and help to ensure that only authorized users and approved applications access their networks. However, budget constraints, lack of staff resources and the need for more IT tools cancelled out districts’ efforts to improve cyber safety.
• Nearly half of districts are utilizing mass notification systems, and 70 percent are using security cameras; 29 percent of districts report that security cameras have had a positive impact on district safety.
• Districts should consider the instant access that IP security cameras can give their local police and first responders. While more schools are using security cameras, only a small number of districts provide their local police forces with the ability to access digital footage remotely in real-time during an emergency.

Want to use this article? Click here for options!
© 2009 Penton Media Inc.

This month in Access Control

• Targeting The Customer
• Electronic Pedigrees
• One Hero Among Many
• Who? What? When? Where? Why?
• More from September's issue