BTAM Team

BTAM approach: a multidisciplinary team systematically evaluates and responds to concerning behavior

The BTAM approach involves a multidisciplinary team—often including school administrators, counselors, and public safety professionals—systematically evaluating and responding to concerning student behaviors or threats.

• BTAM Team
• Key Terms
• Team Composition

cite page 20 Ch 1: Introduction

BTAM teams are at the core of school- or district-level BTAM programs

These teams are at the core of school- or district-level BTAM programs, which schools and districts often implement as part of their broader school safety efforts.

• BTAM Program
• BTAM Team

cite page 20 Ch 1: Introduction

More than 70,000 schools across the United States with BTAM teams

This translates to more than 70,000 schools across the United States with BTAM teams.

• BTAM Adoption Prevalence
• BTAM Team

cite page 26 Ch 2: Which Schools Have Implemented BTAM?

Figure 2.1: Official BTAM team 82 percent

Sample (N = 1746) · All principals who completed the survey and received a weight (weighted to national K-12 public school principals/schools)

Official BTAM team | 82

• BTAM Adoption Prevalence
• BTAM Team

cite page 27 Ch 2: Which Schools Have Implemented BTAM?

Figure 2.1 note: survey item on having a BTAM team or other formal group at school or district

“During this school year (2024–2025), does your school or school district have a behavioral threat assessment and management (BTAM) team or any other formal group of persons tasked with identifying and assessing students who might be at risk for violent or harmful behavior (toward themselves or others)?”

• BTAM Team
• Survey Methodology

cite page 27 Ch 2: Which Schools Have Implemented BTAM?

Authors note some minor differences in BTAM team prevalence across school demographics

However, we do note some minor differences.

• BTAM Team
• Subgroup Differences

cite page 29 Ch 2: Which Schools Have Implemented BTAM?

Figure 2.2 note: survey item on having a BTAM team or other formal group at school or district

“During this school year (2024–2025), does your school or school district have a behavioral threat assessment and management (BTAM) team or any other formal group of persons tasked with identifying and assessing students who might be at risk for violent or harmful behavior (toward themselves or others)?”

• BTAM Team
• Survey Methodology

cite page 30 Ch 2: Which Schools Have Implemented BTAM?

Figure 2.3 note: survey item on having a BTAM team or other formal group at school or district

“During this school year (2024–2025), does your school or school district have a behavioral threat assessment and management (BTAM) team or any other formal group of persons tasked with identifying and assessing students who might be at risk for violent or harmful behavior (toward themselves or others)?”

• BTAM Team
• Survey Methodology

cite page 31 Ch 2: Which Schools Have Implemented BTAM?

Figure 3.1 displays timing of BTAM team formation at all public schools

Nevertheless, Figure 3.1 uses principals’ responses to this question to display a representation of the timing of the formation of BTAM teams at all public schools across the country.

• Adoption Timeline
• BTAM Team

cite page 32 Ch 3: When Did Schools Establish BTAM Teams?

Only principals with a school- or district-level BTAM or equivalent team received the question

Only those who said their school has a school- or district-level BTAM team (or another team not called a BTAM team that functions as a BTAM team) received this question.

• BTAM Team
• Survey Methodology

cite page 33 Ch 3: When Did Schools Establish BTAM Teams?

BTAM process relies on a multidisciplinary team to assess level of concern and decide responses

The BTAM process relies on a multidisciplinary team of individuals to assess the level of concern appropriate to specific behaviors or threats and make decisions about how to respond.

• BTAM Team
• Team Composition

cite page 41 Ch 5: How Are Schools Operationalizing BTAM?

A BTAM team should bring together individuals with different but complementary expertise

That is, a BTAM team should bring together individuals with different but complementary expertise to best assess and respond to individual referred cases and student needs.

• BTAM Team
• Team Composition

cite page 41 Ch 5: How Are Schools Operationalizing BTAM?

Figure 5.1 note: includes only schools with a school- or district-level BTAM team

Includes only those who said their school has a school- or district-level BTAM team.

• BTAM Team
• Sample

cite page 42 Ch 5: How Are Schools Operationalizing BTAM?

Figure 5.2 note: includes only schools with a school- or district-level BTAM team

Includes only those who said their school has a school- or district-level BTAM team.

• BTAM Team
• Sample

cite page 45 Ch 5: How Are Schools Operationalizing BTAM?

Figure 5.3 note: includes only schools with a school- or district-level BTAM team

Includes only those who said their school has a school- or district-level BTAM team.

• BTAM Team
• Sample

cite page 46 Ch 5: How Are Schools Operationalizing BTAM?

BTAM team members are not necessarily BTAM experts or experts at multidisciplinary teamwork

Although BTAM teams are generally made up of experienced practitioners with field-specific expertise, individual members are not necessarily BTAM experts per se and are not necessarily experts at working effectively as part of a larger multidisciplinary team.

• BTAM Team
• Training Recipients

cite page 47 Ch 5: How Are Schools Operationalizing BTAM?

Forming a BTAM team does not require funding beyond total school or district program funding

Forming a BTAM team per se does not require funding outside total program funding for a school or district, which already covers the salaries of such key BTAM team personnel as administrators and counselors.

• BTAM Team
• Funding

cite page 49 Ch 5: How Are Schools Operationalizing BTAM?

Table 6.1 includes only respondents whose school has a school- or district-level BTAM team

Includes only those who said their school has a school- or district-level BTAM team.

• BTAM Team
• Sample

cite page 53 Ch 6: What BTAM Models Do Schools Use?

Chapter focuses on the 82 percent of schools with an official BTAM team

Sample (N = 1746) · All principals who completed the survey and received a weight (weighted to national K-12 public school principals/schools)

In this chapter, we focus on the 82 percent of schools that told us they had an official BTAM team.

• BTAM Adoption Prevalence
• BTAM Team

cite page 58 Ch 8: How Do BTAM Teams Assess Risk of Harm?

The table includes only respondents whose school has a school- or district-level BTAM team

This table includes only those who said that their school has a school- or district-level BTAM team.

• BTAM Team
• Survey Methodology

cite page 59 Ch 8: How Do BTAM Teams Assess Risk of Harm?

Figure 8.1 includes only respondents whose school has a school- or district-level BTAM team

Includes only those who said their school has a school- or district-level BTAM team.

• BTAM Team
• Survey Methodology

cite page 60 Ch 8: How Do BTAM Teams Assess Risk of Harm?

Figure 9.1 includes only schools with a school- or district-level BTAM team

Includes only those who said their school has a school- or district-level BTAM team.

• BTAM Team
• Methodology

cite page 65 Ch 9: How Do BTAM Teams Develop Intervention Plans?

Figure 9.2 includes only schools with a school- or district-level BTAM team

Includes only those who said their school has a school- or district-level BTAM team.

• BTAM Team
• Methodology

cite page 67 Ch 9: How Do BTAM Teams Develop Intervention Plans?

Fig 10.1 includes only schools with a school- or district-level BTAM team

Includes only those who said their school has a school- or district-level BTAM team.

• BTAM Team
• Methodology

cite page 71 Ch 10: How Do BTAM Teams Monitor Intervention Plans?

This chapter covers only schools with official BTAM teams

Note that this chapter also only presents results for schools that had official BTAM teams.

• BTAM Team
• Methodology

cite page 74 Ch 11: How Are Schools Using BTAM to Respond to Student Behavior?

Previous chapters presented data framing how BTAM teams and programs function nationwide

Previous chapters have presented data that frame how BTAM teams and programs function at schools across the country.

• BTAM Program
• BTAM Team

cite page 74 Ch 11: How Are Schools Using BTAM to Respond to Student Behavior?

Rare BTAM initial decisions were expected since teams typically receive reports then respond

This was expected, given that a BTAM team typically receives reports of behavior and then moves forward with response rather than making the initial decision in response to an incident.

• BTAM Team
• Initial Decisionmaker

cite page 77 Ch 11: How Are Schools Using BTAM to Respond to Student Behavior?

Fig 11.1 includes only respondents whose school has a school- or district-level BTAM team

Includes only those who said their school has a school- or district-level BTAM team.

• BTAM Team
• Methodology

cite page 78 Ch 11: How Are Schools Using BTAM to Respond to Student Behavior?

Fig 11.2 includes only respondents whose school has a school- or district-level BTAM team

Includes only those who said their school has a school- or district-level BTAM team.

• BTAM Team
• Methodology

cite page 80 Ch 11: How Are Schools Using BTAM to Respond to Student Behavior?

Figure 11.3 includes only principals whose school has a school- or district-level BTAM team

Includes only those who said their school has a school- or district-level BTAM team.

• BTAM Team
• Sample

cite page 82 Ch 11: How Are Schools Using BTAM to Respond to Student Behavior?

Figure 11.4 includes only schools with a school- or district-level BTAM team

Includes only those who said their school has a school- or district-level BTAM team.

• BTAM Team
• Sample

cite page 85 Ch 11: How Are Schools Using BTAM to Respond to Student Behavior?

Figure 11.5 includes only schools with a school- or district-level BTAM team

Includes only those who said their school has a school- or district-level BTAM team.

• BTAM Team
• Sample

cite page 87 Ch 11: How Are Schools Using BTAM to Respond to Student Behavior?

For many surveyed schools, police could become involved in a subset of scenarios whether or not...

For many of the schools included in our survey, police officers could become involved in responding to a subset of scenarios whether or not a BTAM team was in place.

• BTAM Team
• Law Enforcement

cite page 91 Ch 11: How Are Schools Using BTAM to Respond to Student Behavior?

82 percent of schools have an official BTAM team; chapter covers these schools

Sample (N = 1408) · Schools with an official BTAM team (82 percent of sample)

This chapter includes the 82 percent of schools that have an official BTAM team, regardless of whether this team is housed at the school level, district level, or both.

• BTAM Team
• Perceived Effects

cite page 94 Ch 12: What Do Principals Think Are the Effects of Their BTAM Programs?

District-only or small-team principals slightly lower, but eight in ten still said BTAM effective

Principals who only had a district-level team or whose school only had a small BTAM team had slightly lower perceptions of those teams’ effectiveness.

• BTAM Team
• Effect School Safety

cite page 95 Ch 12: What Do Principals Think Are the Effects of Their BTAM Programs?

Small-team principals slightly less likely to say BTAM improved climate; most still see net positive

Moreover, principals whose schools had only had small BTAM teams were slightly less likely to indicate that BTAM improved school climate; even in these cases, however, most principals still believe that BTAM had a net positive impact on school climate.

• BTAM Team
• Effect School Climate

cite page 96 Ch 12: What Do Principals Think Are the Effects of Their BTAM Programs?

Table A.6: No, 15.0 weighted percent

Sample (N = 1746) · Respondents answering Table A.6 (N = 1,746; screener question)

| No | 15.0 |

• BTAM Adoption Prevalence
• BTAM Team

cite page 114 Appendix A: Survey Frequencies

Table A.6: Yes, 82.2 weighted percent

Sample (N = 1746) · Respondents answering Table A.6 (N = 1,746; screener question)

No | 15.0 | | Yes | 82.2 |

• BTAM Adoption Prevalence
• BTAM Team

cite page 114 Appendix A: Survey Frequencies

Table A.6: Don’t know, 2.8 weighted percent

Sample (N = 1746) · Respondents answering Table A.6 (N = 1,746; screener question)

Yes | 82.2 | | Don’t know | 2.8 |

• BTAM Adoption Prevalence
• BTAM Team

cite page 114 Appendix A: Survey Frequencies

Table A.6 note: Table A.6 note: N = 1,746.

NOTE: N = 1,746.

• BTAM Adoption Prevalence
• BTAM Team

cite page 114 Appendix A: Survey Frequencies

Table A.6 note: Table A.6 was a screener question used to direct appropriate modules to survey respo

This was a screener question used to direct appropriate modules to survey respondents.

• BTAM Adoption Prevalence
• BTAM Team

cite page 114 Appendix A: Survey Frequencies

Table A.7: School level, 31.0 weighted percent

Sample (N = 1441) · Appendix A table base (respondents answering the table question; see note for tables)

School level | 31.0

• BTAM Team
• District Level Team

cite page 114 Appendix A: Survey Frequencies

Table A.7: District level, 16.4 weighted percent

Sample (N = 1441) · Appendix A table base (respondents answering the table question; see note for tables)

District level | 16.4

• BTAM Team
• District Level Team

cite page 114 Appendix A: Survey Frequencies

Table A.7: We have both school- and district-level teams, 52.2 weighted percent

Sample (N = 1441) · Appendix A table base (respondents answering the table question; see note for tables)

We have both school- and district-level teams | 52.2

• BTAM Team
• District Level Team

cite page 114 Appendix A: Survey Frequencies

Table A.7: Don’t know, 0.3 weighted percent

Sample (N = 1441) · Appendix A table base (respondents answering the table question; see note for tables)

We have both school- and district-level teams | 52.2 | | Don’t know | 0.3 |

• BTAM Team
• District Level Team

cite page 114 Appendix A: Survey Frequencies

Table A.7 note: Table A.7 note: n = 1,441.

NOTE: n = 1,441.

• BTAM Team
• District Level Team

cite page 114 Appendix A: Survey Frequencies

Table A.7 note: Column does not sum to 100 percent because of rounding.

Sample (no n: a percentage change, not a share of a sample) · a percentage that is not a share of a sample (e.g. a percentage-point change or a weighted estimate of the population)

Column does not sum to 100 percent because of rounding.

• BTAM Team
• District Level Team

cite page 114 Appendix A: Survey Frequencies

Table A.7 note: Only respondents who said their school has a school- or district-level BTAM team saw

Only respondents who said their school has a school- or district-level BTAM team saw this question.

• BTAM Team
• District Level Team

cite page 114 Appendix A: Survey Frequencies

Table A.8: Not very familiar (e.g., you may have referred students, but are not extremely knowledgea

Sample (N = 1441) · Appendix A table base (respondents answering the table question; see note for tables)

Not very familiar (e.g., you may have referred students, but are not extremely knowledgeable about its processes) | 4.2

• BTAM Team
• Survey Methodology

cite page 114 Appendix A: Survey Frequencies

Table A.8: Somewhat familiar (e.g., you have referred students and/or have knowledge of the team’s p

Sample (N = 1441) · Appendix A table base (respondents answering the table question; see note for tables)

Somewhat familiar (e.g., you have referred students and/or have knowledge of the team’s processes) | 24.9

• BTAM Team
• Survey Methodology

cite page 114 Appendix A: Survey Frequencies

Table A.8: Extremely familiar (e.g., you are a member of the team or lead it, or otherwise have deta

Sample (N = 1441) · Appendix A table base (respondents answering the table question; see note for tables)

Extremely familiar (e.g., you are a member of the team or lead it, or otherwise have detailed knowledge) | 70.9

• BTAM Team
• Survey Methodology

cite page 114 Appendix A: Survey Frequencies

Table A.8 note: Table A.8 note: n = 1,441.

NOTE: n = 1,441.

• BTAM Team
• Survey Methodology

cite page 114 Appendix A: Survey Frequencies

Table A.8 note: Only respondents who said their school has a school- or district-level BTAM team saw

Only respondents who said their school has a school- or district-level BTAM team saw this question.

• BTAM Team
• Survey Methodology

cite page 114 Appendix A: Survey Frequencies

Table A.8 note: The question stem autofilled with “your school BTAM team” if respondents said they h

The question stem autofilled with “your school BTAM team” if respondents said they had a school-level BTAM team or that they have both school- and district-level teams.

• BTAM Team
• Survey Methodology

cite page 114 Appendix A: Survey Frequencies

Table A.8 note: The question stem autofilled with “your district BTAM team” if respondents said they

The question stem autofilled with “your district BTAM team” if respondents said they had a district-level BTAM team.

• BTAM Team
• Survey Methodology

cite page 114 Appendix A: Survey Frequencies

Table A.8 note: The question stem autofilled with “this BTAM team” if the respondent said they did n

The question stem autofilled with “this BTAM team” if the respondent said they did not know the level of the team.

• BTAM Team
• Survey Methodology

cite page 114 Appendix A: Survey Frequencies

Official-BTAM-team respondents told to answer from knowledge of their team

At the beginning of the module, respondents that indicated they had an official BTAM team received the following instructions, “You indicated that your [AUTOFILL] has a BTAM team. Please answer the following questions based on your knowledge of that team.”

• BTAM Team
• Survey Methodology

cite page 120 Appendix A: Survey Frequencies

Table A.20 0 to 1 school year(s): 12.3 (official + other teams); 12.2 (official only)

Sample (N = 1646 | 1408 by column) · Table A.20 columns: official BTAM teams and other school-based teams; official BTAM teams only

0 to 1 school year(s) (newly implemented) | 12.3 | 12.2

• Adoption Timeline
• BTAM Team

cite page 120 Appendix A: Survey Frequencies

Table A.20 2 to 4 school years: 48.3 (official + other teams); 51.1 (official only)

Sample (N = 1646 | 1408 by column) · Table A.20 columns: official BTAM teams and other school-based teams; official BTAM teams only

2 to 4 school years | 48.3 | 51.1

• Adoption Timeline
• BTAM Team

cite page 120 Appendix A: Survey Frequencies

Table A.20 5 to 8 school years: 19.4 (official + other teams); 19.2 (official only)

Sample (N = 1646 | 1408 by column) · Table A.20 columns: official BTAM teams and other school-based teams; official BTAM teams only

5 to 8 school years | 19.4 | 19.2

• Adoption Timeline
• BTAM Team

cite page 120 Appendix A: Survey Frequencies

Table A.20 9 or more school years: 10.9 (official + other teams); 9.7 (official only)

Sample (N = 1646 | 1408 by column) · Table A.20 columns: official BTAM teams and other school-based teams; official BTAM teams only

9 or more school years | 10.9 | 9.7

• Adoption Timeline
• BTAM Team

cite page 120 Appendix A: Survey Frequencies

Table A.20 Don’t know: 9.0 (official + other teams); 7.7 (official only)

Sample (N = 1646 | 1408 by column) · Table A.20 columns: official BTAM teams and other school-based teams; official BTAM teams only

Don’t know | 9.0 | 7.7

• Adoption Timeline
• BTAM Team

cite page 120 Appendix A: Survey Frequencies

Table A.20 N: 1,646 (official + other teams); 1,408 (official only)

N | 1,646 | 1,408

• Adoption Timeline
• BTAM Team

cite page 120 Appendix A: Survey Frequencies

Table A.48, Never: 31.0 / 29.7

Sample (N = 1608 | 1379 by column) · Table A.48 columns: official+other school-based teams (1,608); official teams only (1,379)

Never | 31.0 | 29.7

• BTAM Team
• Exclusionary Discipline

cite page 136 Appendix A: Survey Frequencies

Table A.48, Rarely: 46.2 / 46.0

Sample (N = 1608 | 1379 by column) · Table A.48 columns: official+other school-based teams (1,608); official teams only (1,379)

Rarely | 46.2 | 46.0

• BTAM Team
• Exclusionary Discipline

cite page 136 Appendix A: Survey Frequencies

Table A.48, Sometimes: 19.3 / 20.6

Sample (N = 1608 | 1379 by column) · Table A.48 columns: official+other school-based teams (1,608); official teams only (1,379)

Sometimes | 19.3 | 20.6

• BTAM Team
• Exclusionary Discipline

cite page 136 Appendix A: Survey Frequencies

Table A.48, Frequently: 2.7 / 2.8

Sample (N = 1608 | 1379 by column) · Table A.48 columns: official+other school-based teams (1,608); official teams only (1,379)

Frequently | 2.7 | 2.8

• BTAM Team
• Exclusionary Discipline

cite page 136 Appendix A: Survey Frequencies

Table A.48, Every time: 0.8 / 0.9

Sample (N = 1608 | 1379 by column) · Table A.48 columns: official+other school-based teams (1,608); official teams only (1,379)

Every time | 0.8 | 0.9

• BTAM Team
• Exclusionary Discipline

cite page 136 Appendix A: Survey Frequencies

Module 3: Inside BTAM; Module 4 if involved in initial implementation, else Module 5

3 | Inside BTAM | Module 4 if involved in initial implementation (Yes), else Module 5 (No)

• BTAM Team
• Survey Methodology

cite page 147 Appendix B: Survey Methods