School violence and threats remain a significant concern in K–12 education
School violence and threats remain a significant concern in K–12 education.
NCIER®
Report page 6
Claims on this page
BTAM is a widely adopted approach using multidisciplinary teams to evaluate and respond to concernin
To enhance the safety of children in schools, behavioral threat assessment and management (BTAM) has become a widely adopted approach to preventing violence and other harmful outcomes by bringing together multidisciplinary teams to systematically evaluate and appropriately respond to concerning student behaviors or threats.
BTAM helps manage safety risks and reduce reliance on suspensions or expulsions
By appropriately assessing risk of harm and providing tailored interventions, BTAM helps schools manage safety risks while supporting student well-being and reducing reliance on suspensions or expulsions, which research shows can have lasting negative effects and may not effectively reduce the risk of school violence.
NTAC sponsored a multiyear HSOAC research effort on BTAM practices and implementation in K–12 school
As part of its long-standing effort to improve and foster the adoption of BTAM as a strategy to prevent targeted violence, the National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) has sponsored a multiyear research effort carried out by the Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center (HSOAC) that is focused on BTAM practices and their implementation in K–12 schools.
Joint effort included a nationally representative survey of 1,746 principals
To provide a comprehensive picture of BTAM implementation, the practices that schools are using to identify and manage potential threats to schools, and the potential solutions to strengthen BTAM across the United States, the joint HSOAC-NTAC research effort included a nationally representative survey of 1,746 principals across the country implementing BTAM practices at their schools.
Survey asked about implementation, team composition, incidents referred, and operating, sustaining a
Survey respondents were asked questions about the initial implementation of their school’s BTAM program, the composition of their BTAM team, and the types of incidents referred to and addressed by their BTAM team, as well as a broad set of questions about operating, sustaining, and improving BTAM practices at their schools.
Each respondent also answered scenario-based questions
Each survey respondent also answered a set of scenario-based questions representative of incidents they might experience at their schools, for more insight into how their schools use BTAM as a violence prevention tool.
Survey data are the first of their kind to look comprehensively at BTAM operationalization
The data collected in this survey are the first of their kind to look comprehensively at how BTAM is being operationalized in schools across the country.
Survey was fielded in January 2025
The survey was fielded in January 2025.
Prior studies were specific to one model, confined to single states, or based on small interview or
Although several studies have sought to understand the impact of threat assessment programs on various school-level outcomes, including violence prevention, to date these reports have been specific to a single threat assessment model; confined to understanding trends in single states; or based on interviews or surveys of a small number of individuals.
Primary goal: use a nationally representative sample of administrators to understand BTAM implementa
Therefore, the primary goal of this report is to draw on a nationally representative sample of school administrators to understand how BTAM is being implemented and operationalized across the country.
BTAM adoption is becoming a nearly ubiquitous practice across U.S. schools
Adoption of BTAM as part of school safety efforts is becoming a nearly ubiquitous practice across U.S. schools.
A decade ago fewer than half of schools had BTAM teams
Sample (n = undeterminable of undeterminable) · Federal SSOCS / School Pulse Panel national estimates of schools with a BTAM team
This level of effort marks a dramatic increase from a decade ago, when fewer than half of schools had BTAM teams.
Main challenge now is effective and consistent implementation, not adoption
The main challenge now is not encouraging adoption but rather ensuring effective and consistent implementation.
Schools should focus on refining practices and sustaining programs
Schools should focus on refining practices and sustaining programs, with ongoing support as needed to institutionalize best practices and build long-term capacity.
State-level BTAM policies are likely helping schools implement BTAM
State-level policies related to BTAM, whether through legislation or non-codified policy, are likely helping schools implement BTAM.
Schools in states with early mandates or encouragement are further along, with more standardized mee
Schools in states with early mandates or policy encouragement for BTAM are further along in implementation, with more standardized meeting schedules and written procedures.
Progress may be due to earlier access to training and funding
This progress may be due to earlier access to training and funding.
State-level support appears to play a key role in advancing BTAM practices
State-level support appears to play a key role in advancing BTAM practices.
Responses suggest schools scope BTAM programs to the most severe, high-risk cases
Responses suggest that schools are appropriately scoping their BTAM programs to focus on the most severe and high-risk cases of student behavior.
Report gives a picture of the state of BTAM in K–12 public schools in 2025
This report takes an in-depth look at the results of that survey, providing a picture of the state of BTAM in K–12 public schools across the country in 2025.
The first-of-its-kind survey revealed the following key highlights
This first-of-its-kind survey revealed the following key highlights:
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