Student anxiety about school shootings has escalated in the past two decades. Conducting active shooter drills is necessary, but in addition to having a concrete plan and conducting an effective drill, school leaders also need to address student well-being.

Since the Columbine High School mass shooting there have been over 400 school shootings that impacted almost 400,000 students. While this is only a tiny fraction of the number of students in K-12 schools in the US, a recent national study found that:

• More than 50% of students ages 14 to 17 worry frequently about school shootings
• 13% of students reported not going to school in the last 30-day period surveyed because they felt unsafe either on their way to school, or in school
• 44% of parents and 59% of teachers worry about the possibility of a shooting happening at their school.¹

School leaders need to balance creating effective active shooter drills for their schools with attending to the psychological well-being of their students, families, teachers, and staff.

A new 2025 report by SchoolSafety.Gov, a federal agency launched in 2020 as a central repository for resources for creating safe school environments, provides a comprehensive strategy for how to plan for a safety drill, what to do during the drill, and plans for directly following the drill. Clear communication to students, staff, and families is critical and the focus of these communications should emphasize student well-being.

The following is a synthesis of SchoolSafety.Gov’s recommendations as well as best practices culled from the research literature.

Establish an Emergency Communications Plan and Acquire Needed Tools

Start your planning process by reviewing the tools available to your school that enable school administrators and teachers to effectively communicate in real time. Focus on ease of use above all else and also prioritize speed and reliability.

Text messaging emergency alerts are one of the most frequently used tools in K-12 education. Texting provides easy access and speed, but if there is any concern about Wi-Fi disruptions at your school consider purchasing additional resources.

Some experts are advising that schools purchase two-way radios if there are any concerns about internet connectivity. If your school decides to purchase two-way radios, use these devices for other activities to ensure familiarity, such as communicating with bus drivers during school pickup and drop off. If your school goes this route, it will be important to consistently test these devices, replace batteries, and update software.

Create a Comprehensive EOP Plan Prior to the Drill

Start by developing a comprehensive Emergency Operation Plan (EOP) and familiarize all staff with how to use the plan through staff trainings. For a comprehensive step-by-step guide to develop your plan see the Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance Center page. Provide more comprehensive training for the school safety staff on how to use your school’s EOP.

Develop concrete steps for fostering a safe and supportive school climate to reduce the risk of violence and help students feel safe. The National Center for School Safety has recently created a guide with useful ways to prevent violence and spot and address mental health concerns as early as possible. Also prepare a plan for providing emotional support following a drill.

SchoolSafety.Gov points to clear evidence that it is not beneficial to have simulated violence during an active shooter drill. Avoid using fake guns, blood, and simulated injuries. Also, clearly communicate to the entire school community when the active shooter drill will take place and be sure that all students, including English learners and students with disabilities, are prepared in appropriate ways for the drill.

Provide a venue for all members of the community to give feedback and input and to ask questions prior to the drill. Make sure that the wider school community, nearby neighbors, and new members of the school community are included in communications prior to having an active shooter drill.

What to Do During the Drill

Provide students and staff with clear messages to make sure everyone in the community understands that this is a drill as soon as the drill starts. Enlist members of the school safety team to provide ongoing support and communication during the drill. Advise them to remain calm and quietly talk students through the procedures as they are being carried out.

If the school is practicing a lockdown be sure to continually reassure students that this is a drill. Civil rights laws require that communications during the drill must address the needs of English Learners and students with disabilities. Limit the number of minutes to as few as possible during lockdown, enough time to practice the drill while minimizing the emotional impact on students and teachers.

If having first responders show up during the drill is part of your school plan, be sure to communicate that to the entire community including going over how they will show up, if there will be sirens, how they will be dressed, and what they will be doing. Communicate clearly to the first responders any information they may need to be aware of and any concerns you have about your particular school community. Prepare teachers and other staff to take notes immediately following the drill to document any areas of weakness in the plan and where additional supports and staff might be needed.

Post-Drill Considerations

Set up plans and procedures for debriefing and feedback and develop ways to provide additional supports to students and staff if needed. Refine school EOPs based on feedback and issues that have been identified. Also reach out to families after the drill to get feedback including asking parents and guardians to solicit feedback and thoughts from their children.

For additional resources see:

• ¹ Considerations for Education Leaders in Preparing for Active Drills in Schools, U.S. Department of Education’s
• Communication Technology School Safety, ESchool News.
• Creating School Active Shooter/Intruder Drills, The National Child Traumatic Stress Network.
• Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance Center.

Leslie Stebbins is the director of Research4Ed. She has more than twenty-five years of experience in higher education and K-12 learning and instructional design. She has an M.Ed. from the Technology Innovation & Education Program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a Master’s in Library and Information Science from Simmons College.