Technological Hope for a Safer Tomorrow

Schools nationwide continue to face the dilemma of both internal and external threats to the safety of students and staff. From intruders to violence, the daily news reflects an unfortunate truth involving school security incidents.

With these threats in mind, school security has never been more critical. For this reason, the simplicity of sign-in sheets and metal detectors are no longer adequate towards the ultimate protection of students and faculty.

The Effects of School Violence: Student Life and Academics

Youth violence is the 3rd leading cause of injuries and death for young people, ages 10-24, according to a recent CDC Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System report. Each day, approximately 12 young people are victims of homicide.

Notably, the effects of school violence and crime largely impact academic achievement and average daily attendance, where students and staff lack a sense of security and safety. Studies reveal discipline is also a factor in creating the learning environment you want at a school and reduces the lack of attendance.

One of the most important responsibilities for a Superintendent in leveraging their district’s security is taking steps in school violence intervention and prevention. Proactive security measures help ensure that a school is taking action to prevent violence, not just reacting when violence occurs. As a Superintendent, you want to be proactive more than reactive.

Visitor Management Technology, Smart ID Cards & ABE (Alternative Behavior Educator) Brings Hope to School Districts

In order to prevent school dangers from occurring, campuses need a reliable Visitor Management System in place as well as a Smart ID Card and ABE, for recurring students. In a school setting, Visitor Management refers to processing and monitoring visiting parents, volunteers, vendors, substitute teachers, and other guests to ensure campus security.

As school faculties across the nation develop an approach to securing their school, increasing communication with students remain a more holistic approach. Still, there remains the need for technology advancements to help monitor student behavior and measure security.

There is a more proactive and holistic solutions to increase campus safety, help students succeed academically, and improve student attendance with services such as Visitor Management Systems, ABE (Alternative Behavior Educator),  and Smart ID Cards.

The end goal of a school Visitor Management System is precisely to perpetually keep students and staff safe. A Smart ID Card helps control access across the campus, tracks attendance, and tracking.

Four Proactive Steps Towards School Violence Intervention and Prevention

In addition to an identification platform, there is complimentary technology that is emerging and includes tracking of visitors on your campus. Visitor management systems provide this internal and external confidence in safety to school districts nationwide. Student Smart ID Cards, automated attendance, behavior intervention, and visitor management systems work together and should be considered a holistic approach to school safety.

Four significant ways in which a complete school safety system can intervene and prevent school violence include:

• Visibility of visitor stations which can deter unwanted guests
• Real-time and robust visitor, and student reporting capabilities so administrators know who’s in their building, why, and when.
• Monitor student behavior while providing interactive, proven intervention modules that can assist in improving and preventing bad behavior.
• Increases academic performance and improves attendance.

1) First Line of Defense Against Unwanted Guests: Visitor Management Kiosk

Featuring a physical Visitor Management System provides a professional look and serves as a serious message to unwanted guests that the school district has a strong intervention and prevention strategy in place.

Visitors aiming to cause trouble are far more likely to pause at the thought of entering a school with a Visitor Management System at the front door or with a staff member scanning a driver’s license into a Visitor Management system compared to a simple sign-in sheet.

By projecting a more secured look, a Visitor Management System can help discourage many unwanted guests from even attempting to enter a facility, preventing school violence ahead of time.

2) Detailed Reporting for Superintendents and Faculty

Once a driver’s license is scanned for new visitors within your Visitor Management System, a detailed report of any red flags will appear, such as finding out if the visitor is a registered sex offender. Faculty and staff are then aware of the possible threat immediately. The other main component to the overall approach in securing school safety is implementing a Smart ID Card and ABE (Alternative Behavior Educator). A Smart ID Card will then provide data on each enrolled student through attendance. Real-time reports are given to administrators for visitor history, attendance and more, providing insight to day-to-day happenings. With an ABE (Alternative Behavior Educator) in effect, administrators are able to automate referrals and tardiness based on attendance, or truancy, thus returning valuable learning time to each period.

Additionally, the Visitor Management System helps improve time management so that staff and other school personnel may jump on their next task rather than worrying about reconciling inaccurate attendance procedures.

A comprehensive Visitor Management System will serve as a staple to establish the identity of visitors and deny access to those who don’t have a reason to be in the building. The second line of defense is a Smart ID Card, providing access and attendance tracking through reoccurring students and staff. This prevents expelled of unknown students from entering the building.

In emergency situations, a Smart ID Card enables administrators to account for all students and staff.

3) Track and Revoke Access from Specific Guests

School violence prevention means intercepting the potential for school violence at the front door before it has an opportunity to prowl your halls.

With sign-in sheets, guests are presumed to be abiding by the honor system, signing in with real names, even under the attention of a receptionist or security guard. Using fake names and identification exposes this unfortunate security flaw.

Successfully, these windows of opportunity are sealed tight with a school Visitor Management System.

New technology integrated by Visitor Management Systems can be programmed to require a visitor to have his or her driver’s license scanned to verify identity.

Users are also able to import lists of banned guests, providing an added layer of intervention and prevention. Such lists include:

• Local and national sex offender registries.
• Manually entered “Banned Visitors” lists.
• Previous guests deemed as high-risk.

By prohibiting these unwanted guests, school violence can be be reduced. A Smart ID Card on the other hand will helps in monitoring recurring students across the campus, and tracking unusual attendance behavior.

4) Feelings of Confidence Promotes Attendance and Academics

Instituting a complete school safety system maximizes your school’s present security against potential violence, creating a better learning environment for your students and enabling your teachers and staff to focus on providing the best education experience possible.

With automated attendance, administrative accuracy:

• Progresses attendance rates
• Decreases truancy
• Improves district-wide graduation rates

Dynamic reporting identifies at-risk students swiftly. Additionally, class cuts are reported as they happen, enabling administrators to intervene promptly. Automated attendance systems are proven to be the most highly-successful practices in truancy prevention, according to research reports.

Students can benefit when they can use their Smart ID card throughout the school day. Whether it’s taking attendance, purchasing lunch or simply for identification purposes, they know that as they enter the real world after school, they will have already begun the practice of using an Smart ID card that is often required in college and in the workforce.

Younger students can use fobs on their book bags so they start the practice early and develop good habits. Older students are less inclined to skip class when they are held accountable for their own attendance at school.

Younger children become more engaged in classroom lessons while older learners are less inclined to commit school violence under advanced technology, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

5) Scalability

Advantageously, Smart ID Cards and ABE (Alternative Behavior Educator) offer the most valuable solution, empowering the effectiveness of a school system’s expense management plans and technology grant opportunities. A Visitor Management System is the direct support to the main solution to create the complete school safety system.

ScholarChip is an all-in-one, platform solution to help reduce school threats and address the important issues surrounding school safety. Data from students, faculty, and stakeholder are leveraged to manage school access, attendance, and behavior management through the platform tools to increase safety and promote the campus climate schools are looking for.

We invite your administration to schedule a demo to learn how ScholarChip’s ABE (Alternative Behavior Educator) can help your school district leverage and execute the best school violence intervention and prevention plan.