Cairo Association of Teachers - Newsletter

CAT Tracks for August 20, 2007 IS IT SAFE?

From eSchool News...

New online survey is a companion to CDW-G’s School Safety Index

From eSchool News staff and wire service reports

School leaders who want to see how their schools’ safety plans compare with a national average can take a short online survey using CDW-G’s School Safety Index Self-Assessment Tool, a new feature that accompanies the firm’s School Safety Index, which it initially published in June.

This newest tool rates schools and districts according to 10 safety strengths and four weaknesses. Cyber and physical security strengths include data monitoring, user authentication, building access, and communication with local authorities. Weaknesses include IT and physical breaches or barriers.

CDW-G’s School Safety Index is based on a May survey of 381 school district IT and security directors along 14 elements of physical and cyber safety (see story: http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStory.cfm?ArticleID=7253). It highlights the indicators of strong school district safety programs, as well as the barriers to school safety.

The self-assessment tool uses the same questions that school districts answered in the May survey, to ensure uniform results.

Key findings from the May report revealed that schools should educate their students more about physical and cyber dangers; tech-savvy students are sidestepping school district IT security procedures; and budget concerns often limit districts’ ability to protect themselves.

The security assessment tool gives schools a benchmark they can use in comparing their safety plans and degree of preparedness with other schools or districts across the country. Schools already have started to take the assessment, and CDW-G said that as more schools participate, the national safety average will be adjusted to reflect the growing number of respondents.

“We want the index to spark discussion in the community and encourage everyone—students, parents, and educators—to play an active role in strengthening the safety and security of our schools,” said Bob Kirby, senior director of K-12 education for CDW-G.

One key element that districts should look for when evaluating their cyber and physical safety plans is whether these plans take a multi-layered approach to security, Kirby said.

“You don’t want to rely too much on one tool, because that’s the easiest way for people to get around it,” he said. When crafting a cyber security plan, for example, school IT officials should use an antivirus program and spam software, restrict and monitor network access, use content filtering, and maintain a current acceptable-use policy, among other measures.

“[Some districts] try to plug in technology as the solution, but you also need to keep up with it,” Kirby said.

The security self-assessment tool also will help school leaders see if they are educating students in addition to taking proper safety measures.

CDW-G’s May survey revealed that many schools were not taking the steps to ensure their students were aware of safety issues.

“Schools weren’t doing enough to educate the students—you’re an educational institution, [and] the one thing you’re best at, you’re probably overlooking,” Kirby said.

Perhaps one of the easiest things school leaders can do, after seeing where they rank compared with other districts, is to reach out to other districts with solid safety plans.

“Educators are very good at doing this already,” Kirby said. “They can take advantage of what other schools have already done and understand things they could be doing.”

Reaching out to local authorities is a key way to help cement a physical safety plan, he added. By running mock emergency drills with local law-enforcement officials and linking security cameras and call systems with emergency first responders, schools can easily beef up their safety plans and establish valuable relationships with the surrounding community.

Kirby stressed that while security is important, districts should be careful not to limit technology’s potential to help students learn and grow. Educating students about cyber and physical security will go a long way toward helping young people realize the implications of their actions.

Links:

School Safety Index Self-Assessment Tool
http://www.schoolsafetyindex.com

CDW-G
http://www.cdwg.com