July 4, 2008—CDW Government, Inc. (CDW-G) has published the School Safety Index Self-Assessment Tool, which allows parents, teachers and administrators to take part in the national School Safety Index and receive instant scores to see how their school or district compares to the national survey average CDW-G released in May.
Based on 12 elements of cyber and physical security, the tool focuses on indicators of strong safety programs, as well as barriers and breaches. School leaders may access the tool online [NEEL: LINK TO: www.schoolsafetyindex.com].
The tool highlights security areas that need improvement, enabling school leaders to leverage support for safety and security initiatives. Bob Kirby, senior director K-12, CDW-G, Lenny Schad, CIO, Katy Independent School District (TX), and Steve Stewart, director of technology services, Boerne Independent School District (TX) are available to discuss the tool and the study results, as well as to outline the key components of a comprehensive school security strategy.
Ultimately, the CDW-G School Safety Index indicated that districts are having greater success with physical security programs than with cyber security programs, with insufficient budgets as the leading barrier to improvement. The full study can be downloaded online.
