Date of Award

Spring 3-5-2024

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Public Administration (MPA)

Abstract

School shootings across the US are on the rise. This study examined Florida’s Guardian Program, an untraditional approach to combat school shootings on K-12 campuses. Moreover, it contrasted the Guardian Program with policies in California and how the two strategies affect school safety differently at the local level. This study set the stage for a quasi-experiment by comparing the two sets of policies and using a Mixed-Methods Research (MMR) approach. A total of 62 surveys were received, and five interviews were conducted at the local level in the County of Contra Costa to examine the safety concerns of schools in the City of Walnut Creek. The research findings showed that elements of the Guardian Program would enhance Walnut Creek’s K-12 campuses' resilience to active shooter emergencies.

Keywords: Florida’s Guardian Program, K-12 Schools, School Shootings, Response Time, School Hardening

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