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    School Safety Training

    Act 55 School Safety and Security Training

    Among other changes, Act 55 of 2022 amended Section 1310-B of the PA Public School Code of 1949 to establish new requirements for school safety and security training for all school employees in Pennsylvania. 

    Act 55 School Safety and Security Training

    Prior to the passage of Act 55, school safety and security training for school employees was limited to three hours of instruction every five years. Act 55 amended this requirement to three hours of instruction annually and requires that the training provided meet certain standards as adopted by the School Safety and Security Committee (SSSC), housed within the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD). Amendments to the Act also established requirements for mandatory training for School Safety and Security Coordinators.

    On September 28, 2022, the SSSC approved training standards for School Safety and Security Training for all school employees and the training criteria for School Safety and Security Coordinators. (linked below)  

    On March 29, 2023, the SSSC approved a new School Safety and Security Training Program vendor to design and launch training programs aligned with these adopted standards for school employees and School Safety and Security Coordinators. These trainings will be made available at no charge to school entities. Please see the sections below for more detailed information. 

     

    School Safety and Security Training Standards for School Employees
    Training criteria for School Safety and Security Coordinators
    Act 55 of 2022 Employee School Safety Training Standards – FAQs

    Act 55 of 2022 mandated school safety-related training for all Pennsylvania public school employees. Section 1310-B of the PA Public School Code requires that all school entities provide employees with two hours of mandatory training on any combination of one or more of the following topics, based on the needs of the school entity and aligned with training standards (linked above) adopted by the School Safety and Security Committee (SSSC): 

    • Situational awareness. 
    • Trauma-informed approaches. 
    • Behavioral health awareness. 
    • Suicide and bullying awareness. 
    • Substance use awareness. 

    In addition, school entities must provide employees with one hour of annual training that addresses emergency training drills (including fire, natural disaster, active shooter, hostage situation and bomb threat) AND identification or recognition of student behavior that may indicate a threat to the safety of the student, other students, school employees, other individuals, school facilities or the community. 

    NOTE: All training may be provided through virtual/distance/online learning methods except for those for emergency training drills, which must be conducted in-person. 

    Act 55 of 2022 requires all School Safety and Security Coordinators (hereinafter “Coordinator”) to complete up to seven hours of training within one year of their appointment as the Coordinator. The training must include the following topics:

    • Situational awareness
    • Physical assessments and Physical security
    • Emergency preparedness
    • Coordination and communication with law enforcement and emergency personnel
    • Emergency procedures and training drills, including, fire, natural disaster, active shooter, hostage situation and bomb threats
    • Trauma-informed approaches
    • Behavioral health awareness
    • Suicide and bullying awareness
    • Substance use awareness
    • Leadership
    • Appropriate staffing

    On September 28, 2022, as required by Act 55 of 2022, the School Safety and Security Committee adopted new training criteria for School Safety and Security Coordinators. 

    School administrators appointed as School Safety and Security Coordinators must complete mandated training that meet these criteria within one year from the time that the initial training that meets the criteria is offered. 

    The first training that meets the criteria is scheduled for February 2, 2024. Coordinators appointed before February 2, 2024 must complete the training by February 2, 2025. Coordinators appointed after February 2, 2024 have one year from their appointment date to complete the training. 

    School Entities

    School Entities who wish to search for "PCCD-Recognized" training providers may click here and select "Training Provider Registry" to find the list of self-certifying training providers. 

    Training Providers

    Click here to go to our K-12 School Safety and Security Training and Technical Assistance Page and select "Training Provider Registry" to self-certify that your training meets Act 55 Standards. 

    PCCD issued an update to the field in September 2023 providing an update on Act 55 training on school safety topics for school employees and School Safety and Security Coordinators.