97% of Schools Have Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management Teams

A new research report found nearly every public K-12 school or district in the United States used a behavioral threat assessment and management (BTAM) team or an equivalent during the 2024-2025 school year.

Researchers from the RAND Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center and the U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) surveyed 1,746 school principals to look at how K-12 schools are implementing and using BTAM programs as part of their violence prevention efforts. The findings, titled, ‘The State of Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management in K–12 Public Schools,’ show 97% of K-12 schools used a team with BTAM responsibilities.

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Here’s a further breakdown:

• 43% had a specific BTAM team in the school and a BTAM team at the district level
• 25% had a specific BTAM team in the school only
• 14% has a specific BTAM team at the district level only
• 15% had a team either at the school or district level that were functionally similar to BTAM teams

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Additional Key Findings

The report also documents how the use of BTAM teams has increased over time in public schools — up from 42% of schools in 2016 to 64% of schools in 2020.

A significant challenge, however, is ensuring effective and consistent implementation, the researchers say. One modern example that emphasizes the importance of consistent implementation is the deadly shooting at Oxford (Mich.) High School in 2021. A final report on the incident determined the shooting could have been avoided if the district followed its threat assessment and suicide intervention policies.

Furthermore, only 53% of schools reported they had written policies that explicitly establish and define the scope of the BTAM program, while only 49% had written standard operating procedures for BTAM teams. The report also found only 23% of principals who utilize BTAM teams said the program had dedicated funding at either the school or district level.

Additionally, only 23% of principals who use BTAM teams said that the program had dedicated funding at either the school or district level.

“Whether a program has stable funding is often a driver for whether it can be sustained over time,” the researchers wrote.

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The report further found only 20% of schools involve parents directly in intervention planning despite its proven importance.

A positive finding in the study is the role of law enforcement in BTAM teams, ASIS reports. The report notes that a common issue that has traditionally given school and community leaders pause when it comes to involving law enforcement is the concern that their involvement “will increase the chance that students will end up in the justice system.” Principals who reported that their BTAM teams included a representative from law enforcement also largely reported that the involvement was primarily an advisory role.

Overall, the principals said BTAM has a net positive impact on improving safety at their schools with reported reductions in crime, violence, and self-harm. They also largely agree that BTAM is preferable to exclusionary discipline.

6 Tips for Improving Behavioral Threat Assessment

The researchers offer the following potential solutions to strengthen BTAM in U.S. schools:

1. Schools and supporting agencies should focus on refining practices and sustaining programs, with ongoing support as needed to institutionalize best practices and build long-term capacity
2. Schools with BTAM teams should incorporate processes for multiple robust feedback mechanisms to identify challenges and take steps to address challenges and improve performance over time
3. The interventions and supports assigned by BTAM teams in response to concerning behavior should be tailored to the specific needs of a student identified by a team as posing a risk of harm to self or others
4. Schools should address uneven frequency and scope of training for BTAM teams to ensure that teams have the knowledge they need to be effective
5. Schools should develop clearer tools and resources to support systematic and effective BTAM team operations
6. Clearer guidance and best practices are needed to ensure that BTAM interventions are implemented effectively and fairly across schools

Read the full report here.