The newly released State of Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management in K–12 Public Schools (2025), a joint report by Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center and the U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC), offers the most comprehensive national snapshot to date of how schools are implementing Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management (BTA/BTAM).
For school safety leaders, the findings tell a story of tremendous progress and of important work that still lies ahead.
Nationwide Implementation Is a Success Story
A decade ago, BTAM was still emerging in many districts. Today, nearly every public school in the U.S. reports having a BTA team or equivalent multidisciplinary group. This widespread adoption reflects the dedication of educators, counselors, administrators, and safety professionals who recognized that early, supportive intervention saves lives and keeps students connected to care.
Importantly, schools are using BTAM the way it was designed:
- Focused on serious threats, not everyday behavioral issues.
- Centered on supportive, individualized interventions, not punishment.
- Collaborative and multidisciplinary, engaging educators, mental health staff, and law enforcement only when needed.
More than 75% of principals said they rarely or never use suspension or expulsion in BTA cases, and 80% rarely or never involve law enforcement. This confirms that BTAM is functioning as a prevention and support system, not a disciplinary one.
As one principal put it, “BTAM has made our school safer—but it’s also made it kinder.”
The Power of Policy and Leadership
One of the clearest takeaways from the report is that state-level policy and leadership matter.
States that implemented BTA mandates or formal guidance earlier tend to have stronger, more consistent systems. These schools are more likely to have written procedures, hold regular team meetings, and provide standardized training. When states invest in professional learning, model protocols, and aligned funding, schools build sustainable, high-quality BTAM programs.
This reinforces a key truth: meaningful safety work depends not only on local commitment but also on policy frameworks that support consistency, quality, and equity across districts.
Challenges That Require Leadership Attention
While BTAM is now nearly universal, its quality and consistency vary widely. This variability represents both a challenge and an opportunity for school safety leaders.
Key areas for improvement include:
- Training: Fewer than half of schools provide annual BTA training, with the largest gaps in urban and high-poverty schools.
- Standardization: Many teams still lack written policies or standard operating procedures.
- Data and Evaluation: Few schools systematically review BTAM outcomes or use data to improve practice.
- Intervention Consistency: Student management plans are not consistently designed or monitored, leading to uneven results.
- Parent Engagement: While most schools consult parents, only 20% involve them directly in decision-making, and one-third report limited engagement as a challenge.
These are not signs of failure, but they are signals of a maturing field ready to move from adoption to excellence.
The Leadership Imperative: From Compliance to Culture
What’s most encouraging is that BTAM is no longer viewed as just a compliance checklist. It is becoming part of school culture. The next step is ensuring every district has the tools, resources, and capacity to sustain it effectively.
School leaders can strengthen their systems by:
- Prioritizing ongoing, high-quality BTAM training for all team members.
- Developing clear written procedures that define roles, documentation, and follow-up.
- Establishing feedback loops using data to assess both safety and student outcomes.
- Advocating for sustained state funding and technical assistance.
- Promoting a culture of care, where BTA is viewed as part of student well-being, not just security.
How Raptor Empowers Threat Assessment Teams
As schools work to strengthen and sustain BTA practices, technology can play a powerful role in ensuring consistency, documentation, and compliance.
Raptor StudentSafe is designed as a comprehensive, intuitive platform that helps threat assessment teams operate efficiently and effectively.
It supports schools in several critical ways:
- Structured, Step-by-Step Guidance: StudentSafe walks teams through each phase of the threat assessment process, ensuring consistency and reducing training time. This is especially helpful for new members or when staff turnover occurs.
- Centralized Documentation: All information, from low-level concerns to full assessments and management plans, is stored securely in one location, eliminating the need for spreadsheets and reducing the risk of lost data.
- Collaboration and Privacy: Teams can collaborate securely and asynchronously, with strict permissions ensuring that only authorized personnel can view or edit sensitive information.
- Robust Analytics and Reporting: Built-in dashboards and reporting tools provide immediate insights into trends, gaps, and intervention outcomes, driving continuous improvement.
Raptor’s Student Wellbeing Customer Success Program partners with districts to elevate their threat assessment work through focused training, expert procedural guidance, and strategic, data-informed program reviews.
Moving Towards Excellence
The 2025 report highlights a remarkable decade of progress: BTA is now embedded in nearly every public school, improving both safety and climate by focusing on connection over exclusion.
But continued success will depend on quality, consistency, and equity. With clear leadership, standardized training, and the right tools, like Raptor StudentSafe, schools can evolve from simply adopting BTAM to excellence in implementation.
Ultimately, the goal is clear: Build school environments where every student is seen, supported, and safe.
Dr. Amy Grosso is a national leader in student wellbeing and school safety with more than 15 years of experience and is the host of the podcast School Safety Today.
Related Resources
Download our whitepaper, A Closer Look at Homelessness in K-12 Education, for more insights into student homelessness, its prevalence and effects, and how school leaders can ensure compliance with McKinney-Vento to better support affected students.
