School Security Leadership’s 2027 Editorial Calendar

Share your expertise with the school safety directors and district leaders who read School Security Leadership, the official publication of the National Council of School Safety Directors (NCSSD).

Our 2027 editorial calendar outlines topics we plan to explore throughout the year. We welcome research, case studies, and lessons learned from practitioners, consultants, technology providers, and other subject matter experts.

Browse our planned coverage below to find topics that align with your experience and expertise. Topics and publication timing are subject to change.

January–February

• Emergency operations planning, ICS, and real-world response
• Student–parent reunification protocols and failure points
• Putting safety plans into everyday practice
• Summer school and extended school year (ESY) safety planning
• Behavioral threat assessment for autistic students and other students with disabilities
• School security roles and responsibilities

March–April

• Effective drills and tabletop exercises
• Building consistent staff safety practices
• De-escalating student conflicts
• Responding to fights and physical altercations
• Staff buy-in for student safety involvement
• School, law enforcement, and community partnerships

May–June

• Measuring safety effectiveness and outcomes
• The optics vs. reality of safety measures
• Following through on incident and exercise findings
• Evacuation and reunification site agreements
• Access control and employee/vendor badge audits
• Annual staff and safety committee training

July–August

• First-responder access, school contacts, and emergency site information
• Off-campus lunch and student supervision
• Neighborhood concerns affecting school safety
• Incidents beyond school property
• Student relationships and safety enforcement
• Practitioner insights from the NCSSD conference

September–October

• Visitor management for holiday events
• Winter weather and closure planning
• Repeated threat assessment referrals and student support
• Retaliation prevention and support after fights
• Effective school safety committees
• Reunification communication with families

November–December

• State safety-plan requirements and oversight
• Accountability for plan implementation
• Updating procedures as staff and partners change
• Peer support and workload management
• NCSSD members reflect on lessons learned throughout the year
• Safety and funding priorities for the coming year

Additional Coverage Opportunities

We also welcome proposals on:

• Prom, graduation, and fall event safety
• Preseason athletics and heat readiness
• Hoax threat response
• Video surveillance, weapons detection, and perimeter security
• Panic alarms and emergency alerts
• Drones
• Transportation safety
• Grants and funding
• Coordination between IT and school safety teams

Interested in Contributing?

Tell us what you’d like to cover, the experience or research you would draw on, and what readers would learn. Ideas beyond the topics listed above are welcome.

Contributions must be original, educational, vendor-neutral, and non-promotional. NCSSD reviews all submissions and may edit accepted contributions for clarity, style, and audience fit.

View the Guidelines and Submit a Topic Proposal

Questions? Contact Amy Rock at editor@ncssd.org.