NCES reveals changes for SROs and mental health resources after the pandemic

Last week, the National Center for Education Statistics published important data that provides a glimpse of how the school climate and safety landscape has changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“These crucial data reveal some of the challenges public schools face in maintaining the focus on teaching and learning,” stated NCES Commissioner Peggy G. Carr in response to the findings.

The U.S. Department of Education organization based its report on three academic years: prior to the pandemic in 2017-2018, the first year affected by the pandemic in 2019-2020, and the most recent data collection in 2021-2022.

The findings, derived from a nationally representative survey of approximately 4,800 public elementary and secondary schools, reveal a decline from 2019-2020 to 2021-2022 in the proportion of schools with school resource officers (SROs) on campus and offering mental health treatment to students, while the proportion of schools that increased social-emotional support in response to COVID-19 rose significantly.