Locked Down and Out: Crisis at Central High

Abstract

This case study is designed for preservice school administrators enrolled in principalship and school law courses in educational administration. It describes an incident in which a school’s crisis management and communication protocol were challenged. One day, through a series of unanticipated events, an assistant principal is engulfed in a test of her ability to apply contingency planning during a school shooting incident involving a student and a police officer. She is the only school administrator on the scene and must simultaneously deal with the media, parents, community, and school district politics when ensuring student safety.