Shawna White

Overview

Shawna White helps state and local education leaders implement K–12 school safety and security initiatives with fidelity through a data-driven, solution-oriented lens. White brings 15 years of experience in leadership and a decade of experience leading research, evaluation, training, and technical assistance projects at local, state, and federal levels. Her areas of expertise include school violence prevention strategies, school-based emergency management and crisis response, school policing, program evaluation, and grant writing.

White leads a team of school safety technical assistance specialists whose current collective body of work focuses on behavioral threat assessment, violence prevention strategies, emergency management, and physical safety and security, all of which aim to create safer school environments, better prepare schools to handle emergencies, and develop more positive school cultures.

Prior to joining WestEd, White served as Associate Director of Research and Evaluation at the Texas School Safety Center where she provided oversight on center operations related to research, program evaluation, and technical assistance pertaining to school safety in Texas. She led various research and technical assistance grants from state and federal funders, as well as program evaluation for the Center’s statewide trainings and initiatives.

Education

• PhD in mass communication, Texas Tech University
• MA in mass communication, Texas State University
• BA in psychology, Texas State University

Select Publications

Boal, A., Russo, S., Washington, A. Q., White, S. R., Munoz, E. C., Sutherland, H., & McKenna, J. M. (2023). Research and evaluation on school safety: Stakeholder perceptions of state school safety center supports and services. WestEd.

Martinez-Prather, K., Caldwell, J., White, S. R., & Vaughn-Drinkard, A. (2021). Junior college audit report: Findings on school safety and security in Texas public junior colleges 2018–2021. Texas School Safety Center, Texas State University.

Scheuermann, B., Billingsley, G., Dede-Bamfo, O., Martinez-Prather, K., & White, S. R. (2021). School law enforcement officer perceptions of developmentally oriented training. Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice, 15(4), 2283–2296.

Martinez-Prather, K., Caldwell, J., White, S. R., & Dede-Bamfo, O. (2020). District audit report: Findings on safety and security in Texas public school districts 2017–2020. Texas School Safety Center, Texas State University.

White, S. R., & McKenna, J. M. (2020). Improving school policing programmes through strategic collaboration. Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice, 14, 512–525.

Martinez-Prather, K., White, S. R., & Dede-Bamfo, O. (2019). Junior college audit report: Findings on safety and security in Texas public junior colleges 2015–2018. Texas School Safety Center, Texas State University.

McKenna, J. M., & White, S. R. (2018). Examining the use of police in schools: How roles may impact responses to student misconduct. American Journal of Criminal Justice, 43, 448–470.