After the 1999 Columbine High School shootings, most U.S. schools implemented lockdown drills to teach students how to protect themselves from danger while at school. Sarah Pryor, a University of Northern Colorado School Psychology Ph.D. program student, is taking a new look at lockdown drills in her dissertation, “Exploring Colorado Teacher Perceptions of Lockdown Drills: A Consensual Qualitative Research Study.”

“We live in this era of school shootings. So, what is it like for a teacher to practice for something that’s unfortunately a reality?”

Sarah Pryor

Pryor studied psychology at Texas Woman’s University before joining UNC’s school psychology program, where she obtained her master’s degree in 2023.

“The array of things I could research at UNC was fascinating. My husband and I were interested in moving to Colorado because we love the outdoor activities the state has to offer as well as the excellent training experiences available to me through the school psychology program,” she said.

Despite their prevalence, Pryor discovered there was little academic research on school lockdown drills and what was available excluded teachers’ voices. Since teachers play vital roles in ensuring student safety during drills, her research aims to fill that gap by exploring Colorado teachers’ perspectives and opinions on lockdown drills.

“We live in this era of school shootings,” Pryor said. “So, what is it like for a teacher to practice for something that’s unfortunately a reality?”

The subject became a research interest early in her graduate career when she worked as a nanny. A first-grader in her care was scared because he believed a shooter had been at his school that day.

“Instead of relying on one- or two-people’s interpretations, multiple people are putting eyes on it. There’s a coding team and an auditing process where a third-party gives us feedback. Especially in this area of understudied research, it was important to have other viewpoints,” Pryor said.

Forty-seven teachers from every region of Colorado participated in 14 focus groups. Pryor and her five-person team are analyzing and interpreting the data.

Assistant Professor Keeley Hynes in the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences’ Department of School Psychology introduced Pryor to the CQR design method.

“Dr. Hynes helped me land on CQR as the most appropriate route to study this topic. She has been supportive throughout the process, helping edit my proposal and connecting me with students who became part of my research team. She has been a great guide in this study,” Pryor said.

As a new faculty member, Hynes said she appreciated Pryor’s self-motivation.

“Sarah is very dedicated to serving the children, families, teachers and everyone she works with. She does her best to provide the services that she’s trained to provide. She’s also good at seeking feedback because she wants to grow and learn,” Hynes said.

Hynes hopes Pryor’s research will lead to policy improvement at the state or federal level.

“This is an important topic, and we hope this data can help make needed systemic change,” Hynes said.

As an extern, Pryor provides counseling and assessment services for Birch Psychology and Poudre School District. Last year, she externed at the Northern Colorado Assessment Center and was a practicum student at Greeley-Evans District 6. She also has served as a graduate research assistant for the past four years.

Her academic career has been punctuated by presentations and conferences, including twice at the annual International School Psychology Association Conference. In 2022, she won second place in the student poster competition and presented at the association’s annual gathering in Belgium. In 2023, she garnered an honorable mention in the poster competition and presented about school safety procedures in Italy.

“I enjoyed the opportunities to not only present with my peers at UNC, but at the state, national and international level. Hearing perspectives of psychologists who work in schools not experiencing shootings or having lockdown drills has been valuable to my research and development as a future psychologist,” Pryor said, noting the U.S. has had 57 times the school shootings of other major industrialized nations.

After Pryor graduates in 2026, she plans to become a licensed psychologist and a consultant focusing on school safety procedures.