A Nonprofit Network Built to Serve
LAPSEN is a nonprofit organization run by educators, state leaders, and industry experts.
Our decisions are guided by what helps states, schools, instructors, students, and the law and public safety workforce—not by selling a particular product or service. Our national network allows us to share lessons learned, promising practices, specialized expertise, and practical solutions from across the country.
LAPSEN also gives state leaders opportunities to collaborate with their peers, contribute to national initiatives, and help shape the future of law and public safety education.
We are here to listen, help, and serve.
Every state, school, district, and program is different. LAPSEN can provide targeted assistance for one specific need or help you examine your entire program.
Customized Training and Professional Development
Bring LAPSEN to your state conference, leadership meeting, regional workshop, or professional development event. We can customize training around the needs of state staff, district leaders, administrators, instructors, counselors, work-based learning coordinators, and industry partners.
Training may be delivered in person or virtually and can include:
- New instructor orientation and support
- Statewide instructor professional development
- Pathway-specific instructional training
- Microcredential and certification training
- Scenario-based and hands-on instruction
- Industry and workforce updates
- Program administration and improvement
- Advisory committee development
- Work-based learning in law and public safety
- Training for district and program leaders
Tell us what your state needs. We will help design the training.
Statewide Curriculum, Courses, and Standards
LAPSEN develops and maintains national course standards with input from experienced educators, state leaders, and industry professionals. These standards provide states with a strong national foundation that can be adapted to local requirements and workforce needs.
Our support can include:
- Developing or revising state course standards
- Reviewing existing standards for gaps and outdated content
- Designing new courses and career pathways
- Developing logical sequences of courses
- Aligning standards with current industry expectations
- Integrating credentials and microcredentials
- Connecting standards with instructional resources
- Incorporating hands-on, project-based, and scenario-based learning
- Comparing state standards with national models
- Convening educators and industry representatives for standards review
- Helping states create consistent expectations across programs
Our national courses and standards are guides—not mandates. We help states adapt them to serve their students, schools, communities, and workforce.
LAPSEN is a critical partner in supporting the Kentucky Law & Public Safety (LPS) educators I serve. Through practical resources, timely updates, national advocacy, and opportunities to connect with others in the field. From year 1 to veteran instructors, LAPSEN provides our teachers with additional tools, partners, and perspectives to support strong LPS programs across the state.
Erica Settelen, KY Law & Public Safety Consultant
Statewide Program Development and Improvement
Expanding or strengthening law and public safety education across a state involves hundreds of decisions. LAPSEN can help your agency make those decisions with greater confidence.
We can assist with:
- Statewide program and pathway planning
- Pathway selection and course sequencing
- Program approval criteria
- Program goals and long-term planning
- Instructor qualifications and professional development
- Classroom, laboratory, and facility expectations
- Student recruitment and retention strategies
- Career and Technical Student Organization integration
- Community and industry partnerships
- Program evaluation and continuous improvement
- Support for new, small, rural, and developing programs
- Identification and sharing of promising practices
We work across law enforcement, corrections and detention, emergency communications and dispatch, emergency management, firefighting and public safety, investigations and forensics, legal studies, security and protective services, drones, and related pathways.
Policy and Administrative Guidance
Law and public safety programs present policy questions that may not arise in other career areas. Safety, age restrictions, student participation, industry involvement, credentials, simulations, and hands-on instruction can all require specialized guidance.
LAPSEN can help state leaders think through:
- State program policies and procedures
- Program approval and quality expectations
- Safety practices and risk-management concerns
- Student participation requirements
- Instructor qualifications
- Industry-partner roles
- Credentialing and testing policies
- Documentation and program records
- Funding and resource priorities
- Work-based learning policies
- Questions involving unusual or emerging program issues
We provide practical guidance informed by what states and successful programs are doing across the country.
Equipment, Facilities, and Safety
Establishing appropriate equipment and facility expectations can help programs make responsible purchasing decisions while protecting students and supporting quality instruction.
LAPSEN can help with:
- State and local equipment recommendations
- National recommended supply and equipment lists
- Minimum and recommended equipment expectations
- Classroom and laboratory planning
- Purchasing priorities
- Safety considerations
- Technology and simulation equipment
- Budget and grant planning
- Evaluating products and vendor proposals
- Developing guidance for programs with different funding levels
Our goal is to help your state promote informed decisions based on educational value, program goals, student safety, industry relevance, and realistic budgets.
State Advisory Committee Guidance
Strong advisory committees keep programs connected to employers, postsecondary institutions, community needs, and workforce expectations.
LAPSEN can help state agencies:
- Develop statewide advisory structures
- Establish expectations for local advisory committees
- Recruit appropriate education and industry representatives
- Define meaningful roles and responsibilities
- Create meeting, agenda, and documentation guidance
- Use advisory input to improve standards and curriculum
- Connect schools with employers and public safety agencies
- Turn statewide and local recommendations into action
Work-Based Learning and Career Pipelines
Work-based learning in law and public safety presents challenges that many other career areas do not face. Age restrictions, confidentiality, liability, safety, and agency policies can limit traditional placements.
LAPSEN understands those challenges.
We can help states, schools, agencies, and workforce partners develop appropriate models for:
- Career awareness and exploration
- Job shadowing
- Agency tours
- Guest instruction and mentoring
- Simulations and scenario-based experiences
- Cadet and youth public safety programs
- Internships and other supervised experiences
- Career academies
- Secondary, postsecondary, and agency partnerships
- Long-term recruitment and career pipelines
- Statewide work-based learning guidance
Credentials, Microcredentials, and Program Recognition
LAPSEN helps states identify credentials that are appropriate for secondary and postsecondary learners and connected to genuine industry expectations.
We can provide guidance on:
- Evaluating credentials for state approval
- Understanding credential levels
- Aligning credentials with Perkins requirements
- Connecting credentials with courses and standards
- Preparing and certifying instructors
- Developing student assessment plans
- Implementing LAPSEN microcredentials
- Establishing credentialing and testing expectations
- Communicating credential value to schools and employers
- Adapting LAPSEN’s National Industry Certified Program of Excellence process to support state priorities
Make LAPSEN Your First Call
State leaders should not have to spend hours searching for answers or making major decisions without informed support.
LAPSEN connects you with state officials, educators, program leaders, and industry specialists who understand law and public safety education. If we already know the answer, we will share it. If the issue requires additional expertise, we will help identify someone who can fill the gap.
Our purpose is to help you:
- Make informed statewide decisions
- Avoid costly mistakes
- Find proven resources and national models
- Strengthen instructor knowledge and preparation
- Build stronger education and industry partnerships
- Improve consistency and program quality
- Support schools with practical guidance
- Improve student preparation and career readiness
- Explain and defend program decisions
- Walk into meetings prepared to be the smartest person in the room
You lead statewide efforts. You should never have to lead them alone.
Support Built Around Your Needs
LAPSEN assistance can be designed for:
- State departments of education
- State Career and Technical Education agencies
- State workforce and public safety partners
- Regional education agencies
- School districts and postsecondary systems
- State professional associations
- Instructor and administrator groups
- State curriculum, standards, and credential committees
Support may include a brief consultation, resource review, virtual meeting, customized training, on-site visit, statewide curriculum project, standards development, program assessment, conference presentation, or ongoing technical assistance.
What Does Your State Need?
You do not need to have the solution before contacting us. Start by telling us what your agency is trying to accomplish, what challenge you are facing, or where you need additional expertise.
We will help you determine the next step.