School safety patrols are trained student volunteers responsible for enforcing drop-off and pick-up procedures for students using any form of transportation to get to school. Student safety patrols may assist students as they cross the street but they do not stop vehicular traffic; instead they look for breaks in traffic that allow students to cross.

School Crossing Guards are trained adults, either paid or volunteer, whose role is to pick opportune times to create a sufficient gap in the traffic flow through the use of a stop paddle. The presence of a School Crossing Guard indicates to approaching drivers that pedestrians are entering or using the crosswalk.  

The Active Transportation Resource Center  has published the California School Crossing Guard Training Guidelines to provide guidance and training for new and existing School Crossing Guards. Also, ChangeLab Solutions' Crossing with Confidence fact sheet provides guidance for managing risk around crossing guard programs.