Annually, the Department of Education (Department) collects data from school districts across the state on disciplinary infractions and their consequences. These data are analyzed in a state-level report developed by the Department for the Governor and the Legislature to fulfill the requirements of the "Public School Safety Law N.J.S.A."…

The California State Assembly is presently considering AB 2034 which would prohibit school districts, county offices of education (COEs), or charter schools that elect to fingerprint volunteers from allowing individuals who have been convicted of specific sex, drug or violent offenses to volunteer in schools. This policy brief aims to inform…

Violence and crime in schools affect students and their families, school employees and administrators, law enforcement and criminal justice officials, policymakers, and communities. Enactment of strong, concise school violence reporting laws is a crucial first step on the road to making schools safe and violence free. This bulletin provides an…

As the safety of U.S. schools has become an important public policy issue, interest in the problem of school bullying has intensified. As awareness of harassment, intimidation and hate in the school setting has grown, state legislatures have begun to address this problem. At least 16 states have passed anti-bullying laws, and similar measures were…

The persistence of dangerous initiation rituals in student organizations despite administrative and legislative efforts to end them is examined. (MSE)

This document presents many of the federal, state, and New York City laws that apply to the health, safety, and environmental conditions of schools. The relevant portions of the law have been selected along with the mechanisms of legal enforcement that may exist and contact information where applicable. Legislative categories covered include air…

An advisory committee, in response to a 1985 resolution by the Virginia General Assembly, presents this analysis and makes recommendations concerning state school bus safety. The report is divided into eight topics; six appendices comprise three-fourths of the study. "Origin of the Study" states requests to be investigated by the…

Parents generally expect public school districts to provide for their children's care and safety while they are at school. Although in the first half of the twentieth century common law tended to make school officials immune from suit, more recently public school districts, school employees, officers, and elected boards have been successfully sued…

States and individual school districts are taking action to avoid hiring people with criminal records by requiring background checks for school employees. Advocates of more stringent measures propose more consistency and cooperation among states and a database of any indictments and convictions for child-abuse crimes. (MLF)

This document was prepared in an effort to help science teachers, administrators, and school staff members in California understand and avoid situations in which accidents could occur in the science laboratory or on field trips and outdoor education experiences. It contains major sections on: (1) first aid (including information on animal and…

With the exception of New York City, the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code applies to each and every facility owned or operated by a school district or Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES). Section 155.3 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education applies to all school buildings except for those within…

This audit report addresses whether New York school districts have established comprehensive school safety plans and completed necessary violence-prevention and response steps, and whether the New York State of Board of Education and State Education Department provided sufficient monitoring over school districts' efforts to keep schools safe from…