The ordinary conduct of school business is accompanied today by risks that were rare or unknown a few decades ago. School administrators are continually being challenged to develop new strategies to safeguard their districts' assets. Risk management is a coordinated effort to protect an organization's assets, both human and financial, from all…

Dress codes directed at gang attire present school officials with the dilemma of ensuring the safety of the students in a school environment versus the First Amendment rights of students to express themselves. A review of some of the court decisions limited to freedom of expression and general dress code cases serves as a foundation from which to…

Critics of the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act (SDFSCA) point to both structural and substantive failures to explain the program's ineffectiveness. Moves toward reauthorization in Congress create the opportunity to consider needed reforms. Reform options should target those students most in need, ensure effective implementation,…

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…

To ensure reliable, accurate, and timely data, which are necessary to monitor the progress of education in the United States, Congress has mandated that the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) produce an annual report, "The Condition of Education". This year's report presents 49 indicators of important developments and trends…

Quite often, the people responsible for spending school facility dollars have little information with which to make wise investment choices. The process is typically driven by vendors, consultants, and public opinion. The result is that the schools become a poorly performing component of the education process. This document was developed to…

Designed to provide instruction for New York State inspectors and school administrators completing the annual "Fire Safety Report," this document provides information regarding: (1) the Regulation and Code requirements; (2) inspection and enforcement processes; (3) disputes and procedures for appeal; and (4) financial considerations…

This report was developed to address institutional biosafety committees' implementation of federal guidelines applicable to the environmental release of genetically engineered organisms. These committees are from universities, companies, and other organizations that are using recombinant DNA technology in their laboratories. The committees are…

In 1984, the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated that friable asbestos-containing materials were present in 31,000 school buildings throughout the country. Once inhaled, asbestos fibers may remain in the lungs indefinitely and can lead to various diseases. This handbook is intended to provide administrators--in nontechnical…

Discusses some of the ways that local school systems are dealing with federal and state safety, health, and environmental laws with regard to the disposal of hazardous substances. Recounts the experiences of the Fairfax County (Virginia) Schools in dealing with the hazard communication (or right-to-know) standard. (TW)

This report details a study by the United States General Accounting Office (GAO) of food safety in public schools. The study examined: (1) the frequency and causes of reported food-borne illness outbreaks associated with the federal school-meal programs; and (2) the practices that federal, state, and local governments, as well as other food…

The Massachusetts Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth prepared its first annual report on various issues of concern to homosexual youth. The Commission seeks to work on prevention of youth suicide, violence prevention, and prevention of problems faced by young homosexuals in schools and the family. The Commission sought information from a series…

This manual is intended to help teachers, administrators, and local school boards develop and institute effective safety education as a part of all vocational instruction in the public schools of Idaho. This guide is organized in 13 sections that cover the following topics: introduction to safety education, legislation, levels of responsibility,…

Accidents and injuries involving students, employees, or others using school facilities or equipment can result in lengthy and costly litigation. A proven way to reduce potential accidents and injuries is to work to eliminate the circumstances in which accidents occur. It is important to identify risks; the areas with the highest accident…

This workbook presents a seven-step planning process for safe and effective schools. Though specifically directed to schools in California, most of the components of the plan will pertain to schools everywhere. The workbook contains requirements of the California Education Code; many work sheets, sample forms, summary sheets, checklists, rubrics,…