To help inform policymakers and the public about 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 42 indicators of important developments and trends in U.S. education. These…

Ensuring a safe learning environment for students is a major responsibility of educators and policymakers around the world. Based on the secondary analyses of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) data collected from 33 countries in 1999, the study found that 8th graders who witnessed their friends' violence…

Schools that count on metal detectors to stem the flow of weapons into the schools create a false sense of security. Recommendations include investing in personnel rather than hardware, cultivating the confidence of law-abiding students, and enforcing discipline. Metal detectors can be quite effective at afterschool events. (MLF)

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…

Accountable school leaders are the key to school improvement, but while school leadership has been described often in many different ways, accountability has been mentioned only in general terms. In "The Expert School Leader," the authors detail a new approach to identifying, analyzing, acquiring, and using specific competencies that are needed…

A government study investigated the federal requirements and existing information governing pesticide use in schools, what data exists on health problems associated with short- and long-term use, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state responses to reduce pesticide usage around schools. Findings reveal no federal regulations exist…

The new microprocessor-based fire alarm systems can help to control smoke movement throughout school buildings by opening vents and doors, identify the burning section, activate voice alarms, provide firefighters with telephone systems during the fire, and release fire-preventing gas. (KS)

Safety has not been stressed adequately in most school systems, leaving students and teachers in unnecessary danger and schools subject to lawsuits. Creation of an effective school safety program involves establishing a written safety policy, appointing an active safety committee, and conducting safety inspections. (PGD)

This document presents a written testimony as submitted on June 1, 2001, in Downey, California, regarding long-term effects on students from being bullied or victimized by peers. Such victimization is now considered a warning sign of potentially violent students. Bullying, prevalent in schools, has detrimental effects upon children. It involves…

The number of students killed or injured by gunfire while at schools is increasing. The National Rifle Association, the nation's powerful gun lobby, has a gun safety program; however, children's advocates say stricter gun-control laws are necessary. Briefly cites 24 gun incidents and describes 4 semiautomatic pistols that were among the firearms…

Because of continued concern about school violence, this policy brief examines the trends in school violence in the context of social violence, describes efforts to make schools safe, and reports efforts to curb violence in the four-state Appalachian region (Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia). Perceptions of the extent of school…

Thirty-one critical questions about asbestos, its use in school buildings, and the risks it poses to health are answered in this booklet. Issued by the Safe Buildings Alliance, an incorporated association of manufacturers that once supplied asbestos-containing materials for building construction, the booklet's purpose is to provide information…

After tornado leveled Grand Prairie Elementary School (Joliet, Illinois), concerted effort by architects and the school community paid off when new school was opened two years later. Hallways in new building are staggered throughout school to avoid the creation of wind tunnels in event of another tornado. Guidelines for disaster preparations…

This book serves as a sourcebook to enhance and evaluate safety programs, generate new solutions and interventions, comply with new legislation, and present practical steps and guidelines to establish best practices. It pays particular attention to the factors that may give rise to crime, considering high-risk drinking and examining the…