School security is an issue faced by all school districts. Some school districts in the state of Missouri made the decision to arm members of their staff to provide an additional layer of defense. This qualitative study looks at the lived experiences of PK-12 school staff members who carry a concealed weapon for Shield Solutions. The participants…

This qualitative research study investigates teachers' perceptions of school safety and their adherence to specific safety procedures in a small, pre-K-eighth-grade school district in a small, suburban school district in Illinois. Data were collected through anonymous open-ended surveys distributed to teachers with varying experience levels. The…

The school resource officer's primary purpose within schools is to maintain a visible presence and work to promote a safe and secure learning environment (Stern & Petrosino, 2018). The National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) recommends a three-pronged approach to school policing termed the SRO Triad. The Triad calls for the…

Little information is known on crisis prevention and intervention plans in schools across South Dakota. A review of the existent literature revealed gaps within school-based crisis intervention models, their objectives, and their effectiveness in addressing the psychological and physical safety needs of students, staff, teachers, families, and…

The threat of an active shooter is something early childhood educators need to prepare for, but a literature review regarding active shooter drills indicated a gap in the research focused on the perceptions the early childhood educators. Using a conceptual lens based on developmentally appropriate practice and the developmental theories of Piaget…

An estimated 10 out of every 1,000 children in preschool are expelled from childcare programs. The purpose of this qualitative instrumental multiple case study was to explore the experiences of childcare directors with preschool expulsion and their perceptions regarding the why and how the phenomenon and the nature of their role in supporting…

The purpose of this study was to examine whether district funding influences the leadership work of school principals. This study explored the role of the elementary principal in four school districts. Two districts were located in communities with an affluent population and the schools had an abundance of fiscal resources; the other two districts…

The purpose of this qualitative case study is to explore the effects of social and emotional learning (SEL) programs on school safety in grades PreK-8 in the Northeast Region of the United States. As districts, schools and policymakers continue to dive deeper into supporting students' emotional and social needs, SEL programs are being implemented…