This booklet is intended to aid local school district administrators by providing guidelines for implementing programs on school bus evacuation and safe riding practices. Included are general guidelines for developing and implementing classroom instruction in safe riding practices, detailed guidelines for familiarizing bus drivers and students…

In "Hosemann v. Oakland Unified School District," a California Superior Court ruled that Oakland public schools have an affirmative duty to alleviate crime and violence on school campuses. Both students and staff members are now protected against violent acts on school grounds. Guidelines are offered for school boards and administrators…

This paper presents a profile of Los Angeles County's Steps to Excellence Project prepared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile consists of several sections and their corresponding descriptions including: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for Center-Based Programs;…

For decades, educators have wrestled with how to handle the increasingly diverse religions of an increasingly diverse student body. Sometimes, the line between church and state--what schools can and cannot do under the Constitution--can feel confusing and slippery. Today, religion has become a subject one high school teachers describes as even…

The school's responsibility is to provide an effective learning environment for students to achieve academic success. The California Safe Schools Assessment (CSSA) collects data on individual incidents of school crime from all California public schools and county-operated education programs. The California Department of Education strongly…

This document is comprised of two reports: (1) "Science-Based Recommendations to Prevent or Reduce Potential Exposures to Biological, Chemical, and Physical Agents in Schools" by Derek G. Shendell, Claire Barnett, and Stephen Boese (supported by grants from the Rockefeller Foundation, the National Institutes of Environmental Health…

This document presents public testimony given at the town hall meeting held by California State Senator Teresa P. Hughes in Hawthorne, California in the state's 25th senatorial district on September 23, 1996. The meeting examined school safety programs that had been successful. A panel of elected officials, policy makers, researchers, and…

Regarded as the nation's gang violence capital, Los Angeles' politicians and law enforcement and school administrators are using knowledge from lost battles to win the war. Solutions include targeting younger children, teaching self-esteem and communication skills, as well as organizing group graffiti cleanups. (SI)

Most young people who harass and bully sexual minorities are not hate-filled extremists, but ignoramuses. Anti-gay slurs can escalate to violence. A California principal's discussion of Leroy Aarons's "Prayers for Bobby" with staff raised awareness of school safety and the need to value every student. (MLH)

Two underground schools in Santa Ana are an interesting solution to California's need for new schools that will resist earthquakes. (Author)

This report presents detailed results from a survey and critical review of existing published literature and reports on indoor air quality (IAQ), ventilation, and IAQ- and building-related health problems in schools, particularly California schools. The findings: (1) identify the most commonly reported building-related health symtoms involving…

Describes the theoretical and procedural underpinnings of mandatory school uniforms on school safety as experienced in one California school district. Findings indicate that uniforms had a positive influence on school behavior, but further research is advised before definitive conclusions can be drawn. (GR)

The U.S. Department of Education's Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse and Violence Prevention publishes "Catalyst," a newsletter covering current Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse and Violence (AODV) prevention issues at institutions of higher education. "Catalyst" discusses emerging issues and highlights…

This publication is a guide for California colleges and universities wishing to prepare for earthquakes. An introduction aimed at institutional leaders emphasizes that earthquake preparedness is required by law and argues that there is much that can be done to prepare for earthquakes. The second section, addressed to the disaster planner, offers…

On June 29, 1993, a Senate Task Force on School Violence hearing was held at the California State capitol. The hearing examined the issues of violence on school campuses. Victims of campus crime, relatives of murdered students, administrators, law enforcers involved in campus safety, and students who themselves committed crimes in school spoke at…