This study was designed to explore the process of threat assessment training at schools in North Texas. Using a guided interview protocol, eight administrators with an array of experiences were selected from various districts in the North Texas area to gain multiple viewpoints on the perception of the threat assessment training process and…

Responding to an identified need for more research around the effectiveness or consequences of school safety plans (Croft et al., 2019) and the finding that parents and children often felt unsafe on school campuses (Jones, 2018), the central purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions of school district stakeholders regarding one…

The issue of school safety is of paramount concern but what is lacking is clarity on the best course of action aimed at bolstering safety in public schools. We sought to answer the following research questions: What topics are addressed in school board policies related to arming employees? What outlying policy topics are addressed in school board…

Drawing from a context of reception framework, this article asks the following questions: How do educators describe issues of safety and belonging in the context of a charged immigration policy climate? What practices have educators developed to support immigrant-origin youth? And, what are the relationships between educators' perceptions of…

School leaders fail to recognize parents' and teachers' perceptions of factors that affect children's learning in elementary schools, resulting in the problem of low parental involvement and academic achievement. The purpose of this quantitative method comparative design study was to examine the perception of parents and teachers concerning…

The decision on how to protect the children and youth while at schools is a serious conversation with varying agreements on the best practices. Some feel that school personnel should not be trained nor expected to be able to react to an armed person while others believe that training of school personnel and allowing them to be armed will deter…

The "IDRA Newsletter" serves as a vehicle for communication with educators, school board members, decision-makers, parents, and the general public concerning the educational needs of all children in Texas and across the United States. The theme of this issue is "Gender Justice." Articles include: (1) Sexual Harassment -- Safe…

Shooting instructor Johnny Price looked at the teachers lined up in front of him. Mr. Price, the owner of Big Iron Concealed Handgun Training in Waco, Texas, spent two days this month training teachers and staff members from the Clifton school district in all they need to know to earn licenses to carry weapons out of sight. There is no indication…

This qualitative phenomenological study employed narrative inquiry to describe the decision-making processes that Texas school districts followed in enacting firearms policies that allow school employees to carry concealed weapons on district property. Exploration of the lived experiences of eight Texas superintendents in such schools contributed…

This technical report summarizes student-level analyses conducted with the SEL Skills Survey and the Student Climate Survey to determine if a single measure of students' SEL skill acquisition and perceptions of school climate is possible. A separate research brief of this report also was published. [This report was supported by St. David's…

The National School Climate Center (NSCC) completed a 50-state policy scan on state school climate and anti-bullying policies to better understand the current state policy infrastructure supporting the development of positive school climates. This policy brief examines the current status of school climate and anti-bullying policies in each state,…

Purpose: The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the impact that function, experience, and training of Independent School District School Resource Officers (ISD SROs) have on school climate. The participants were ISD SROs (n = 172) and teachers (n = 162) located in middle and high schools in Texas. Method: The Role of Law…

This volume presents the 2010 Yearbook of the National Council of Professors of Educational Administration (NCPEA). This year's theme is "Promoting Critical Ideas of Leadership, Culture and Diversity." This yearbook contains five parts. Part 1, Invited Chapters, includes the following: (1) President's Message: Critical Issues in…

Districts are finding that alert notification systems that deliver automated phone messages are an effective way to reach parents and employees. Implementing the technology is one thing and getting the most out of it is another. This article presents the Districts' goal to get in touch with parents and employees in emergency situations. Andy…