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…

Background: As the COVID-19 pandemic spread, school district administrators in the United States were faced with difficult decisions regarding the implementation of virtual or in-person learning to reduce risk of infection throughout student and staff populations. While a coordinated effort with surrounding districts would be most beneficial when…

Background: School nurses and personnel play a vital role in promoting the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with school nurses' and personnel's professional practice to provide parents with HPV vaccine information and to encourage parents to vaccinate their child against HPV. Methods:…

Framed by theories and methods from critical discourse analysis and social semiotics, this comparative case study of six Missouri school systems asked: How do school districts represent and address their changing communities? Discourses of equity, language, identity, and demographic change were examined across school system websites, mission…

Although research has been conducted on state and city interventions of educational systems in urban districts in the United States, very little has been written from the perspective of an elected school board, the governing bodies being replaced during this era of reform. This case study illustrates how an elected school board in St. Louis,…

Background: School tobacco control policies vary widely in their strength, extensiveness, and enforcement. Currently, no standardized method exists to assess the comprehensiveness of school tobacco policies. The purpose of this study was to develop a new practical rating system for school tobacco policies, assess its reliability, and present…

A study was conducted to assess the expectations and sources of conflict and frustration for school board members in Washington, Missouri, and New Jersey. It tested the widely held belief that school board members are experiencing increased conflict and frustration and explored how these pressures are related to the conflicting expectations on…

Summarizes a study that surveyed school board presidents and school superintendents about their perceptions of school reform. Reports their views on desirable restructuring outcomes, important restructuring ingredients, factors influencing restructuring, and the political emphases associated with restructuring. Although school officials generally…

A survey of 59 Missouri school boards that selected new superintendents for the 1984-85 school year revealed that the factors most significantly influencing selection decisions involved the candidates' self-presentation skills, the candidates' backgrounds as confirmed by references, and the candidates' interests in student achievement and district…

This study was conducted to see how schools allocate resources during periods of declining revenue. It assumed that the places where staff reductions are made may indicate where districts feel they have "extra" resources. The study was conducted between 1969 and 1983 in Missouri and also includes supporting data from British Columbia.…

Results of a study conducted to gather information about calculator usage in Missouri schools are given. (MK)

The Missouri Commission on Higher Education initiated a comprehensive study of existing and developing state junior colleges in order that a master plan for the orderly development of a state system of comprehensive junior colleges might be developed. Among the areas examined by the study were: (1) the status of public junior colleges; (2) the…

Costs associated with colleges and universities are addressed in this two-part report. Part one, a 20-page overview, Snyder's "Recent Trends in Higher Education Finance, 1976-77 to 1985-86," reviews rising national trends in tuition, enrollment, degrees, expenditures, and expenditure per student. A wide diversity is noted among…