As educators, we strive to provide a safe and accepting environment for our students in which to learn. We want our students to feel comfortable so their academic and social success is not hindered. However, as far as we have come in this pursuit, there is still room for growth as there are students who still long for their guarantee of feeling…

In this testimony, Quinton Roman Nose talks on behalf of the National Indian Education Association about the shocking disparity in the safety of Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools. NIEA advocates for the unique educational and culturally related academic needs of Native students, working to ensure that the federal government upholds its…

Schools across the nation report increases in the use of punitive disciplinary methods (e.g., suspension). The need for these disciplinary practices to address serious student misconduct is undisputed. What research has questioned is why some students seem to be suspended more often than others, what effects suspension has on students, and whether…

As a chief spokesperson for a national movement to prevent violence and a frequent speaker in national media and public forums, Dr. Deborah Prothrow-Stith is a nationally recognized public health leader. In 1987, she was appointed the first woman Commissioner of Public Health for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In that role, she established the…

This report explores the prevalence of firearms in the lives of high-school students attending a "safe" campus, and the psychological effects this exposure has on these students. The study sample was 569 students enrolled in a large, ethnically diverse, urban high school. Results show that 51 percent of the students reported that they had easy…

Educators must create learning environments that are responsive to the social, emotional, and intellectual needs of adolescents. Today's adolescents need emotional and social guidance to cope with social pressures and personal identity confusion that naturally accompany adolescence. This generation of adolescents brings a different set of needs…

This study examined middle-school students' sociability self-concept and their perceptions of safety at school. A total of 421 students were administered anonymous questionnaires assessing perceived sociability self-concept and school safety. They were asked to rate their concern with, and exposure to, violence in four critical areas: use of…

School safety patrols are a school management team member and provide citizenship training. Pupils, through participation, can learn responsibility and leadership and develop their character. Patrol work is relevant and necessary, and the children are enthusiastic participants. Moreover, patrol work stresses individual needs and human relations.…

School violence has increasingly captured public attention due to deadly school shootings. Controversy on school violence is demonstrated by a mixed picture of school safety and the lack of consensus on the definition of violence, which makes comparison of findings across studies difficult. This study extended the application of the Rasch model to…

This paper is predicated on the realization that a chemical hood is only one element of laboratory safety which encompasses a variety of other elements starting with the architectural design and layout of laboratories; through the installation, operation and maintenance of integrated electrical and mechanical systems; to the safety-mindedness of…

The U.S. Secretary of Education, Richard W. Riley, addressed the American Institute of Architects on the problem of school safety resulting from building age and/or building code violations. The Secretary stated that the problem is a large national embarrassment and reveals the Clinton Administration's response through new construction bonds and…

This paper discusses the risk assessment associated with microbiology instruction based on grade level, general control measures, appropriate activities for middle school and high school students, the preparation and sterilization of equipment, and safe handling techniques. Appended are instructions and figures on making wire loops and the…

Summarizes discussions from a seminar focusing on earthquakes and educational facilities, including findings related to educational buildings; partnerships; training; standards, regulations, and procedures; finance and legislation; and research and support. (EV)

This paper presents findings of a study that examined students' and school personnel's perceptions of gang activity, violence, and safety in the high schools of the Hinds County Public School District in Mississippi. The perceptions were measured against the student variables of grade level, age, gender, and race, and the school personnel…

While it is our responsibility as adults to protect our children from hazards that would inflict injury, it is also our responsibility to provide children with a safe play environment providing challenging opportunities to explore, practice, and reach personal levels of competence. Children learn their own play abilities and limitations through…