State legislatures and school boards are adopting a growing number of zero-tolerance polices toward weapons, guns, and violence. Zero-tolerance polices are rules intended to address specific school-safety issues. They have arisen in part as a response to the threat of the withdrawal of federal funds under the 1994 Gun-Free Schools Act, and…

The purpose of this study was to determine the knowledge and skills of teachers as they relate to school safety. Survey participants included 130 elementary and secondary school teachers enrolled in the Educational Administration Program at National University in San Diego (California). Areas covered included: knowledge of legal and professional…

Administrators should regard each student threat as legitimate, but need flexibility in how they respond. Getting the facts and following due process are essential. School policy should require that students be referred to law-enforcement officials and specify communication, crisis-management, identification, and preventive/proactive procedures.…

Not so long ago, principals could not have imagined that they would need to plan for a terrorist attack on their schools. However, it is a reality in today's world. The public demands that school administrators have a crisis plan for every school--to be ready for all possibilities, even the unimaginable. In this article, the author provides…

Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings joined President Bush, Mrs. Bush, and Attorney General Gonzales at a Conference on School Safety on October 10, 2006. Teachers, parents, administrators, law enforcement officials, and other experts discussed best practices and lessons learned about school safety during the conference at the National 4-H…

The way in which a school community deals with a crisis situation is a test of its sense of community. This guidebook, intended for Catholic-school principals, presents a detailed plan to help schools establish crisis-management teams and offers directions for their operation. Chapter 1 presents an overview of crisis management and focuses on how…

This report summarizes findings from a study concerned with Arizona school safety. The survey component highlights safety-related policy information across 300 schools; the interview component highlights school-safety perceptions of 64 staff across 16 schools. Various policies and programs that respond to internal and external threats to school…

This document presents different strategies and approaches for members of school communities to consider when creating safer learning environments. It contains the distilled collective experience and wisdom of over 500 people. Guidance for school violence prevention and response is offered in the following areas: ways to prevent student violence,…

School business officials are held responsible for school safety. After conducting a school security audit, the following strategies are recommended: establishing a local school security task force; forming a comprehensive crisis management plan; establishing a school communication network; and providing school staff with inservice training on…

This "Emergency Planning and Procedures Guide for Schools" is a complete revision of "Emergency/Disaster Preparedness: A Planning Guide for Schools," published in November, 1999. These materials are intended for use by Minnesota schools to help them develop emergency procedures and crisis management policies. It should be used…

This paper is part of a collection of 54 papers from the 48th annual conference of the Education Law Association held in November 2002. It addresses postsecondary campus safety. It discusses the changes in the concept of in loco parentis on college campuses; the Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990; and legal principles applicable to…

State legislatures and school boards are adopting a growing number of zero-tolerance polices toward weapons, guns, and violence. Zero-tolerance polices are rules intended to address specific school-safety issues. They have arisen in part as a response to the threat of the withdrawal of federal funds under the 1994 Gun-Free Schools Act, and…

In July 2002, the National Association of School Resource Officers (school-based police officers) administered a 52-item questionnaire to its members attending the Association's annual conference. The survey covered the officers' views on school security and safety. This report presents the results of that survey. A total of 658 surveys were…

Schools are taking many different steps to prevent violence, among them improving relationships with students and building on the relationship with local law enforcement. A comprehensive strategy should definitely include a good crisis plan. All school personnel should know what the plan says as well as their roles in implementation. One sidebar…

This guidebook describes the components involved in proactively developing a comprehensive crisis-management plan. Chapter 1 explains the philosophical underpinnings of a crisis-management plan and discusses the importance of vision and staff development. Chapter 2 answers the questions: Why do we need a crisis-management plan? Who needs to be…