New Jersey's state board of education formed a task force in 1978 to conduct a six-month study of the effectiveness of various strategies for reducing violence and vandalism in the schools. The forty-seven recommendations developed by the task force were of three types: those designed to improve state-level capabilities (areas addressed included creation within the department of education of an Office to Prevent Crime and Disruption, improved crime reporting, revised requirements for school personnel, improved data collection, the juvenile justice system, and funding possibilities); those to improve local school or school district capabilities (discipline, governance, staff protection, curriculum, school climate, and so forth); and those to improve cooperation between school and community (advisory councils, local planning, community use of schools, and school/police liaison programs). The rationale for these recommendations is presented in this report, and the legal, financial, and time dimensions for carrying out the recommendations are discussed. Extensive appendices include four significant reports on violence and vandalism in New Jersey schools, task force reports on onsite visitations and public hearings, and citation of relevant New Jersey legislation. (Author/PGD)