Although lockdown drills are a practice widely used in K-12 public schools across the United States to prepare students and staff to respond to acts of violence, research has only just begun to consider the impacts of these practices on those who participate in them. This study adds to the growing body of literature by examining the potential…

Mass shootings in schools raise important questions about how best to keep individuals safe and increase survivability in such situations. One of the most common techniques used is lockdown drills, which train individuals to build time and space between them and the threat. Despite their use in 95% of public K-12 schools nationwide, their efficacy…

In an increasingly diverse U.S. society, schools maintain Eurocentrism and White supremacy through curriculum, failing to give marginalized populations (and students of color in particular) space to make sense of the world from their particular positions. This maintenance of White supremacy also means that White students do not learn how to better…

September 11... Virginia Tech... Columbine... Hurricane Katrina... Traumatic events with long lasting consequences. Lives are upended, safety is threatened, and all are forced to find a way to adapt to a new normal. Educators in schools where students have experienced trauma face difficult challenges, for how are they to promote academic growth…

An ASBO member and chair of New York's School Emergency Response to Violent Events (SERVE) explains how this program tackles violence and teen suicide. SERVE teaches the basic principles of hostage situations, uses a confidential reporting system, and advocates safety audits and risk-reduction strategies. (MLH)

Some of the worst collateral damage from a tragedy does not occur till after the smoke clears; namely, the usurping of the name of the location where the event took place, which over time gets repurposed into metaphor and served as a caveat. Vietnam has resonated for decades as a reference to protracted war. Kent State is likewise laden with…

Describes the coping responses of three administrators who dealt with various school tragedies, namely, a senior's suicide, a classroom hostage situation involving a bomb explosion, and a tornado that collapsed a cafeteria wall. A sidebar outlines one district's crisis plan. (MLH)

The history of the Gary school campaign in New York City firmly suggests the way in which the schools reflected the internal conflicts and tensions, as well as the shared values and assumptions, of the larger society. (Author)

This guide is intended to assist classroom teachers in developing lessons revolving around New York's 1980 handgun control law. It contains model lesson plans and a section on resource materials designed to provide insight into the law and its ramifications. The guide is designed for use in intermediate, junior and senior high schools. (Author/APM)

Helping school crime victims past their indignation and sense of vulnerability has presented New York school officials a challenge tantamount to crime prevention. Discussed are effects of victimization as well as social support, effective help, and support programs for victims. (SI)

"The Achiever" is a monthly newsletter designed expressly for parents and community leaders. Each issue contains news and information about and from public and private organizations about school improvement in the United States. Highlights of this issue include: (1) New Online Tool Simplifies Financial Aid Process; (2) Rigor in K-6:…

Maintains that, although slavery is a major topic in U.S. history, the geographical focus is primarily on the South. Discusses slavery and two slave revolts in colonial New York in the early 1700s. Includes descriptions of the slave revolts and two information tables. (CFR)

This article focuses on the three kinds of school safety: (1) physical; (2) emotional; and (3) intellectual, and details how to determine if a school is safe. Excellence in schools demands that schools be physically, emotionally, and intellectually safe for students, while "good enough" schools are simply physically safe. Here, the…

This booklet was developed to guide school pesonnel who come into contact with pupils who need help because of violence in their homes. It provides information on spouse abuse and its effects on children, suggests ways for school personnel to educate students about the problem, and promotes the use of local service agencies designed to assist…

This audit report addresses whether New York school districts have established comprehensive school safety plans and completed necessary violence-prevention and response steps, and whether the New York State of Board of Education and State Education Department provided sufficient monitoring over school districts' efforts to keep schools safe from…