This research study examined the perceptions of educators and law enforcement professionals regarding the procedures used in schools by law enforcement. It examined their level of satisfaction with their general feelings about the relationship between schools and law enforcement and the current school districts' overall school safety in three…

Providing and using technical assistance for capacity building within educational agencies is a complex endeavor. The U.S. Department of Education funds technical assistance centers to support state education agencies (SEAs) and local education agencies (LEAs) in the capacity-building process. Established in 2018, the Center to Improve Social and…

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the phenomenological support of a professional learning community addressing the needs of 21st-century classroom demands in an urban public school district consisting of highly qualified, reflective teachers who had completed a district-created incentive program, which aimed to retain…

While the likelihood and probability of school districts encountering major crises remain unknown, superintendents need to anticipate and prepare for such events that have the potential to threaten their organization. The purpose of this phenomenological study is to explore the behaviors and actions of New York State public school superintendents…

How can districts weave social and emotional learning throughout their work to foster a systemwide culture of connection and trust? This was a key question for district leaders of Atlanta Public Schools (APS), which serves 87 schools and 52,000 students. When a districtwide cheating scandal in 2011 was uncovered, it may have been the expected…

The County School Facility Sales Tax (CSFT) has been a supplemental funding source for some Illinois school districts since its inception in 2007. CSFT offers districts an alternative source of revenue targeted specifically for school facilities and for paying off existing debt without relying on local property taxes. This study explores and…

This Information Technology Specialist Resource List provides resources on understanding the role of information technology specialists in supporting school safety before, during, and after an emergency. Resources are organized into the following categories: (1) Cybersecurity and Cyber Safety Considerations for Schools and Districts; (2)…

This fourth of six briefs analyzing data from the 2020-2021 Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC), released earlier this year, focuses on the experiences of students with disabilities with disciplinary practices at both charter schools and traditional public schools. Though the COVID-19 pandemic was still in its early stages, concerns about the…

In the United States, the right to education resides in the states. Every state constitution affirmatively requires state legislatures to maintain and support a system of elementary and secondary schools open to all resident children. Although the language of these constitutional provisions varies, in all cases they mandate states, through their…

This paper describes how a partnership between a large, urban school district and researchers resulted in a process to measure school climate and support schools and the district in school safety efforts. The partnership utilized a comprehensive framework of safe and supportive schools, where constructs such as physical safety and security were…

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…

This guide describes the use of a multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) framework, like positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS), to restart classrooms and schools in a manner that all students, families, and educators are supported effectively, efficiently, and relevantly. This guide is not a primer on MTSS or PBIS. (For a basic…

In recent years, researchers, advocates, parents, and students have raised concerns about equity in school dress codes. Concerns have included the detrimental effects of removing students from the classroom for dress code violations. A committee report accompanying H.R. 7614 included a provision for the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) to…

School safety measures have become a significant concern in school districts, with efforts ranging from proactive strategies to reactive responses. This abstract delves into the contrasting approaches of proactive and reactive measures and examines their respective impacts on the culture and climate within schools. Proactive safety measures…

Drawing from a context of reception framework, this article asks the following questions: How do educators describe issues of safety and belonging in the context of a charged immigration policy climate? What practices have educators developed to support immigrant-origin youth? And, what are the relationships between educators' perceptions of…