Describes school and school district responsibilities to protect students from bullying. Includes duty to train, to remedy, to monitor, and to investigate. (PKP)

School safety is a concern of administrators, teachers, parents and students. Federal legislation has been enacted to address school safety, including the discipline of students with disabilities. One option available to school districts is to place potentially dangerous or disruptive students in an interim alternative educational setting (IAES).…

There was a time in U.S. education when good management might have sufficed. If administrators balanced the budgets, hired adequate staff, and purchased the established instructional curricula, they did enough. However, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) changed that dramatically. Today, districts are accountable for the academic proficiency of…

This report describes statistical indicators developed by the Council of the Great City Schools and its member districts to measure big-city school performance on a range of operational functions in business, finance, human resources and technology. The report also presents data city-by-city on those indicators. This is the second time that…

This bulletin describes a set of general guidelines for developing contingency plans that prepare school systems to cope with expected and unexpected disruptions in the educational process. Typically, contingency plans are prepared to anticipate consequences of school desegregation, natural disasters, bomb threats, or mass demonstrations. The…

A Connecticut district's stringent asbestos removal and testing program is described, which applies a modified National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health-Occupational Safety and Health Administration (NIOSH-OSHA) test as a standard of acceptable removal. (MJL)

A report on Earthquake Preparedness presents California school districts with direction for complying with existing earthquake preparedness planning laws. It first contains two sets of recommendations. The first set requires state action and is presented to the Legislature for consideration. The second set consists of policy statements and…

The frequency of school accidents is intolerably high. A school board's policy on safety education and accident prevention should include a district-wide safety program. (MF)

A program of periodic inspection, maintenance, and repair or replacement of school furniture and equipment will ensure safety as well as reduce the threat of lawsuits and workers' compensation claims. (MLF)

The Consumer Product Safety Commission's "Handbook for Public Playground Safety" stands as the industry's reference tool and is a primary source for measuring liability in accident claims. Today's playground accidents are usually caused by poor maintenance, antiquated design, or layout problems. A series of tests are available for…

A school district's risk manager must provide the leadership in risk management for district special events. Tables list the following: (1) seven reasons for event failures, and preventive measures to take; (2) risk analysis checklist; and (3) event planning outline. (MLF)

Describes the Washington Education Association's work on school safety in two school districts in Seattle. Efforts to date make it clear that schools can only be changed one at a time after appropriate identification of the existing problems. Bullying is a fundamental issue in school safety. (SLD)

The word "terrorism" has become commonplace in the headlines, workplaces, and homes since September 11, 2001. In the past, school crisis plans commonly addressed how to evacuate in the event of a gas leak or fire. Today, schools must be prepared to address biological, chemical, and radiological attacks, as well as car bombings, suicide attacks,…

Schools that take a tough stance against schoolyard bullying are beginning to realize how things are changing in the 21st century. Today's bullies are turning more to technology--and cyberspace--for the purpose of tormenting their victims. To some extent, it is classic bullying--but it is also bullying that takes place in a new medium that expands…

The Austin Community Collaboration to Enhance Student Success (ACCESS) is a community collaboration between the Austin Independent School District (AISD) and public and nonprofit agencies. By implementing a number of innovative prevention and treatment programs to address the emotional, behavioral, and social needs of students, the ACCESS…