While all school districts are responsible for the management of their existing buildings, they often approach the task in different ways. This document presents two models that offer ways a school district administration, regardless of size, may introduce activities into its ongoing management process that will lead to improvements in earthquake…

Data from a nationwide survey of school districts were used to contrast roles of nurses and health assistants in school health programs. Results indicated that nurses were underused in school health education. Health assistants tended to administer medication and basic first aid, and nurses provided technically involved clinical services. (SM)

Presents actions to protect lives and property losses in school fires based on the experiences of a professional fire restoration company.(MLF)

Summoning police officers to help investigate the report of an armed student is the prudent and safe thing for school officials to do. Police officers receive extensive training in dealing with armed subjects. School staff training should include all staff members and should provide information about where to report, how to report, and to whom.…

Describes a component of one North Carolina school district's plan for improving the high school environment by integrating community-policing strategies and problem-solving techniques for reducing school crime, delinquency, and disorder. By using teacher/student working groups, the school reports declines in the incidence of school crime and…

An examination of six urban Canadian school districts' policies and co-curricular programs for safe and inclusive schools shows contrasting implicit patterns of citizenship education. Peacekeeping-oriented districts relied heavily on standardized control and exclusion to achieve school safety and allocated few resources to affirming diversity.…

This issue of "Lessons Learned" addresses "Dealing with Weapons on Campus." Each year, school administrators, faculty and staff must deal with the possibility of students planning and carrying out pranks such as toilet-papering trees, egging automobiles or spray painting school property. These high jinks often occur at the end of the school year,…

Discusses the following issues: (1) implications of the Americans with Disabilities Act; (2) Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act regulations; (3) new lead guidelines; (4) requirements regarding underground storage tanks; (5) potential indoor air quality requirements; and (6) Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidelines. (MLF)

Describes the theoretical and procedural underpinnings of mandatory school uniforms on school safety as experienced in one California school district. Findings indicate that uniforms had a positive influence on school behavior, but further research is advised before definitive conclusions can be drawn. (GR)

Designed to address school safety concerns, the Unsafe School Choice Option (USCO) is another less publicized and brief component of the No Child Left Behind legislation, the centerpiece of Pres George W. Bush's educational agenda. The legislation mandates that state education agencies and local education agencies develop policies and procedures…

The Commissioner's annual report provides the Legislature with information reported by school districts concerning incidents of serious student misconduct grouped into the following four major reporting categories: violence, vandalism, weapons, and substance abuse. An analysis of trends yields indications of progress and of ongoing concern, and…

Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast of the United States on August 29, 2005, and triggered one of the most devastating natural disasters in the history of the nation. New Orleans, in particular, and the schools that served the community's children, suffered severe storm damage and massive flooding. Central to the city's strategy of getting back…

This publication, resulting from a survey of more than 2,000 school districts, focuses on school violence and ways to prevent it. Section 1 discusses both the problem of school violence and also the critical role that school boards must play in keeping schools safe. This section also includes information about how school boards can develop…

This testimony about how federal requirements affect local school districts focuses on three major issues: (1) the major federal requirements that affect school districts; (2) the issues school districts face in implementing these requirements; and (3) recent initiatives by the Congress and the Department of Education (DOE) to provide flexibility…

Discusses what school business officials should know concerning environmental hazards in educational facilities, particularly bloodborne pathogens (Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Hepatitis B), lead in paint and water, and asbestos. The keys to managing environmental hazards are education and a knowledgeable inhouse employee or outside consultant…