Schools should be safe places for young people, educators, school staff, and community members, and policies and practices can help create learning environments where kids thrive. Gun violence in U.S. schools has prompted calls for increased school safety measures; however, which policies contribute to safe school environments is often a topic of…

Although the COVID-19 pandemic closed schools and directed attention to other matters, one issue which had raised concern prior to the pandemic -- the role of lockdown drills in schools -- remains to be addressed as education leaders prepare for the return of students and adults to gathering daily in large groups in schools. By one estimate, 95…

The author, director of UCLA's Institute for Democracy, Education, and Access, shares results of a study he led exploring how principals in U.S. high schools are responding to five specific societal challenges; he highlights what principals said about the challenge of gun violence in their schools. More school leaders reported their school being…

Since March of 2020, educational communities have largely been in survival mode with little attention, time, or resources allocated to the ongoing work of school safety and violence prevention. Planning and implementing initiatives for a return to school cannot just focus on a return to "normal" because of significant increases in other…

When children and youth feel unsafe, adults need to act. The damaging effects that feeling unsafe and being exposed to violence have on young people and their ability to succeed are well-established. These scientific insights make clear the urgency with which the people of this country must intervene in schools and communities to change the…

A new report written by Pullias Center researchers tackles the institutionalization of policing in higher education campus safety and management. By providing administrators with important perspectives, key takeaways, reflective questions, and specific recommendations, "Campus Policing: A Guide for Higher Education Leaders" acts as a…

The overarching goal of schools is to create a safe, supportive environment where students can thrive and learn. This begins with a dedication to students' social and emotional well-being, and effective policies and programs that create a culture of trust. Such a culture provides an optimal learning environment, and is also a proactive step…

On April 20, 1999, two Columbine High School students walked into their school midday and killed 12 students and one teacher. Twenty-one other students were injured. All that had been normal came to an abrupt end. Education leaders in Jefferson County, Colorado, quickly realized they were laying the groundwork for a new normal. Colorado's…

Schools are among the safest places in the community for children and young people. This National Safe Schools Framework builds on the original 2003 Framework. It recognises the progress that individual schools, systems and sectors have made since the publication and dissemination of the original framework to create safe, supportive and respectful…

The AISD Student Substance Use and Safety Survey, administered annually to a random, representative sample of AISD students, provides self-report data on student knowledge, attitudes, and behavior related to substance use and school safety issues. This report summarizes results from the 2010-2011 school year.