This paper explores how parents' COVID-19 safety concerns relate to school governance models (SGMs), instructional modes (i.e. in-person, hybrid, online), and perceptions of school quality during the pandemic. Leveraging two waves of household survey data across 47 states and the District of Columbia, we first conduct a series of multinomial…

Although metal detectors, guards, and law enforcement officers are intended to protect students and maintain a safe educational environment, the actual effectiveness of such measures is unclear, especially when it comes to protecting Black students. Charles Bell interviewed Black students from urban and suburban schools across Michigan and learned…

On April 20, 1999, two Columbine High School students started a shooting rampage, ultimately killing 12 students and one teacher, wounding 21 victims, then completing suicide. Using media frame analysis (MFA), we examined 265 transcribed major network television news stories aired during the 48 hours following the shooting. In these stories, we…

This applied dissertation was designed to investigate the perceptions of school resource officers (SROs) in Southern Maryland regarding the support SROs could provide elementary schools to foster positive interpersonal relationships while maintaining school safety and what additional resources that the SROs needed to support their job. The overall…

The reasons for committing to active shooter drills and exercises are based on psychological survival and decision-making research, along with experiences and lessons learned. However, in the realm of education, the origins and research-based purposes of active shooter drills are mostly unknown. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the…

Since the formation of schools, schools have developed ways of understanding discipline and ensuring a safe and orderly environment. Governmental personnel began to influence local school policies beginning in 1989, with United States President Ronald Reagan's "War on Drugs" campaign. This led to the creation and development of…

Throughout history, guns have been used as tools for social control to instill terror within minoritized communities. Campus carry is a current gun law that now allows licensed concealed handgun holders to carry on public college campuses in 11 U.S. states, including Texas (National Conference of State Legislatures [NCSL], 2018). This qualitative…

School connectedness plays a critical role in multiple aspects of child development. The purpose of this study was to operationalize school connectedness as a multidimensional construct and further assess whether this construct was measured similarly across gender and grade level among a sample of upper elementary school children (age M = 9.57; N…

The topic of trauma and the effect it has on an individual has recently been in the forefront of educational research. It is indicated that students who have experienced some form of trauma in their lives will have repercussions that may express themselves in their academic achievement (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2021). This…

School shootings are tragic and devastating events that have become increasingly prevalent, with 158 incidents recorded since 2018 (Education Week, 2023). These events have lasting psychological and emotional impacts on survivors, families, and educators, emphasizing the crucial need for prevention strategies. Schools must provide a safe and…

Concerns for security and academic performance have led to the increasing use of various surveillance technologies in educational institutions. This article reports an examination of the lived experiences and subjective insights of Nepali school administrators, teachers and students into the practice of closed-circuit television (CCTV)…

Despite progress in recent years, members of the LGBTQ+ community remain underrepresented and underserved in the school system. Ferial Pearson and Steven Gill draw on research literature and their own experiences as out queer educators to recommend a set of actions educators can take to reduce harm to members of these communities in school. They…

Classrooms should be spaces where every child feels safe to bring their whole self to school. This book shows how to set up preK-grade 6 classrooms that support student agency, independence, and choice. The results of classrooms designed with these goals in mind include: (1) Greater student engagement with curriculum; (2) Students who know…

Researchers acknowledge how the experiences of Black autistic students and their families are virtually absent from educational research and research about autistic people. This chapter offers insights and perspectives from the parents of a Black autistic child, using hooks' construct of homeplace to understand the need for safety in school…

LGBTQ students often have a secondary school experience fraught with bullying, mental health struggles, and marginalization. In this qualitative study, we examined teacher and administrator perspectives on school supports for LGBTQ students using data collected for a larger project on early college high schools (ECHS) in Texas. Using an ethic of…