"Research Library Issues" ("RLI") focuses on current and emerging topics that are strategically important to research libraries. The articles explore issues, share information, pose critical questions, and provide examples. This issue includes: (1) Editor's Note (M. Sue Baughman); (2) Shooting at Florida State University…

In the USA, school violence has rapidly increased in recent year (Ricketts, 2007) leading to issues in the climate and environment of schools. According to Espelage et al. (2013) "higher rates of violence directed towards teachers were associated with disorganized school structures, negative school climates, lack of administrative and…

Social, emotional, and academic development (SEAD) is a holistic approach to supporting students' development and learning that is integral to ensuring positive outcomes in school and beyond. Schools must ensure students experience healthy development and rigorous learning. Unfortunately, students of color, students from low-income backgrounds,…

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) assesses the knowledge and skills in mathematics, reading and science of 15-year-old pupils in countries around the world. PISA is run by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and assessment is typically undertaken every 3 years, allowing us to chart how…

Following a shooting at Florida's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, students from that school began to take matters into their own hands, meeting and networking on social media, speaking to the media, participating in vigils, organizing walkouts and demonstrations, establishing coalitions with others who share their outrage and goals, and…

This article reviews the development of the Southeastern School Behavioral Health Community (SSBHC), which began in 2013 to bring coherence to the school behavioral health (SBH) agenda in South Carolina and has since expanded to become a regional effort in the southeastern United States. The term SBH is used to convey community mental health…

The decision on how to protect the children and youth while at schools is a serious conversation with varying agreements on the best practices. Some feel that school personnel should not be trained nor expected to be able to react to an armed person while others believe that training of school personnel and allowing them to be armed will deter…

Exemplary middle schools have a variety of programs that support students' needs and help them adjust socially and emotionally; advisory programs can be one structure to effectively provide some of this support. This article shares the story of how a group of middle level teachers and teacher leaders within a culturally diverse school reclaimed…

The purpose of this study was to better understand parents' perspectives of education in Budapest, particularly parents of children with disabilities or children who struggle with learning. Nine parents were interviewed. Parents found schools for their child with a disability to be lacking in terms of updated materials, methods and service…

Students are highly dependent on the emergency planning and evacuation decisions made by policymakers and school personnel when disasters occur. The purpose of this study was to examine selected cases of school-related disasters, highlighting how factors of the school context intersected with natural hazards and subsequently affected…

An increasing number of college students are coming forward to speak out against school violence, and there is increased attention placed on helping students seeking support if an incident occurs and exercising their right to speak out against those who perpetuate such behaviors. The skill of self-advocacy is not only useful for supporting changes…

Currently, threats to societal security from extremist groups are high on the political agenda in many countries. Politicians, policymakers at various levels and communities are searching for methods to counteract recruitment to violent organizations. These efforts are often referred to as Prevention of Violent Extremism (PVE-programmes). One of…

Both sides of the debate on school choice point to the failure of schools in choice programs as evidence for their position. To opponents of choice, school failures point to the lack of accountability of the voucher sector, and the need for greater governmental control. To choice supporters, failures represent the marketplace working, as…

Middle school is a critical transition for all school-aged youth. On a personal level they experience rapid changes across several areas of development. Their environment simultaneously adapts as schools' expectations seem greater and social pressures arise. During this juncture, they are more vulnerable to academic and psychological difficulties.…

Officials of the People's Republic of China (PRC) present their global initiatives as public goods, but many Americans see the PRC's moves as those of a peer competitor aiming to create a world antithetical to U.S. values and interests. Academic and public discussions have largely ignored the challenges that may arise from the activities of PRC…