In April 2021, the Washington State Legislature appropriated $60,000 of the federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) III funds of the American Rescue Plan Act to support a technical advisory workgroup to explore recommended residency options for pre-service educators. This had a focus on educators of color and…

Low- and lower-middle-income countries (LMICs) are currently facing a myriad of challenges in education; from large increases in school enrolments putting pressure on already strained school resources, to having millions of children out of school, with a sizable proportion of those in school learning poor. Education stakeholders in high- and…

In order to contextualise the articles in this special issue, this introductory article surveys the relevant literature from recent disasters in mostly developed countries in order to explore the wider role of schools in disaster preparedness, response and recovery. The first section argues that as schools are hubs of their communities, it is…

This article presents summaries of three studies relevant to school crisis response. The first report, "A Framework for International Crisis Intervention" (Sally Dorman), is a review of how existing crisis intervention models (including the NASP PREPaRE model) have been adapted for international use. The second article, "Responding…

Australia regularly suffers floods, droughts, bushfires and cyclones, which are predicted to increase and/or intensify in the future due to climate change. While school-aged children are among the most vulnerable to natural disasters, they can be empowered through education to prepare for and respond to disasters. School disaster education is…

Education has come to be a key focus of the humanitarian response of international agencies in countries affected by conflict, but disabled children tend to be excluded from these education initiatives. Yet the reconstruction process can provide governments with a unique opportunity to reassess the way they educate disabled children, and consider…

Because of perceived advantages, simulations are increasingly being used for performance-based training. This is a review of computer simulation as a learning tool, and its application within the context of disaster preparedness. Concepts from established learning theory are examined and research verifiable by empirical data is referenced. To…

Available technical literature pertaining to exit facility design and emergency escape provisions of the National Fire Protection Association's "Life Safety Code" (1976 Edition) are reviewed in order to determine the technical support for such provisions. The report focuses on the time-based capabilities of building occupants to effect…

At the request of the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools, the National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities (NCEF) has conducted "a literature search and review to identify best practices in [school] building design for accommodating the evacuation and sheltering needs of individuals with special needs or…

Reviews the use of spatial data and information technology by environmental managers and emergency responders. Discussion includes environmental legislation, the Toxic Chemical Release Inventory (TRI) database, public access to environmental information, information standardization problems, emergency response software development and a case study…