Research and news stories document harmful, racialized encounters between campus police and minoritized populations. However, little is known about how campus police officers perceive racial dynamics in their work. As part of a critical case study of campus police at one historically white private university, theories of racial ideology guided the…

Using data from the 2017-18 and 2020-21 Civil Rights Data Collection, we document dis-parities in exposure to disciplinary staff across US high schools and geographic levels. Black and Hispanic students are exposed to 1.1 and 0.8 more disciplinary personnel than White students, respectively, which is equivalent to roughly twice the total average…

Since the 1950s, police presence in American schools has increased in the form of school resource officers (SROs). Some schools have elected to staff SROs on their school grounds, while others have chosen to avoid police presence at their school site. It is poorly understood how school administrators make decisions about staffing SROs in their…

Using data from the School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS), the report presents findings both on crime and violence in U.S. public schools and on the practices and programs schools have used to promote school safety. SSOCS collects data from public school principals about violent and nonviolent crimes in their schools. The survey also collects…

These are the supplemental tables for the report, "Crime, Violence, Discipline, and Safety in U.S. Public Schools: Findings from the School Survey on Crime and Safety: 2021-22. First Look. NCES 2024-043." The report presents findings both on crime and violence in U.S. public schools and on the practices and programs schools have used to…

As school safety has become a growing concern for U.S. schools, school leaders have adopted various approaches to strengthen school security. Some experts argue that this might increase the frequency of interactions with law enforcement and the likelihood of youth ending up in the criminal justice system, and that school security ultimately does…

The recent increase in school shootings has brought about an urgency to renew efforts to understand and reduce them. In this article, the Division for Emotional and Behavioral Health reviews what is known about school shootings, including data related to incidence and shooter profiles. In addition, we describe responses to shootings, accompanied…

The school-to-prison pipeline (STPP) describes in shorthand the problematic relationship between some students' school experiences and their subsequent incarceration. One summer, in response to vocal concerned parents, a suburban school board adopted a zero-tolerance policy for smoking and vaping. Through the combined effects of the zero-tolerance…

School psychologists are expected to engage in crisis-related work in the school setting and to participate on crisis teams. Research has indicated that school psychologists are meeting this charge and are involved in crisis planning, prevention, and intervention. However, most of the research examining the role of the school psychologist in…

To better understand how students perceive their physical safety in school, ACT surveyed high school students who took the ACT® test as part of a national administration in October 2018. Students were asked about their physical safety in school, including: (1) school climate; (2) the types of safety measures their school currently implements; (3)…

This is the executive summary for the report, "Is California Doing Enough to Close the School Discipline Gap?" In California, a combination of statewide and local efforts has been implemented to reduce the use of punitive suspensions in public K-12 schools. Current state data trends reflect these efforts, showing that far fewer students…

Providing students with equitable and safe learning experiences is a fundamental right; however school districts grapple with balancing student learning and student safety. In the Brown vs the Board of Education (1954) decision, the court identified education as a basic public responsibility and a principal instrument to facilitate understanding…

This research provides a unique seven-year trend analysis indicating that, while California has seen a decline in the use of suspensions in schools prior to the pandemic, the pace of the decline has slowed and large racial disparities in suspension rates remain. The research supports renewed advocacy efforts to eliminate schools' use of security…

With nightmare visions of a gunman stalking school halls, districts often rush to hire police officers to patrol their campuses after news of a school shooting. Critics of that impulsive response, which has been in high gear nationwide since the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings in December, acknowledge the concern for student and staff…

This report provides nationally representative data on public school safety and discipline for the 2013-14 school year. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) previously collected data on this topic in the School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS), which was last conducted in the 2009-10 school year (Neiman 2011). This report presents…