Following a wave of racial justice activism during the summer of 2020, nearly 40 school districts passed resolutions ending the use of law enforcement in schools. In such districts, school superintendents then faced the challenge of implementing these "police-free schools' resolutions," while sometimes encountering strong resistance,…

The "IDRA Newsletter" serves as a vehicle for communication with educators, school board members, decision-makers, parents, and the general public concerning the educational needs of all children across the United States. The focus of this issue is "Strengthening School Safety." Contents include: (1) The Facts about…

Traditionally, educator preparation programs only provide classes related to content, practical pedagogy, and classroom management. If we hope to see any level of justice in the education system, preparation programs must include courses that take an honest and deep dive into the ways in which racism shows up in schools and communities. Aspiring…

The "IDRA Newsletter" serves as a vehicle for communication with educators, school board members, decision-makers, parents, and the general public concerning the educational needs of all children across the United States. The focus of this issue is "Fair Discipline." Contents include: (1) At What Cost? A Review of School Police…

The problem of police brutality in Black and Brown communities has become a very frustrating issue. Part of the reason for exasperation lies with the fact that the country is divided when it comes to the notion of responsible policing. This became apparent when the "Black Lives Matter" movement was quickly met by obstinate supporters of…

The "IDRA Newsletter" serves as a vehicle for communication with educators, school board members, decision-makers, parents, and the general public concerning the educational needs of all children across the United States. The focus of this issue is "Student Voice." Contents include: (1) Maybe One Day, the Pain Won't Feel the…

This booklet is a summary of an extensive review of research and other literature undertaken to guide the development of the Wellbeing@School website self-review process, survey tools and content. This website is being developed by the New Zealand Council for Educational Research (NZCER). The "Wellbeing@School" website is one component…

In late December of 1951, a news story out of Mims, Florida, shocked the nation. The story contained elements of prejudice, discrimination, injustice, lynching, rape, bombings, and murder. The story not only made headlines across the country, but also the world. On the evening of December 25, a bomb was placed under the floor joists of the bedroom…

Several years ago the police department of Waterford, Connecticut and the local school administration viewed with great alarm the increasing tendency of school age youth to mistrust and misunderstand the criminal justice system. A program entitled "Freedom and the Law" was developed in response to this concern. The project was designed…

This curriculum unit provides middle-school teachers a series of innovative and easy-to-use lessons for the classroom. Five core lessons give students a background in the role of police in society and issues of community crime and safety, prepare students to take part in the Police Patrol simulation with actual officers, and challenge students to…

This instructional guide offers classroom lesson plans that can be used by teachers or police officers with a videotape to present a "Junior Police Academy" (JPA) program for middle school students. The guide also contains lesson plans and student activities to be used independently of the videotape. Following a description of the goals…

A project's main objective was to work actively with nine female law enforcement recruits to improve their overall performance in the firearms course and enable them to pass their Florida firearms qualifying exam. To achieve this objective, the Fire Arms Training System (FATS) was developed, including the use of the buddy system, the development…

Developed by educators from the Emily Griffith Opportunity School, this teacher's guide presents an 8-hour course in writing for police officers. The course is designed to help officers improve the accuracy and appearances of their reports and to help them take responsibility for becoming more independent writers. Each of the four lessons in the…

A packet of game materials, designed to help young people better understand what the law is, what the police officer's duties are, and what pressures and fears the police officers experience daily, is presented. The game, designed for a group of 20 to 35 students, contains: Teacher's Manual, Attitude Survey Master, Observer Evaluation Master,…

This teacher's guide outlines effective strategies for using "Criminal Justice in America." This comprehensive textbook on criminal justice may serve either as the foundation for a high school law-related education course or as a supplemental text for civics, government or contemporary-issues courses. Designed to foster critical thinking…