Child trafficking poses a momentous public health threat to students in public schools. Although school nurses are exceptionally positioned to identify and respond to trafficking, most lack training and resources in this critical area. This project aimed to evaluate the impact of a multifaceted intervention on school nurse preparedness and…

Our research team explored a political campaign that targeted the Magic City Acceptance Academy (MCAA) as the 'first transgender public school in the South'. Located near Birmingham, Alabama, MCAA opened in fall 2021 as one of the first LGBTQ + affirming charter schools in the United States. In spring 2022, gubernatorial candidate Tim James…

This research study examined the perceptions of educators and law enforcement professionals regarding the procedures used in schools by law enforcement. It examined their level of satisfaction with their general feelings about the relationship between schools and law enforcement and the current school districts' overall school safety in three…

We examined the effectiveness of the "Say Something Anonymous Reporting System" (SS-ARS) program in improving school safety in a cluster randomized control trial among over 700 students in 19 middle schools in the Miami-Dade County Public Schools. The SS-ARS is a program that emphasizes youth engagement and trains youth to recognize…

Researchers from across the country have published at least 187 empirical studies on the effectiveness of private school choice programs. The "EdChoice Study Guide" is an annually updated guide to the available research on private school choice programs in America. In this guide, one can learn what the body of rigorous research says…

The phenomenological research investigates the perceptions of principals on the use of multi-option response plans before, during, and after active shooter drills. The study discovers three central themes from eight Secondary principals. Active shooter drills in public schools are mandated by state legislation and create school culture challenges…

By the end of March 2020, all public schools in the United States were closed to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. More than 50.8 million children stayed home as school systems scrambled to transition to remote or hybrid learning platforms. While the decision to close schools was difficult, the debate over when and how to reopen…

This study investigates the effectiveness of North Carolina "Senate Bill 402, Section 8.36 -- Grants for School Resource Officers in Elementary and Middle Schools," which provides matching state funds to districts for use in middle and elementary schools. Using generalized difference-in-difference and negative binomial hurdle regression…

Public school districts and police departments in the United States often collaborate to address school-based violence and other threats to the safety and well-being of students, teachers, and staff. As a result of these partnerships, law enforcement officers have become an increasingly common presence in schools around the country, even at the…

Transgender and gender-expansive students are disproportionately at risk for a host of negative academic and health outcomes; yet, few educators receive training on gender-inclusive school practices. This descriptive study used evaluation survey data from employees (N = 1,425) across 80 schools participating in gender-inclusivity professional…

Nationally, school-based mental health (SBMH) is seen as an avenue to increase access to children's mental health services and promote mental health awareness. The current article describes the implementation of a statewide SBMH program focusing on partnerships between community-based providers and local school systems, with providers embedded…

In 2013, VA became the first state to mandate the use of threat assessment teams in its K-12 public schools. We provide an account of the development and adaptation of threat assessment as a school safety practice and research on the Virginia Student Threat Assessment Guidelines in VA schools. We describe the state law and the question of whether…

In the spring of 2019, RTI implemented the All Hands on Deck program in three North Carolina counties. The program was funded by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction School Safety Grant, which was offered in response to a growing need for safer schools in the state. According to the 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), 10.1% of…

Teachers and administrators across the United States struggle to maintain safe, civil, and community- and achievement-oriented schools. Disciplinary actions (such as school suspensions) and security measures (such as school resource officers/security guards and security cameras) are some approaches commonly used in schools to try to improve school…

School violence has become a focal point, sparked by violent mass killings throughout the nation. One of the most substantial efforts for improving school safety and security is the utilization of specially trained police, titled school resource officers (SROs). Regardless of the importance of maintaining safe schools and an environment that is…