Educational outcomes vary dramatically across schools in the United States. Many underperforming schools, especially in Chicago, also deal with high levels of violent crime on school grounds. Exposure to this type of frequent violence may be an important factor shaping already disadvantaged students' educational experiences. However, estimating…

School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) are school-wide, data-driven frameworks for promoting safe schools and student learning. This article explains PBIS and provides practical examples of PBIS implementation by describing a school counselor-run PBIS framework in one elementary school, as part of a larger, district-wide…

In response to the killing of 20 children and 6 adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 17, 2012, this position statement argues that research supports a thoughtful approach to safer schools, guided by four key elements--balance, communication, connectedness, and support--along with strengthened attention to mental health needs in the…

Because of a perceived increase in school related violence, a political reaction occurred in Missouri that led in 1997 to the Missouri Safe Schools Act. This new law significantly changed school disciplinary policy and allowed administrators to move large groups of students to alternative education programs, or expel them to the streets. The…

The article deals with the issue of educational preconditions of gender education formation and development in Canadian secondary schools. On the basis of conducted scientific and pedagogical literature analysis it has been determined that gender education has undergone three main stages and is currently developing during its fourth, modern…

This article explores the legal implications for U.S. higher education administrators who make admissions decisions regarding students with disabilities. A review of federal legislation, case law, and government agency rulings pertaining to higher education admissions and students with disabilities informs administrators of current law.…

Each day, in schools across America, teachers willingly embrace the often daunting task of educating the nation's youth. Students who share little more than a common birth year are placed together with a teacher who is expected to take them from wherever they happen to be academically at the beginning of the year to where they simply must be by…

Every year, the Austin Independent School District (AISD) administers the Student Substance Use and Safety Survey to a random, representative sample of middle and high school students. The survey tracks student knowledge, attitudes, and behavior over time. These results are from the 2014-2015 school year.

The concern for health and safety is legitimate in every context of human enterprise. In schools, for teaching staff's safety to be guaranteed, the equipment available should be properly maintained and installation for nonexistent ones done according to the health and safety policies. With a focus on Mbooni West district, this paper reports the…

Homophobic and transphobic bullying, through teasing, physical violence, and other forms of aggression, is a problem that affects lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students at all levels of education. Even though there have been legal changes in Mexico to protect human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, schools are…

The purpose of this explanatory sequential mixed methods study was to utilize teacher perceptions to identify best practices for school leaders who seek to transform their school into a "school as community". First, a large urban high school was purposefully selected based on data obtained from the Department of Education. After…

Despite encouraging changes in the expectations of programming for persons with moderate to severe intellectual disability (MSD), data suggest that programs for these individuals are still lacking in several critical areas. Building administrators play a key role in promoting high quality programs for students with MSD within local schools but may…

Homophobic victimization is a pervasive problem in U.S. schools that leads to negative outcomes for students. Those who experience homophobic victimization are at greater risk for avoiding particular spaces in school because they feel unsafe or afraid. Visible school security measures (e.g., security guards, metal detectors, and cameras) offer…

The University of California, San Francisco's Healthy Environments and Response to Trauma in Schools (HEARTS) Program promotes school success for trauma-impacted students through a whole-school approach utilizing the response to intervention multi-tiered framework. Tier 1 involves school-wide universal supports to change school cultures into…

Learning is not just a cognitive process. Research shows that powerful social and emotional factors affect learning. These factors influence students' abilities to attend to and direct their learning; students' engagement in learning activities; and teachers' ability to connect with, challenge, and support students. Social and emotional factors…