This article reports how superintendents and school principals nationwide have been working to find the right balance in easing public concerns about a drug-resistant bacterium that has sickened students in dozens of states this year and caused the reported deaths of at least four young people in the last month. Even as they have acted…

Many schools are almost entirely reliant on alarms and sprinklers for their fire protection. As these devices need to be triggered and supplied with power or water to work properly, they are vulnerable to errors. To provide adequate safety, a good fire-protection program must have three primary elements: fire protection and suppression, and…

The most high-profile story of the year touching the higher education community was undisputedly the killings at Virginia Tech in April when student Seung-Hui Cho opened fire, leaving 33 people dead, including himself. To date, it is the deadliest campus shooting in U.S. history. However, in September, the Delaware State University (DSU) community…

In a residence hall on the campus of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, two students had been shot to death. A couple of hours later, the tragedy multiplied by horrific proportions as across campus, 30 students and instructors were gunned down in a classroom building. As the details emerged of the worst shooting incident in U.S. history, educators and…

The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects the people of the United States from unreasonable searches and seizures. On first reading, these protections seem clearly defined. The amendment was meant to protect Americans from the kinds of random searches and seizures that the colonists experienced under British colonial rule. Under…

In this study we examined possible advantages of the Internet as a medium for help and support for victims of school violence in Israel. Students in sixth, eighth, and tenth grades were asked about their willingness to seek help on the Internet for dealing with various forms of school violence, and the underlying force-driving processes of such…

The National Science Education Leadership Association (NSELA) was formed in 1959 to meet a need to develop science education leadership for K-16 school systems. "Navigator" is published by NSELA to provide the latest NSELA events. This issue of "Navigator" contains the following reports: (1) A Message from the President: Creating Networks of…

Frequently, parents, educators, and even government leaders express concern over the continuing violence, as well as the breakdown of discipline within our schools (Boulter, 2004). The purpose of this study was to examine if teacher attitudes influence policy and practice in establishing and enforcing middle school student discipline, and if these…

Early childhood centers have become a common and necessary part of millions of Americans' lives. More women in the workforce, longer workweeks, and educational research supporting the importance of early education have all contributed to the rise of early childhood centers throughout the United States. Today, more than 30 percent of children under…

US schools fail to engage a significant proportion of adolescent students. Although student engagement is significantly related to academic achievement, there is a dearth of longitudinal research simultaneously examining the impact of personal and contextual factors on student engagement at both individual and school levels. Using a…

In an effort to safeguard the learning environment, school administrators generally rely on district or local school guidelines and professional judgment. With new technology, the proliferation of drug use, and increased school violence, schools have become a complex environment to manage for both system and local leadership. Administrators are…

AN EFFICIENT FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SHOULD--(1) PROVIDE WARNING OF FIRES THAT START IN HIDDEN OR UNOCCUPIED LOCATIONS, (2) INDICATE WHERE THE FIRE IS, (3) GIVE ADVANCE WARNING TO FACULTY AND ADMINISTRATION SO THAT PANIC AND CONFUSION CAN BE AVOIDED AND ORDERLY EVACUATION OCCUR, (4) AUTOMATICALLY NOTIFY CITY FIRE HEADQUARTERS OF THE FIRE, (5) OPERATE BY…

This document summarizes important findings from the 1999?2000 School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS). Selected national estimates of the amount of crime, violence, and disorder at public schools, and the practices and programs that schools use to identify and diffuse potential problems are presented. Much of this document was adapted from…

This issue of ERCMExpress presents food safety and food defense for schools. Many schools and school districts across the country have established emergency management plans; however, these plans are often not comprehensive, practiced regularly or written in collaboration with the local community. It is recommended that schools adopt a…

This book advises schools in a concise, detailed format about crisis management. Its chapters address: (1) crisis planning; (2) early warning signs; (3) crisis response; (4) crisis recovery; (5) case studies of schools that have encountered crisis situations; and (6) sample letters to be distributed in case of crisis. (Appendices discuss…