A sick school building has indoor air problems that pose health risks for everyone inside. The paper discusses what makes a school sick and what interested parties can do about it by targeting the problem together, making classroom changes, and making schoolwide changes. Resources for further information are included. (SM)

Explains that room arrangement can affect student reactions, create or prevent accidents, and increase or decrease a teacher's focus on the children. Describes a teacher's experience in rearranging a classroom by dividing the space into distinct learning areas and adding furniture such as a lamp, pillows, pictures, and a rocking chair to make the…

Summoning police officers to help investigate the report of an armed student is the prudent and safe thing for school officials to do. Police officers receive extensive training in dealing with armed subjects. School staff training should include all staff members and should provide information about where to report, how to report, and to whom.…

Describes a component of one North Carolina school district's plan for improving the high school environment by integrating community-policing strategies and problem-solving techniques for reducing school crime, delinquency, and disorder. By using teacher/student working groups, the school reports declines in the incidence of school crime and…

Examines the effects of school size on 945 middle school students' perception of school satisfaction, teacher support, and school safety using data from a national probability sample. Findings suggest that the negative relationship between school size and student outcomes may be from the effect of high enrollments on the school environment.…

Discuss implications for school-district student-on-student sexual harassment policies of "Davis v. Monroe County Board of Education, wherein the Supreme Court ruled that a school can be held liable for not protecting students from sexual harassment by other students. States that schools also have a moral and educational duty to prevent…

Discusses reasons for school violence, examining critical aspects of the culture of school violence (a dominator value system that supports violence, overemphasis on negativity, and pervasiveness of bullying). The paper describes differences between bullying and normal peer conflict and notes short- and long-term effects of bullying.…

Explains how local PTAs can help with school crisis intervention, focusing on dealing with the public and the media; spreading the word about the National PTA's programs and positions via public relations programs; what to do during a crisis; and how to prepare for press conferences and prepare necessary materials. Finally, the paper discusses the…

Asserts that the unique nature of Catholic schools--their small student-to-teacher ratio, autonomy over their buildings and grounds, the dress code, and parent involvement--helps prevent such events as the Columbine High School slayings from occurring. Urges Catholic schools not to become complacent, however, and continue to use these advantages…

The practice of identifying violence-prone students via checklists of personal characteristics and behaviors is accompanied by unanswered questions, recognized weaknesses, and serious implementation implications (for special services, suspensions and expulsions, and student rights). Stereotyping, discrimination, and wrongful identification of…

A five-part article describes and analyzes the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and a behavioral intervention technique called "positive behavioral interventions, supports, and strategies" (PBS). Suggests guidelines for applying PBS within the framework of IDEA, especially as it applies to discipline of students covered…

Engaging, attractive schoolyard ponds provide habitat for wildlife and hold great educational promise. Reviews water safety and liability issues including mud, stagnant pond water that serves as mosquito breeding grounds, and drowning. Offers ideas for creatively addressing those issues through site planning, shallow water depth, signage and…

Background: Research on pupils' bullying (1991) and violence (1993) motivated the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science to initiate a national campaign on school safety. The government campaign was undertaken from 1995 to 2000. Aim: To test for differences in secondary pupils' bullying and violence before and after the campaign while…

Everyone has read about what might be called the "gold gap"--how the rich in this country are getting richer and controlling an ever-larger share of the nation's wealth. The Century Foundation has started publishing "Reality Check", a series of guides to campaign issues that sometimes finds gaps in these types of cherished delusions. The guides…

Each month, "American School & University" provides a mix of thought-provoking features, how-to-articles, industry reports, exclusive surveys, new sections, insightful columns, new product introductions and case histories to assist education officials in better performing their jobs. This December 2004 issue includes the following:…