A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

• Establish a team of educators, students, parents, law enforcement and juvenile justice officials, and community and business leaders to develop a plan for creating a safe, disciplined, gun- and drug-free school.

• Develop a Safe School Plan based upon an examination of problems and resources and a review of strategies that work.

• Ensure that students are engaged in school work that is challenging, informative, and rewarding. When students are fully engaged and absorbed, they are less prone to violence and less likely to be disruptive.

• Establish, publish, publicize, and enforce policies that clearly define acceptable and unacceptable behavior. These policies should include zero tolerance for weapons, violence, gangs, and use or sale of alcohol and drugs.

• Work with law enforcement and juvenile justice agencies for support in reporting violations of weapons policies as well as other delinquent or criminal behavior.

• Take immediate action on all reports of drug use or sales, threats, bullying, gang activity, or victimization. Anyone caught bringing a gun to school should be reported immediately to the appropriate law enforcement agency.

• Create an environment that encourages parents and other adults to visit the school and participate in the school's activities. Develop a sense of community within the school.

• Encourage staff to treat each other and students with respect and to act as good role models.

• Encourage community members to support schools in their community and to participate in school programs and services that promote the safety of students and all school staff.

• Work with community groups and law enforcement officials to keep schools open after normal operating hours so that students and their families have places where they can engage in productive, well-supervised, and safe activities. Help create safe corridors to and from school.

• Involve youth in program and policy development.

• Offer programs that teach peaceful, nonviolent methods for managing conflict to students and their families, as well as to staff.

• Work with the media to make the public aware of the crime and safety issues that confront the schools. Provide accurate assessments of school crime and violence to the public.

• Learn about effective practices based on research and proven programs used in other districts. Share the knowledge.

• Monitor implementation and progress of the Safe School Plan, making improvements based on what is learned as well as on new developments in the field.

[Introduction]

[Action Steps for Students]