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Image of students and teacher, top half The KEYS 2.0 Online Action Guide
Image of students and teacher, bottom half Welcome | Introduction | About the KEYS Action Guide
KEY 1 | KEY 2 | KEY 3 | KEY 4 | KEY 5 | KEY 6 | NEXT STEPS | APPENDIX
key 5 INTRODUCTION | RESOURCES | SUCCESS STORIES
Indicators 1 |  2 |  3 |  4 |  5
KEY 5 - INDICATOR 4
The school provides a safe environment for learning.

This indicator examines whether or not your school has a clear school safety policy and whether or not that policy is reinforced in all teaching and learning activities.

Tragic shootings that have taken place in schools around the country in recent years have brought home the reality that safety is an issue that every school must address. An NEA report in 1999 recommends that educators go beyond the campus to address school safety. Violence at home and in the community tends to move into the school because of a number of reasons: gang presence and activities, hate-motivated behaviors, drugs, and the availability of weapons.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
  1. What issues of crime and violence are of concern in your school?

  2. What is currently being done to address crime and violence? With what effect?

  3. What alternative safety plans have been proposed? Which appear feasible, given existing resources?

  4. What evidence exists that other resources will have a significant impact on issues of crime and violence?

ACTIVITY
  • Assign members of a team to read and research reports and articles available from NEA Human and Civil Rights on what is known about creating a secure environment for all students. These articles include "Youth Gangs,""Hate-Motivated Crime and Violence,""Guide for Preventing and Responding to School Violence,""Children Who Act Out Sexually,"and "Early Warning, Timely Response: A Guide to Safe Schools."Team members then:

    1. 1. Write a synopsis of each.
    2. 2. Discuss current school practice and identify changes that will improve school safety.
    3. 3. Review the resources needed to implement the improvement and how to obtain, test, and evaluate the resources.

The staff then can make connections and seek information outside the boundaries of the school by joining out-of-school groups and activities.

Members of the staff can also visit other schools that are engaged in efforts to create a safe school environment. They can report findings to the total staff and members of the community.

 

Welcome | Introduction | About the KEYS Action Guide
KEY 1 | KEY 2 | KEY 3 | KEY 4 | KEY 5 | KEY 6 | NEXT STEPS | APPENDIX

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© 2002 by the National Education Association